Must your child have the same teacher forever to function? Is that what you want in their future résumé?

The Gift of a New Face - Why Your Child’s World Just Got Bigger at Finns! Its never too young to start. As parents, we are the architects of our children’s safety. We naturally seek out the familiar, like the favourite bedtime story, the specific way we cut their toast, or the swim teacher who has finally cracked the code to their smile. When we find a rhythm that works, our instinct is to hold onto it. It is completely natural to feel a wave of unease when that rhythm changes. At Finns Boutique Swim Centre, we recognise that this concern comes from a place of deep love.

However, we would like to share a perspective that may feel counter-intuitive. The introduction of a new teacher is not a disruption to your child’s progress. When designed thoughtfully, it becomes a powerful driver of growth. At Finns, our mission is to educate the community, which means supporting parents through the difficult and beautiful task of letting go just enough so children can grow into confident, capable learners.

Moving Beyond Person-Dependency

In many traditional learning environments, the quality of a lesson is closely tied to the personality, energy, or presence of one teacher. When that teacher is absent or leaves, a child’s confidence and progress can be affected. Research shows that when learning becomes overly anchored to a single adult, children may struggle to transfer skills or feel secure in new situations because they have not internalised the skill independently.

At Finns, our approach is designed to avoid this. Learning is guided by the Joylearn™ Quality Teaching System (JQTS). You can think of it like a world-class symphony. While individual musicians may change, the master score remains the same. The curriculum, lesson structure, and learning objectives stay consistent, regardless of who is teaching that day. Structured instructional frameworks like JQTS reduce variability in learning experiences and support continuity when teachers change (OECD, 2024).

The Triadic Roadmap: Knowing the Whole Child

One of the most common worries parents have is whether a new teacher will truly understand their child. At Finns, no child is ever introduced to a teacher as a blank slate. Every student is guided by our Triadic Assessment, a structured framework that considers three interconnected areas of development. Physical, tracks motor coordination, buoyancy control, body position, breath control, and endurance in the water. Psychosocial, assesses emotional readiness, confidence, comfort levels, and the ability to manage water-related anxiety. Cognitive, evaluates how a child understands instructions, solves problems, and applies learning during lessons.

This shared understanding is accessible to the entire teaching team. Research on collaborative teaching and shared learner information shows that when educators work from a common understanding of a learner’s development and progress, transitions are smoother and continuity of learning is strengthened. (ijcrsee.com)

From "Doing" to "Enabling"

Many parents have seen the Hero Teacher, the one a child clings to and refuses to participate without. While that bond can feel reassuring, it can unintentionally limit a child’s independence. When a child performs only for one person, confidence becomes relational rather than internal.

At Finns, our teachers are trained as Enablers rather than Doers. This reflects broader pedagogical models such as the Gradual Release of Responsibility, which intentionally shifts ownership of learning from teacher to learner over time, helping children become independent and confident. (en.wikipedia.org)

In addition, research on self-efficacy, a concept developed by psychologist Albert Bandura, shows that children develop confidence as they experience success through their own effort and see themselves as capable of performing tasks independently. (ijcrsee.com)

By learning with different skilled educators, children begin to trust their own abilities. They learn that floating, kicking, breathing, and problem-solving belong to them, not to the person standing on the pool deck.

Building the Muscle of Social Resilience

The world beyond our centre is not static. Over time, children will encounter new teachers, coaches, leaders, and social environments. Exposure to different teaching styles in a supportive setting helps children practise adaptability in a safe and positive way.

Research shows that children who experience learning with multiple adults, within a consistent framework, demonstrate greater social confidence, flexibility, and comfort with change (OECD, 2024; Peterson & Yates, 2013).

Each successful interaction with a new teacher reinforces an important message for your child: they can adapt, trust themselves, and succeed in new situations.

A Harmonious Design for the Future

At Finns, we understand that seeing a new teacher’s face in the pool can feel unsettling. Teachers may change from time to time due to training, professional development, or scheduling. This is every educator’s right, and something we fully support. While change is inevitable, we want parents to feel confident that their child’s learning will continue uninterrupted. Our Joylearn™ Quality Teaching System (JQTS) is carefully designed to ensure consistency, structure, and support, so each lesson delivers the same high-quality learning experience, no matter who is teaching.

We encourage parents to share any observations about their child’s learning or comfort. Working closely with parents to support each child’s journey is one of the core principles of how we teach at Finns. Our goal is not only to teach children how to swim, but to help them become individuals who remain steady when their environment changes. Every teacher transition is part of a considered, research-informed approach designed to support a child’s long-term development.

The greatest gift we can offer is not dependence on familiarity, but the belief that children are capable, adaptable, and confident enough to thrive anywhere, with anyone. Research shows that when children develop strong self-competence, experience success, and learn to adapt to new situations, they build confidence and the flexibility to manage challenges across different social and learning environments (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; sciencedirect.com; adlab.ucr.edu).