Macy's Reflection
Now that summer camp is coming to a close, explain 3 key takeaways from the experience? How will you apply it in the future?
Six weeks of summer camp passed by super quickly and I wish I had lived in the moment. In August, I learned a few strategies to stay present and I would say they were effective. So, I hope that I can continue using these strategies.
I also learned the importance of having a strong network of support at work. Thankfully, at summer camp, I never felt alone because I was always supported by my co-counsellors, site leaders, and volunteers. I have set a goal to be more proactive at building friendships at work for the future.
Lastly, I learned about differences and similarities between my generation and the current generation 😂. For example, a few of my campers don’t do normal peace signs (with the index and middle fingers). Instead they use their thumb and index finger to form a checkmark and they call that their peace sign. I thought that was kind of cute. It seemed like they know quite a few songs from my childhood (e.g. “Magic” from the Wizards of Waverly Place) which was interesting to discover. I think this is helpful to know if I want to keep working and playing with this new generation. 🙂
Describe one of the biggest challenges you faced, how you overcame it, and what you learned from it.
One of the biggest challenges I faced was getting the kids to keep their hands to themselves. In particular, not touching what wasn’t theirs. Despite heavy emphasis on keeping their hands to themselves, the kids constantly took each other’s toys (without permission) or touched the school’s property. When it came to the issue of taking other people’s stuff, I found that talking with the one responsible was effective. They learned the importance of regulating their jealousy and of asking for permission. When it came to touching the school’s property, I cannot say that this issue was fully resolved. It happens in the blink of an eye. I learned the importance of keeping a very close eye on specific kids and this type of behaviour was reduced after I discussed its consequences with the class.
To close off the term on a high note, what were 3 highlights from your time at U+?
My favourite moment from camp was doing the talent show with my fellow counsellors on the last day. We had fun singing and dancing along to “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction in front of the campers. The kids all swarmed me when we were done and it was very heartwarming to receive so much love and support from them. Another highlight was playing with the kids. The kids loved it when I became the “Tickle Monster”. They would run away but afterwards they would always ask to be tickled. They always had the best laugh when they were being tickled. It felt great to hear and to see them laugh so hard. Being the Tickle Monster also made kids less hyper and ready to settle down. The kids also loved playing with my plushie turtle (or rabbit) keychains and I had fun acting as “Mr. Turtle’s mom”. Lastly, I loved doing karaoke with the Intermediate campers and counsellors (and site leaders). In preparation for our camp graduation’s song and dance, we often practiced performing with the kids and after a few weeks, we started doing the dance with karaoke instead of the original song.
What is some advice/tip that you would offer to future staff?
Have fun! Being silly and goofy with the kids pays off. It helped me get the kids’ attention so don’t be afraid that kids won’t see you as an authority figure if you have fun with them.
Please nominate someone who deserves the employee of the month award and explain why briefly. You can nominate more than one person.
I nominate my co-counsellor Kavin. Our campers dumped dozens of water buckets on Kavin during our Camp-wide Carnival and he took it like a pro. The kids loved the jokes that he made during free time. I could not have made it through these six weeks without him.
I would also like to nominate Daphne for being a great photographer and capturing all of the sweetest moments of camp! The kids loved her and she was so incredibly gentle with them, it melted my heart.
