For this post, I would like to reflect on a couple of things that happened at camp this week. I’ll first start with my experience playing substitute teacher on Tuesday.

One of the 8-10yo classes needed a teacher for the day because the two they were assigned were not able to work that day. I did not know I was going to come to work and teach a class rather than work on paperwork, but I am flexible and always willing to help out so it was truly not a problem for me. However, when I went to the classroom and realized I was going to be working in someone else’s space, I needed to adjust myself quickly to how things were run in their class.

There was a problem with this: there wasn’t a clear lesson plan for the day and I wasn’t sure why. On top of that, the kids did not know me as well so they were reluctant to accept me as a new authority in their class. There were a couple of kids with very negative attitudes and behavior that I had to pull aside first thing in the morning because they thought they could get away with not listening to me. This made me realize something: some of these campers might not have someone at home that keeps them in line and teaches them that they can have fun without breaking the rules. Sometimes, all a kid needs is a small conversation or a firm voice to tell them that what they are doing is not okay. What is not okay is blaming the children for not knowing the difference between right and wrong when we don’t even know if they are ever taught the difference.

I had another important realization this morning when taking some campers from the East office to the school. I was riding passenger in another driver’s van and as I was getting in, I heard some children screaming and crying. Come to find out, it was two campers and they were siblings. The (much) younger sibling was crying while the older sibling was yelling really mean and offensive words at him. When I tried to stop the altercation, the other kids were telling me that it happens a lot and that if I say anything, it will only get worse. This concerned me deeply. They eventually calmed down and we left for camp. After arriving, I went to the younger child just to check in with him. He said he was okay and wanted to play with his classmates on the playground so I let him do that. It was fine.

Some time goes by (about 30-45 mins) and the same kid was being walked up to me and my supervisor by his teacher. She had said he was telling everyone that he couldn’t wait to go to heaven and that he wanted to hurt himself. My heart was broken instantly. How could a child like this (only 5-7 years old) think something so negative about himself? Especially one I just saw running around and having a good time on the playground.

After calling his parents, we got the other half of the story; the answer to my question. This child had already been through so so much and has been going to therapy for it. It goes to show that every child is going through something. A lot of the kids that we serve come from neighborhoods that are on the news everyday for drugs and homicide. We cannot assume that every child is going to walk through in the mornings starting off in a good mood because its simply unrealistic. We need to meet them where they are, whether they are happy, sad, angry, tired, etc. We are here to show them that it is okay to feel and to tell an adult when they are feeling bad. These children need to feel comfortable everyday knowing they are safe and around friends when they come to camp.

I am sitting here writing this post and watching Toy Story 3 with some kids, one of them being the younger sibling who had a rough time this morning. He is enjoying the movie and he is smiling with his friends. I am so glad that I understand him a little more and I hope that my helping him this morning showed him that I am someone he can trust with knowing his feelings.

I love the work I do.