Hello to all of my fellow camp counselors!
I've been told by a few of my friends who read my blog that they tried to comment but were unable to because they are not signed up with the service. So, if you would like to comment but can't because of that reason, feel free to email me your comment at
LifeofaCampCounselor@aol.com
I'll post comments every so often, so feel free!
Hope to hear from you!
You are amazing!
Samantha
Friday, August 31, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
The Second Summer
Hello to all of my fellow camp counselors!
As I have stated many times in this blog, I just finished my second summer as a counselor at the same camp. During my interview, I was told that it would be a challenge. I was warned that it would feel weird. I was promised that I would compare, and it wouldn't seem to match up. But, of course, I did not believe them AT ALL. 'It's not even really my second summer, technically it's my eleventh. And besides, last summer was a huge challenge, this one will be a breeze. They don't really know'. Boy, was I mistaken.
The second summer was a hundred times harder then the first. This was despite the fact that the staff, as a whole, were much more cohesive this year. But for some reason, I couldn't stop comparing. So that's my first bit of advise, try not to compare. Each year is going to be different, so take them each separately. Your new staff family will not be like the previous year. There will be new faces, new personalities, and new drama. Be open to all of it, and don't get hung up on the differences. Also, constantly talking about the past summer with returning staff really feeds this problem. You get sucked into the problems of the past, instead of being a part of the successes of the present.
Once you've stopped comparing, if you're like me, you might still not want to let go of "how things have always been". For example, at the end of campfire, we sing a slow song, and in the past the staff have gone up to the front of the fire. This year, counselors stayed out with their kids. This may not seem like a big deal, in fact, I ended up liking the change. But for the first few weeks, it felt like a disrespect. I had to learn to love new traditions, and be willing to be flexible. Camp is always changing, and it is time to accept that.
I thought camp was going to be a breeze this summer, as a returning counselor. What I didn't realize is that I would have new challenges, involving an older age group to work with, a new teaching position in our program, and the general struggles of eleven weeks at camp. As a second year counselor, try to come in with a positive, wiser attitude. Expect challenges, and use the skills you learned last year to face them with success, instead of being shocked when they arrived. Otherwise, you're in for a reality check.
In the end, my second summer was even better then my first. I believe a lot of that is attributed to the challenges I met, because I gained so much from overcoming them. I knew what to expect, I was given new responsibilities and I felt more effective with my campers. And in the end, that's what it is all about.
You are amazing!
Samantha
As I have stated many times in this blog, I just finished my second summer as a counselor at the same camp. During my interview, I was told that it would be a challenge. I was warned that it would feel weird. I was promised that I would compare, and it wouldn't seem to match up. But, of course, I did not believe them AT ALL. 'It's not even really my second summer, technically it's my eleventh. And besides, last summer was a huge challenge, this one will be a breeze. They don't really know'. Boy, was I mistaken.
The second summer was a hundred times harder then the first. This was despite the fact that the staff, as a whole, were much more cohesive this year. But for some reason, I couldn't stop comparing. So that's my first bit of advise, try not to compare. Each year is going to be different, so take them each separately. Your new staff family will not be like the previous year. There will be new faces, new personalities, and new drama. Be open to all of it, and don't get hung up on the differences. Also, constantly talking about the past summer with returning staff really feeds this problem. You get sucked into the problems of the past, instead of being a part of the successes of the present.
Once you've stopped comparing, if you're like me, you might still not want to let go of "how things have always been". For example, at the end of campfire, we sing a slow song, and in the past the staff have gone up to the front of the fire. This year, counselors stayed out with their kids. This may not seem like a big deal, in fact, I ended up liking the change. But for the first few weeks, it felt like a disrespect. I had to learn to love new traditions, and be willing to be flexible. Camp is always changing, and it is time to accept that.
I thought camp was going to be a breeze this summer, as a returning counselor. What I didn't realize is that I would have new challenges, involving an older age group to work with, a new teaching position in our program, and the general struggles of eleven weeks at camp. As a second year counselor, try to come in with a positive, wiser attitude. Expect challenges, and use the skills you learned last year to face them with success, instead of being shocked when they arrived. Otherwise, you're in for a reality check.
In the end, my second summer was even better then my first. I believe a lot of that is attributed to the challenges I met, because I gained so much from overcoming them. I knew what to expect, I was given new responsibilities and I felt more effective with my campers. And in the end, that's what it is all about.
You are amazing!
Samantha
Monday, August 27, 2012
What's In Your Bag of Tricks: Tuck-Ins
Hello to all of my fellow camp counselors!
Every counselor has their own style of doing things, especially when it comes to bed time. I personally love tuck-ins. These are quiet activities done right before lights out. They can be interactive, geared towards the age group, or even used to solve a cabin problem. I have collected many over the years, from some of my counselors when I was a camper, fellow staff members and things that I have read. These are some of my favorites.
The Rose
The rose is an interactive tuck-in, in which each camper tells three things. The flower, which is the best part of their day. The thorn, which is a challenge that they experienced. The stem, which is something they are excited for for the next day. This is good for a cabin that is experiencing some homesickness, as it reminds them of what they have to look forward to.
Shout Out To...
This tuck in gives your campers the opportunity to give props to other members of their cabin. They can give a shout out to anyone in the cabin who did something good. Make sure everyone gets at least one shout out! This can be a good bonding opportunity for a cabin, and is also a great way to make sure everyone knows each others names.
Magic Carpet Ride
Take your cabin on a magic carpet ride. Ask them to close their eyes and imagine their carpet, and then take them on an adventure. If you have younger campers, take them to toy stores, let them pick out three things. Take older campers to a field of horses and let them choose their favorite, asking them to think about the horses color, size etc. This tuck-in can really be adapted to any cabin, and I have found that all ages tend to enjoy it.
Compliment Train
I actually got this from cheer camp back in high school. It's a great tuck-in for the last night of camp. Have all your campers make a line, and then one at a time, they will go down the line. The camper standing in the line gives compliments to the one walking down. Emphasize that you are looking for compliments of merit, more then just "you're really nice" or "I like your hair". This can be a great way for them to say goodbye to each other, and feel really loved on the last day.
Know Your Neighbor
While lying in their beds, have your campers each say something they learned about the person to the left/right/above/beneath them. This is good for the middle of the week, as they are getting to know each other, but can also see that they have more to learn.
Tell a Story
And make it funny! I tell the Princess and the Pea, complete with stomping around the cabin and a Justin Bieber reference. And this tuck-in really works with all ages. I've told stories to 8 year olds, 12 year olds, and 15 year olds. Heck, sometimes I tell them to counselors.
I hope you found this helpful or interesting. I love tuck-ins, as they are a great way to hear about your kids days, check in on how they are doing, or just help them get to sleep on a positive note. I'd love to hear from you about tuck-in ideas you have, so comment or message me!
You are amazing!
Samantha
Every counselor has their own style of doing things, especially when it comes to bed time. I personally love tuck-ins. These are quiet activities done right before lights out. They can be interactive, geared towards the age group, or even used to solve a cabin problem. I have collected many over the years, from some of my counselors when I was a camper, fellow staff members and things that I have read. These are some of my favorites.
The Rose
The rose is an interactive tuck-in, in which each camper tells three things. The flower, which is the best part of their day. The thorn, which is a challenge that they experienced. The stem, which is something they are excited for for the next day. This is good for a cabin that is experiencing some homesickness, as it reminds them of what they have to look forward to.
Shout Out To...
This tuck in gives your campers the opportunity to give props to other members of their cabin. They can give a shout out to anyone in the cabin who did something good. Make sure everyone gets at least one shout out! This can be a good bonding opportunity for a cabin, and is also a great way to make sure everyone knows each others names.
Magic Carpet Ride
Take your cabin on a magic carpet ride. Ask them to close their eyes and imagine their carpet, and then take them on an adventure. If you have younger campers, take them to toy stores, let them pick out three things. Take older campers to a field of horses and let them choose their favorite, asking them to think about the horses color, size etc. This tuck-in can really be adapted to any cabin, and I have found that all ages tend to enjoy it.
Compliment Train
I actually got this from cheer camp back in high school. It's a great tuck-in for the last night of camp. Have all your campers make a line, and then one at a time, they will go down the line. The camper standing in the line gives compliments to the one walking down. Emphasize that you are looking for compliments of merit, more then just "you're really nice" or "I like your hair". This can be a great way for them to say goodbye to each other, and feel really loved on the last day.
Know Your Neighbor
While lying in their beds, have your campers each say something they learned about the person to the left/right/above/beneath them. This is good for the middle of the week, as they are getting to know each other, but can also see that they have more to learn.
Tell a Story
And make it funny! I tell the Princess and the Pea, complete with stomping around the cabin and a Justin Bieber reference. And this tuck-in really works with all ages. I've told stories to 8 year olds, 12 year olds, and 15 year olds. Heck, sometimes I tell them to counselors.
I hope you found this helpful or interesting. I love tuck-ins, as they are a great way to hear about your kids days, check in on how they are doing, or just help them get to sleep on a positive note. I'd love to hear from you about tuck-in ideas you have, so comment or message me!
You are amazing!
Samantha
Saturday, August 25, 2012
The End of Summer
Hello to all of my fellow camp counselors!
Summer of 2012 has officially come to a close for me. It was a wonderful, challenging, life changing experience, as always. I met new friends, developed skills and hopefully made a positive impact of campers.
One of the hardest moments in summer is the end. You have to say goodbye to a group of people you have been living and working with for months, re-adjust to normal life, and actually get dressed. You have to stop saying corny camp sayings, store your camp songs in the back of your mind for a while, and attempt to get rid of tan lines. If you are a life long camper, like myself, you have to go back to pretending you are actually a normal human being.
I will be talking through some of these challenges in this blog, and giving my advise/experiences with them. As always, please feel free to comment and share your personal experience.
Leaving Your Family
Camp staff becomes a family like no other. And suddenly, you are all torn apart, never to be together as a whole again. It doesn't matter if you loved every single member (unlikely) or barely got along with any of them. You will end up missing them. And chances are, you met some best friends in your group, and being away from them will make you feel un-whole. At our goodbye staff party, one of our directors talked about having to leave our new family. They explained that even though every day apart is another day from the last time we were together, it's also one day closer to the next time we will see each other. Having a positive outlook can really take the last day from being sorrowful to joyful, because you know you will see each other again.
Re-adjusting To Real Life
I've been told it is NOT normal to walk around singing hippo songs. It can actually be hard to turn of the counselor part of your brain, and get back into the normal world. Hopefully, however, you learned some things you can carry over into everyday life. While singing camp songs may not be acceptable, having enthusiasm on a day-to-day basis is. If you can convert your camp skills into more practical daily skills, it makes the re-adjusting process a lot easier.
Telling Stories That No One Else Gets
Yeah, okay we get it, you don't think that story was funny. But seriously, if you were there... How many times does that happen after camp ends? It can be so hard, because you truly want to share the experience with your other friends, but the stories end up being "you had to be there" types. Try to keep the stories to a minimum with your non-camp friends. Even if it does mean that you have to tell them to your dog.
Getting Camp Sick
This was a HUGE problem when I was a camper. And while camp is now work as well as fun, I do still miss it immensely when I'm gone. Luckily, the modern world has made it so easy for us to combat this. Skype is my favorite thing in the world, since I have friends all over the world and I can talk to them FOR FREE. Awesome. Also, snail mail is way fun. I love pen pals.
I hope you are all doing well getting back to school/normal jobs/being bored. I for one am now back at school, and keep getting "The Princess Pat" stuck in my head. Oh well, Winter Camp is only a few months away.
You are amazing!
Samantha
Summer of 2012 has officially come to a close for me. It was a wonderful, challenging, life changing experience, as always. I met new friends, developed skills and hopefully made a positive impact of campers.
One of the hardest moments in summer is the end. You have to say goodbye to a group of people you have been living and working with for months, re-adjust to normal life, and actually get dressed. You have to stop saying corny camp sayings, store your camp songs in the back of your mind for a while, and attempt to get rid of tan lines. If you are a life long camper, like myself, you have to go back to pretending you are actually a normal human being.
I will be talking through some of these challenges in this blog, and giving my advise/experiences with them. As always, please feel free to comment and share your personal experience.
Leaving Your Family
Camp staff becomes a family like no other. And suddenly, you are all torn apart, never to be together as a whole again. It doesn't matter if you loved every single member (unlikely) or barely got along with any of them. You will end up missing them. And chances are, you met some best friends in your group, and being away from them will make you feel un-whole. At our goodbye staff party, one of our directors talked about having to leave our new family. They explained that even though every day apart is another day from the last time we were together, it's also one day closer to the next time we will see each other. Having a positive outlook can really take the last day from being sorrowful to joyful, because you know you will see each other again.
Re-adjusting To Real Life
I've been told it is NOT normal to walk around singing hippo songs. It can actually be hard to turn of the counselor part of your brain, and get back into the normal world. Hopefully, however, you learned some things you can carry over into everyday life. While singing camp songs may not be acceptable, having enthusiasm on a day-to-day basis is. If you can convert your camp skills into more practical daily skills, it makes the re-adjusting process a lot easier.
Telling Stories That No One Else Gets
Yeah, okay we get it, you don't think that story was funny. But seriously, if you were there... How many times does that happen after camp ends? It can be so hard, because you truly want to share the experience with your other friends, but the stories end up being "you had to be there" types. Try to keep the stories to a minimum with your non-camp friends. Even if it does mean that you have to tell them to your dog.
Getting Camp Sick
This was a HUGE problem when I was a camper. And while camp is now work as well as fun, I do still miss it immensely when I'm gone. Luckily, the modern world has made it so easy for us to combat this. Skype is my favorite thing in the world, since I have friends all over the world and I can talk to them FOR FREE. Awesome. Also, snail mail is way fun. I love pen pals.
I hope you are all doing well getting back to school/normal jobs/being bored. I for one am now back at school, and keep getting "The Princess Pat" stuck in my head. Oh well, Winter Camp is only a few months away.
You are amazing!
Samantha
Saturday, August 4, 2012
My Apologies!
To all of my fellow camp counselors,
I apologize for my absence this summer. Although there are not many of you who read my blog, and the main reader may be my mother, I still feel you deserve an explanation. I had all intentions of posting weekly this summer, but when it came to my few nights off, I generally spent them sleeping and doing laundry.
However, there is good news. I have been journaling all summer, and have many blog posts in the works, ready to be posted as soon as camp ends. Hopefully they will be semi-insightful, as they were written "in the thick" of summer camp.
I hope your summer is going well. If you are working at camp this summer, I hope you are having a great time. I'm almost done for the summer, the camp I work at is about to enter our second to last week. Time flies so fast! Soon, it will all be a memory.
You are amazing!
Samantha
I apologize for my absence this summer. Although there are not many of you who read my blog, and the main reader may be my mother, I still feel you deserve an explanation. I had all intentions of posting weekly this summer, but when it came to my few nights off, I generally spent them sleeping and doing laundry.
However, there is good news. I have been journaling all summer, and have many blog posts in the works, ready to be posted as soon as camp ends. Hopefully they will be semi-insightful, as they were written "in the thick" of summer camp.
I hope your summer is going well. If you are working at camp this summer, I hope you are having a great time. I'm almost done for the summer, the camp I work at is about to enter our second to last week. Time flies so fast! Soon, it will all be a memory.
You are amazing!
Samantha
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