As we enter week five of summer camp and are quickly approaching our halfway point, I began to notice a pattern of our summer so far...rain! It had been raining and raining and RAINING for the majority of the summer so far. This does not necessarily make for happy campers! Thankfully, we have a great indoor pool at the fitness club, and other amazing games and areas for us to utilize during rough weather. The rain can't stop our summer camp from having a good time!
What activities worked well this week?: Our fitness class, as mentioned in previous post "Rough Waters", continues to be a hit with the kids! Because it was raining, we held our class inside this week. The instructor had the kids do push-ups, sit-ups, planks, and squats; in addition to some fun indoor games (Red Rover and Freeze Tag). It was pretty funny watching second and first graders trying to hold a 30 second plank, but it was also fun watching them get so competitive with the workouts, and wanting to improve!
Any room for improvement?: This week, I noticed our morning care activities were getting a little stale. The kids are getting a little too used to just sitting around and coloring in the morning as they wait for the rest of their campers, and are beginning to get restless, which can effect their behavior throughout the day. I am going to look for some new activities and individual projects to introduce during morning care to give these campers a wider variety of things to pick from as they wait for camp to begin.
What did I do right, in terms of leadership? How can I further develop this?: A big thing that I think I have begun to improve throughout summer camp is communicating with my fellow counselors. We have fallen into a great routine, and I have really sharpened my communication skills not only with them, but also with parents who have questions and comments during pick up at the end of the day. I can continue to develop this by working with my counselors in the same way throughout the rest of the summer, to keep fine-tuning my communication and collaboration skills.
Any applications for student teaching?: This goes hand-in-hand with my leadership skill this week, but parent communication is a huge thing that I will have to deal with during student teaching this year. I am hoping that by practicing these skills during the summer and really perfecting how I communicate with parents and families, it will prepare me for any and every type of parent I may encounter come fall.
Biggest takeaway from the week?: The sequel to "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" is without a doubt, "The Girl Who Cried Diving Board".
What activities worked well this week?: Our fitness class, as mentioned in previous post "Rough Waters", continues to be a hit with the kids! Because it was raining, we held our class inside this week. The instructor had the kids do push-ups, sit-ups, planks, and squats; in addition to some fun indoor games (Red Rover and Freeze Tag). It was pretty funny watching second and first graders trying to hold a 30 second plank, but it was also fun watching them get so competitive with the workouts, and wanting to improve!
Any room for improvement?: This week, I noticed our morning care activities were getting a little stale. The kids are getting a little too used to just sitting around and coloring in the morning as they wait for the rest of their campers, and are beginning to get restless, which can effect their behavior throughout the day. I am going to look for some new activities and individual projects to introduce during morning care to give these campers a wider variety of things to pick from as they wait for camp to begin.
What did I do right, in terms of leadership? How can I further develop this?: A big thing that I think I have begun to improve throughout summer camp is communicating with my fellow counselors. We have fallen into a great routine, and I have really sharpened my communication skills not only with them, but also with parents who have questions and comments during pick up at the end of the day. I can continue to develop this by working with my counselors in the same way throughout the rest of the summer, to keep fine-tuning my communication and collaboration skills.
Any applications for student teaching?: This goes hand-in-hand with my leadership skill this week, but parent communication is a huge thing that I will have to deal with during student teaching this year. I am hoping that by practicing these skills during the summer and really perfecting how I communicate with parents and families, it will prepare me for any and every type of parent I may encounter come fall.
Biggest takeaway from the week?: The sequel to "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" is without a doubt, "The Girl Who Cried Diving Board".