So, like, I'm totally doing summer camp.
This is the first summer since 1996 that I have worked. The world was rather different then.
Camp is actually rather fun. By fun I mean getting to work in a very casual manner without any real thoughts in my head apart from
"Will my fifteen year old assistant turn up on time?"
" Will the jumping, screaming three year olds really manage to jump and scream all the way through their 35 minute 'movement'lesson?"
" What was I like when I was fifteen? Can I really have anything in common with a fifteen year old? Should I make efforts at outreach? Am I wondering about this stuff because I have nothing else in my brain and Oh my god, even though I'm working camp I really, really love being a teacher in summer".
This was my day today (it's not always like this). If you work in a proper job you may not want to read on.
Got to school.
Went on a 45 minute field trip with 50 hilarious kindergartners to a local firehouse. This involved spending about half an hour strapping the lil beggars into the bus for the 5 minute ride.
Got back to school 45 minutes later.
Hid from boss of camp in case she wanted me to do stuff. Told #2 boss that if she needed me I could be found in the science lab surfing the net.
Also took large lunchbreak with beardy science teacher, met with new boss, backslapped and joked with lurking headmaster who has a tendency to lurk whilst I am trying to flip stuff into the trash can.
As I write I am still hiding. An hour and a half from now I can go swim.
3 comments:
" Can I really have anything in common with a fifteen year old?"
As your exact age-, geographic region of childhood/youth-, and nationality counterpart who works with 15 year olds every day, the answer is no, no you do not.
You know all this, but I'll say it any way: just be the cool version of your current self and treat him like a vaguely beta level contempary and you'll motivate him and connect, no bother. Do not try to connect around playstation games, movies, or music. You will notice other distinct differences, such as anti-perspirant/deoderant works much better on a 32 year old than on a teenager.
It smells of beef and onion pie a lot in the building I work in.
If more people were like you this place could be amazing (as long as there were a sufficient number of listmaker types like listmaker and me, to keep you free spirits from vaporizing completely.)
This is what I see:
You minimize stress, you find humor (or humour) in most everything, you have parents, students and many teachers "adoring at your altar" and the rest of us are left scratching our heads, "Why?"
You appear to have fun at your job.
I think you need to write an instruction manual for teachers at BC. Somehow you've figured out what needs to be figured out. Seriously, consider it.
i love how maureen compiments bowles while at the same time takes him down a notch. maureen, you are amazing!
and this post completely reminded me of why i have no desire to work summer camp again.
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