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Rockbrook Camp Staff: Working at camp

”In the Trenches: Smart Counselors” by Bob Ditter (3 posts)

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  • Avatar Image Jessica Rose Nixon said 2 years ago:

    Here’s a “ditty” by Bob Ditter about dealing with challenging situations, and how to talk to kids in a way that they “get it.”

    Check it out at: http://www.bobditter.com/articles/column.aspx?column=12 and then share your thoughts!

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  • Avatar Image Meg Ammons said 2 years ago:

    Jessi, I loved this article! :) In my experience this has been so true, especially when interacting with my 11 year old brother! I really feel like Mr. Ditter hit the nail on the head when he wrote about how the counselor’s energy level needs to be high and enthusiastic, especially with the younger ones. Kids are surprisingly intuitive and they will pick up on the fact that you may not want to do something that is necessary. That’s when they’ve been taught to question authority, just like he said.
    I really believe that you can find a positive in every situation that you’re in, so I know that I’m going to make it a goal for myself to remember that when my patience is less than overflowing ;) Positive mindsets usually result in positive feedback!!

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  • Avatar Image Christine Alexander said 2 years ago:

    This article is fantastically helpful for counselors in a sleep away camp situation. It is SO easy to allow yourself to be emotional when dealing with your campers. When you are trying to assert yourself as a leader and role model, that is not good at all, because you will just end up feeling like you’re treading water and just barely keeping your head up. Especially with the younger girls, it’s so fun to put yourself in their world and play with them. Also, they think you’re pretty cool for doing that :) However, you still have to be able to assert your authority in order to get things done, and that’s hard to do when they think of you as their friend who is trying to tell them what to do, instead of their counselor who is telling them what to do. The “letting go” step that he talks about is very important in this case. If you don’t, then you will be more prone to becoming exasperated and emotionally invested in the argument. Easy leadership comes from finding that balance of being their friend while remaining their counselor.

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