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by Seth Herschthal
As Ms. Olsen questioned her captive audience about the digestive functions
of a shark, her student campers actively participated with one arm raised
as the symbol of the Socratic method while the other arm was busy dissecting
the shark mold on the table. Ms. Olsen had effectively transformed the
outdoor park pavilion into an interactive biology laboratory where campers
learned by doing. In her staff tank top, khaki shorts, and Birkenstock
sandals, Ms. Olsen could express herself among the canopy of oak trees
and fallen palm fronds as the camp science instructor. She engaged her
campers in a hands-on biology lesson because she had done it numerous
times previously in her other life as a classroom teacher.
Why Is it Beneficial to Have Certified Teachers as Lead
Counselors and Instructors?
Teachers often transmit an air of control amid the organized chaos that
is camp. They have taught social studies and geometry and still managed
to find ways to hold the fleeting attention span of students in a classroom.
Now, at summer camp, their mission to hold attention spans becomes easier
because all of the activities are inherently fun — it's camp! When
things start to verge on out-of-control at a scheduled activity, a teacher
emits enough authority to calm the situation. After all, this is what
teachers do all year round, and if they like it enough to apply for a
position at a summer camp, then their summer evolves into a logical extension
of their working lives. It's second nature to them; the surroundings simply
turn more natural. Furthermore, who better to have in charge of discipline
than a certified teacher?
Discipline as a Crucial Element of Teaching
With child abuse at the forefront of child care issues, parents can breathe
a sigh of relief knowing that a teacher will be the lead counselor of
their child's bunk group for one to nine weeks of the summer. Of course,
all American Camping Association-accredited camps meet high standards
for staff training before camp starts, and college-age counselors do learn
the art of constructive discipline. They also add a special dimension
to camp staff as they relate extremely well to their campers and bring
endless storage units of positive and creative energies to camp. To have
a blend of college-age and teacher-counselors represents the ideal role
models for summer campers.
Cooperative Precamp Training Remains Vital to the Lifeblood
of Camp
As camp owners, directors, unit heads, and other lead staff plan precamp
orientation for the entire incoming staff, the administrative team cannot
forget about the power of "camp consulting." Past counselors
and specialists often have gems of pertinent knowledge they like to share
with new staff members. Remember to consult with your top returning staff
to gain valuable input regarding the training sessions. Former counselors
who are teachers during the school year possess the natural ability to
do just that — teach. Let the returning teacher-counselors teach
some of the areas of the orientation, whether leading role playing simulations
involving homesick camper scenarios or showing new staff how a day-in-the-life
of a counselor really is out in the field. Strong lead counselors and
specialists who are strong teachers love to teach — that is why
it is important to keep teachers in mind in the staffing and subsequent
training process.
At Camp Live Oak . . . .
Can teachers adjust to the more lax settings of camp and get down on
their much younger campers' level? Does it work when a staff is comprised
of counselors ages fifteen through fifty? Yes! At Camp Live Oak, it has
worked for fifteen years. Actually, certified teachers form the core of
the staff at Live Oak and come back year after year to spend their summers
outdoors and still be in their element. For example, Ms. Olsen has been
the science instructor at the camp for five years and is assisting in
the precamp training for the upcoming summer. Based on past parent evaluations,
many parents were reassured to hear the calming voice of their children's
teacher-counselors as these staff members performed their routine precamp
calls to parents. Teachers put everyone involved with their camp at ease.
Are Teachers Learning, Too, and Becoming Better
Leaders While at Camp?
While it may be clear to those in the camp world (and what a world it
is!) that camp has a positive learning effect on the camper, it is equally
intriguing to look at the possible effect on the teacher-counselor. What
can a certified teacher who interacts with children year-round take away
with them from camp? Besides the intangible and awesome emotional growth
that invariably manifests at camp in those adults who fully open up on
the mountain or lake, teachers learn novel approaches to reaching children
at camp as they often receive more degrees of freedom. The art specialist
can finally experiment with that candle-making project because even the
weirdest things at camp find a way to mark that summer's unique culture.
The lead counselor of the oldest boys' cabin may try different methods
of encouraging campers to try a new activity or perform on stage at a
talent show. Teachers have room at camp to explore alternatives to what
they have been previously comfortable with at school. Furthermore, a camp
leader must find ways to motivate, entertain, and discipline twenty-four
hours a day with a group of children who are present to push the boundaries
and have fun, fun, fun. If a teacher can successfully lead a group of
campers in the outdoors all summer long, he or she will probably find
the walls of the classroom to be a bit smaller than they once appeared.
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Quotes from the Trenches
Having utilized certified teachers for the past twenty-two
years at camps, Ken Evans deeply believes that teachers are
crucial to a camp's everyday risk management practices as
they have been trained previously in knowing the individual
needs of children. "A teacher can recognize the child
that is being 'left behind' and can consciously work towards
molding that unique child into a comfortable camp niche. Sometimes
it takes an experienced teacher to take the extra time to
show the unique child, and every child, that someone truly
cares. To be a teacher is to understand the human soul and
to be able to seek out the 'good' in children. The teacher
has taken classes in developmental psychology, etc. —
and this is their life mission, not just a summer job. For
campers with learning or behavioral disabilities, special
needs teachers again are trained to deal with these specific
and complex issues. Moreover, teachers help not only their
campers but also the younger counselors, as they are interspersed
among programs. I have used teachers for twenty-two years
in all of my programs at Camp Nova at the University School
of Nova Southeastern University and at Camp Live Oak, and
for the small impact on the camp budget, it is well worth
the cost for the excellent safety record."
Also an avid teacher-proponent at camps, Diane Dicerbo of
Lynn University's Pine Tree Camps, feels strongly that certified
teachers represent an integral piece of the camp puzzle. "Teachers
help make camp a fun and educational experience at the same
time. Not only are teachers role models to their campers,
but they are also role models for the other counselors. A
teacher can effectively deal with the diversity of children
in a group or bunk and their varied backgrounds. Bringing
a variety of tested programs that have already proven to be
exciting for children is also a huge plus for having teachers
as lead counselors and instructors — they know what
works based on the trial-and-error method. And, teachers are
true professionals who exude a good old-fashioned work ethic."
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Originally published in the 2004 March/April
issue of Camping Magazine. |
