It’s that time again. School is ending, and camp is starting. As a fifth grade teacher, I have gone to fifth grade camp each year. I love camp. I love it so much I spend two weeks a year at Camp Chicagami in Presque Isle, Michigan. Did I say I love camp?
I know I’m not alone. I know of many educators that work in and support camps, schools often administer camps, counselors are often working toward becoming teachers, and in most cases we find many of the things we learn at camp can apply to school, and back. Well, maybe what we learned about sending the Camp Director’s shorts up the flagpole needs to stay at camp…
But think of how many rockstar counselors out there are effecting children’s lives in just a few short weeks, in powerful ways, and sending positive ripples out into the world. That one goofy skit or song, maybe you have heard a version of it. It’s called “Washer Woman” and it’s really catchy, funny, and yes…goofy. Can you get a 17 year old to sing it? Yes, I have, and I knew I could because my friend Brian made it happen, and then I did, and I was even able to bring that back to my classroom, and make it happen here. Don’t know the song. Just ask, I’ll sing it for you.
When I was getting ready to be a counselor for the first time, I was 34. I had been teaching for a short time, and I had been using many community building activities in my classroom. For instance, a game called “Patterns” from Roxann Kriete’s The Morning Meeting Book. A calm and simple mystery rhythmic game that is fun, quiet, and addicting. At camps, the game “Mystery Froggy Detective” is very similar, but more silly and unique. It works best when you want to bring the energy level up a notch. Using these two activities in both places helped me to see the two worlds merge, both have overlapping purposes. But directors, counselors, principals, and teachers live in parallel universes. How could we connect the two and help each other work smarter?
Even at Camp Chicagami, one can check their Facebook and Twitter. You might have to climb the flagpole and wait five minutes holding your mobile skyward, but it can be done. I’ve also noticed a few educators on social media. Maybe we could connect here?
So I’m creating the twitter hashtag #ed2camp. Before this post, I used it once. It was fun:
So spread the word! Let’s make this summer the most fun camp ever, and then bring that joy back to school.
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