Greetings Flying Cloud Blog Readers!
Camp really is right around the corner! The pond has melted, the Ice House is packed, and the staff is hired. Obviously, it takes a lot more than this to make a summer, so that’s why we wanted to write today about the optimism and positive intentions that our staff are bringing to Flying Cloud. Talking with potential staff about their hopes and goals for the summer is one of the key parts of the interview.
One of our favorite questions is to ask applicants to “explain their approach to education.” As the staff team came together this year and we heard such wonderful answers to this query, it struck us that we should share these answers with our community. After all, Flying Cloud is a place where everybody, staff and campers alike, come to learn. People here learn about their connection to the land, community and themselves. So what better way to represent the quality of the experience we are offering this summer?
Here are all of the answers paraphrased for your reading pleasure:
My approach to education is based on autonomy and self-determination. Everybody is a teacher, everybody is a learner. Focused on everyone’s personal experience and following what inspires them. And giving people the tools to push their edge.
I believe very much in experiential education. When teaching campers, I want to give them as much hands-on practice as I possibly can. I’m Inclined to give people a quick crash course at the start to get people going so I can get down to the one-on-one.This is where I find I can help the campers a lot more. Also, lecturing should be used judiciously. As much as I am “teaching” that’s not really the role I see myself filling. I’m learning as much from the campers as they are learning from me. Not just about how to teach, but actually about what it is I am there teaching.
I try to understand how everybody thinks and where they are coming from. Everyone is at a different level and works different. I focus on meeting everyone where they are at.
Being instructed, but not being told. Being shown, and then having an opportunity to try. Then critiquing and correcting in a peer-to-peer format.
Role modeling is key. I try to show them the way by doing it rather than telling them. Do the task with them and find a way to relate it to them. There should be no counselor or authority privilege over the campers.
I work to make sure that everyone is paying attention, and be aware of students and whether they are understanding or engaging. Then, I use one-on-one relationships with kids that aren’t working well. I prefer to create a connection to the environment of the lesson and the camper to help them stay connected.
In truth, I’m still developing my approach to education. the first thing I do in any situation is to establish some kind of balance between friendship and authority to build reciprocal respect. From there I seek to allow for teachable moments to appear and be used throughout the activity or program I am leading.
Theory only gets you so far, eventually you have to actually do something, that’s where real experience comes from. You can plan all you want, but you can get lost and go off book, and it can wind up being fun. Acting on what is cool at the time can be the crux of an excellent activity.
I think what distinguishes me in the classroom is taking a democratic approach. I want the students to have buy in. When they have their own commitment, they are committed to the class.
For myself, I know hands-on is so important and I feel that this is the best foundation of how I educate.
I prefer a horizontal system of organization. As opposed to a vertical system, in the sense that the teacher is above, and the student below. It should be more of a circle, centrally balanced. Being a teacher or student is different, but neither is more than the other. The dichotomy of teaching and learning have to be different, but you learn from teaching and teach from learning. The process is more fulfilling if you teach from this place. It’s a two-way street.
Reading over these certainly stirs quite a bit of inspiration in us for this summer. I love to see that so many of our staff understand and are committed to creating a learning environment that works for every style of learning. Yet they are getting there in so many different ways. I know this diversity of approaches only strengthens the experience our campers will be getting. I can’t wait for the first morning of activities to unveil all the knowledge and skill that the Flying Cloud campers will have access to this summer.
So my question to you is, what activity or skill are you most excited for this summer? Head over to our Facebook page at Flying Cloud Summer Camp and share your answer!
be well,
~FF & M’s E~