How You Can Nurture Campers' Development

So, what are the first things

First Things is a monthly ecumenical journal concerned with the creation of a "religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society" (First Things website).

..... Click the link for more information. you do to influence these potential areas of development and bring about these behaviors in your campers? .

offer campers your undivided UNDIVIDED attention. That which is held by the same title by two or more persons, whether their rights are equal, as to value or quantity, or unequal.

2. Tenants in common, joint-tenants, and partners, hold an undivided right in their respective properties, until attention all the time (any non-attention times should be specifically arranged for other coverage). Your attention should be positive, encouraging, friendly, individualized in·di·vid·u·al·ize
tr.v. in·di·vid·u·al·ized, in·di·vid·u·al·iz·ing, in·di·vid·u·al·iz·es

1. To give individuality to.

2. To consider or treat individually; particularize.

3. fair, understanding, and accepting. When interacting with campers, say "we," let's," "us," and be inclusive, receptive receptive /re·cep·tive/ (re-cep´tiv) capable of receiving or of responding to a stimulus. , and nonjudgmental non·judg·men·tal
adj.
Refraining from judgment, especially one based on personal ethical standards.

Adj. 1. nonjudgmental . Listen (and hear), understand, accept, and respond. Set limits (in campers' interests, not yours); show integrity by always being depended on to follow through on what's expected of you.

Show respect and you will receive respect

Treat your campers with respect. "The children who are best behaved are those who are treated with respect," says Benjamin Spock Noun 1. Benjamin Spock - United States pediatrician whose many books on child care influenced the upbringing of children around the world (1903-1998)
Spock , noted pediatrician pe·di·a·tri·cian or pe·di·at·rist
n.
A specialist in pediatrics. . Respect is probably the best form of positive reinforcement positive reinforcement,
n a technique used to encourage a desirable behavior. Also called
positive feedback, in which the patient or subject receives encouraging and favorable communication from another person. . How do we show respect? Talk back and forth on a child's agenda; listen, really listen, and respond; have a conversation with an open mind; and find areas of mutual interest to discuss. Show campers you like and care about them by enjoying being with them and having fun - let the kid in you out but in appropriate ways.

When showing respect, you are giving yourself to the camper, and depending on many other circumstances, that giving will be returned. Respect becomes mutual and therein lie the rewards. Smiles, greetings, sincerity/realness, equal treatment, being nonjudgmental, being fair, appropriate pats and touches (well-defined by camp policy), and simply doing things together are all part of creating a respectful re·spect·ful
adj.
Showing or marked by proper respect.


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re·spectful·ly adv. camp environment.

Reinforce the positive

Reinforce good behavior
Orderly and lawful action; conduct that is deemed proper for a peaceful and law-abiding individual.

The definition of good behavior depends upon how the phrase is used, and those positive behaviors will be repeated.
Avoid, or give as little attention as possible, to lousy lous·y
adj. lous·i·er, lous·i·est


1. Infested with lice.

2. Extremely contemptible; nasty: a lousy trick.

3. behavior, and redirect re·di·rect
tr.v. re·di·rect·ed, re·di·rect·ing, re·di·rects
To change the direction or course of.

n.
A redirect examination.


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re it to something good so you can give it positive attention. (Defiant de·fi·ant
adj.
Marked by defiance; boldly resisting.


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de·fiant·ly adv.

Adj. 1. behavior can be a reaction to lack of attention.) Some positive reinforcements include smiling, saying something nice, giving a pat on the back, or identifying a specific achievement. Be genuine and don't overdo it. If one technique doesn't work, try another.

Give of yourself and you'll be rewarded

Give, give, and give some more! And what happens?
You like it, you receive even more than you give.
You don't do it because you receive, you do it because that's why we are alive, you give because it's right - the right way to be - rewards come in various ways. Often the overt

Public; open; manifest.

The term overt is used in Criminal Law in reference to conduct that moves more directly toward the commission of an offense than do acts of planning and preparation that may ultimately lead to such conduct.
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OVERT. Open. rewards are lacking or come too seldom, but you continue your efforts and gain in your own self-esteem and self-sufficiency.

Give of yourself because then you realize it's really the only way that works, and you discover that the degree of your success correlates, in large measure, with the degree you get outside of yourself.

Giving, then, becomes a marvelous experience.
A great case can be made for this business of getting outside of selfish self·ish
adj.
1. Concerned chiefly or only with oneself: "Selfish men were . . . trying to make capital for themselves out of the sacred cause of human rights" Maria Weston Chapman. desires - probably the mission of a lifetime.

There is no greater opportunity to grow and develop in this manner than at a camp.

Lead campers to their own answers

Don't try to have all the answers.

You will be expected to have answers beyond your capacity! But, remember that who you are is fine so function from there.
Campers must find their own answers - your role is to provide appropriate information - consistent with camp policies regarding relationships, religion, politics, natural environment, nonviolent problem solving problem solving

Process involved in finding a solution to a problem.
Many animals routinely solve problems of locomotion, food finding, and shelter through trial and error., etc.

Provide sources for help, advice, and aid that fit the situation of the moment, but stay off of your personal soapbox.

Take good care of yourself

Take care of yourself, health and sleep wise. You're a staff team member, but you can only behave for yourself. This is tricky - you contribute through your own efforts, and you can be an example for others; however, you cannot behave for others.
Everybody grows as a result. This is great and who would have it any other way?

Telling Campers What You Expect

Setting expectancies for campers helps them take responsibility for their own actions and lets them determine their own fate. Together, counselors and campers should agree on what is appropriate behavior and what they should expect of others and themselves. Choices should be geared to age level, and you need to be constantly guiding this process. It should be clear to the campers that coming through on expectancies leads to a response of positive reinforcement, while not coming through on these expectancies will lead to consequences such as sitting out of an activity, stopping the activity, or not planning an activity until agreed upon

Adj. 1. agreed upon - constituted or contracted by stipulation or agreement; "stipulatory obligations"
stipulatory

noncontroversial, uncontroversial - not likely to arouse controversy criteria are met.

Enforce the consequences

Don't overreact o·ver·re·act
v.
To react with unnecessary or inappropriate force, emotional display, or violence. to minor misbehavior, which is a common goof that can actually reinforce the negative behavior and sidetrack us from focusing on bringing about and reinforcing the good behavior that we do want. (life and death situations its okay to react but that is all).

However, be sure to follow through when campers don't meet the agreed upon expectations.
Avoid indulgence
indulgence, in the Roman Catholic Church, the pardon of temporal punishment due for sin. It is to be distinguished from absolution and the forgiveness of guilt. The church grants indulgences out of the Treasury of Merit won for the church by Christ and the saints, or you'll lose control. (Usually indulgent in·dul·gent
adj.
Showing, characterized by, or given to indulgence; lenient.


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in·dulgent·ly adv. leadership is simply the easy way out due to lack of courage to follow through on previous statements/agreements; and it unfailingly leads to further complications.)

The better you get at setting up situations so that campers determine their own fate, the less discipline you'll be doling out. Campers will know, understand, and appreciate how their behavior affects others. They will increasingly take responsibility for their own actions. Therefore, know what you want, make a plan, and actively pursue it. Have clear understandings and agreement, be consistent, follow through, reinforce the good behaviors, and you'll be great.

Congratulations! You are on your way to becoming a super person.

Maybe none of us will really get there, but we will all have the fun and benefit of trying. kids at a camp in the middle of wilderness - you've got the opportunity to help them experience and identify with the earth in natural ways. The better you do at this, the more likely you will develop youth who will influence lifesaving, earth-care practices.

Put yourself into it, embrace nature, learn great skills of all sorts.