Training #1

Today was my first night of training for my new job as a Summer Camp Counselor!  (May 31, 2012)

I think it went pretty well. I got there early and got a pretty good parking spot! Then I signed in and was standing around when the guy who hired me said "Hi, Amanda", I can admit I was stunned by this. Most people don't remember who I am, I'm the invisible older child. (It's only my brother and I, so I take on the older & middle child role.) It was a good thing I had a name tag on though, but for one of the head people to say Hi to new staff is already impressive and gives that comfortable, friendly environment feel. Hopefully I can also make my campers feel like they already belong before anything even begins!

Everyone standing around was then told to go play catch with the other counselors. I DID. I honestly walked to the chair that matched my name tag put my stuff down and started tossing around a green and white football with 3 or 4 guys. This is the total opposite of what I would normally do. First of all, I am not sporty. I actually did really good with catch though, one of the guys said we were doing really well and I commented "well I'll be the first to drop it" and two seconds later we had our first drop. Besides the whole showing that I was not the typical girly-girl that hates [playing] sports (which if you will figure out: I am), I walked up and talked with guys. That's not me, I usually hang back and just talk to which ever girl seems to be also be alone, it's easier because both girls don't want to look awkward alone so they either have a conversation or will just hang near each other so they aren't 'alone'.

After a while of playing catch another girl comes over to the Green Eagles chair. I started talking to her [instead of playing catch] since she is my co-counselor. We did the usual exchange: does your name tag also say Green Eagles?, are you new to camp?, and do you go to college?, except we ended there. Little did we know we both go to Emmanuel College! I think both of us went into a little bit of shock! The fact that we both go to the same small school and don't know each other then meet at a camp, I was surprised. I knew people from this area went to EC, but I didn't know many that did. We kept talking (and I was officially done with catch!) then came the "ice breakers"!

I'll post the ice breakers later!

After, everyone was told to run to the fence. Then we held hands and made a really big circle. This was an example of how to get the kids to line up when they really don't want too!  (I thought the "run there" was clever.) Then we went inside and had dinner, pizza & salad & cookies/cupcakes! I was happy, I was craving pizza for the past few days!

Then we listened to a lectures/presentation. The head lady at the camp started talking about an article, I googled summer camp counselor blog and found the link. http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/the-camp-counselor-vs-the-intern/
I actually had my listening ears on during this because a good handful of my friends already have internships! (One is going to Wyoming, so impressive!) The whole "make a documentary" got me thinking, maybe I should document my ups and downs at camp somewhere? Well here's a good place to do it, I'm invisible so what's the harm. I already know I'm not sharing any personal details about any campers and such. It's more of a place for me to reflect and I think my story to when I got the job is pretty interesting so maybe everything will lead to a surprising summer (in a good way)!

The presentation was pretty interesting because the guy was saying how real life skills (communication, creativity, teamwork, etc) were not focused on during school but camp is the place to build these things. On one of his list it showed how art/humanities, history, political studies were not as desirable skills to big businesses. Well the only one that was over 60% was MATH. I was very glad to here that. Also he kept saying "STEM is only so important" well it is important since he said it so often. I kept thinking maybe I have right career path! I told you I'd spill later.. I'm a math education major. Crazy double major, barely able to graduate in 4 years, 14 math, 10 education, and 9 core reqs where I only have 32 classes I should take, luckily I can squeak in 5 classes and am going to have the summer course done so I can graduate. I am hoping that I can even tack on a minor in information technology. I only have to take 4 or 5 more courses? I might be better off taking a psych minor where I only have to take 3 more courses. Too bad I couldn't get an organizational leadership minor, that would be too cool. And there is the rambling.

My laptop is at 2%. NIGHT (: