Yesterday, I had the opportunity to create an infographic based on my Genius Hour research - a task that I really enjoyed doing! I felt that it was the first time since creating my iMovie that I felt truly connected to my Genius Hour topic. Now don't get me wrong, I am still invested in my topic. But with the craziness of the past 2 weeks, I have had trouble finding time to consolidate my thinking around my question: How can the feelings of camp be incorporated into the classroom? Re-watching my iMovie and creating this infographic has helped me to focus my attentions again, so I felt it time that I write about my process of getting to this point and why I feel that the three components of Community, Engagement and Teamwork are important in answering my Genius Hour question.
First up! Community. What does community mean to me? It means creating an environment where everyone feels they are appreciated, that they are able to take risks without fear of ridicule and that they know that no matter what happens, someone has their back. I have been lucky enough to have this sense of community on more than one occasion, but I feel that the strongest connection I have to this feeling is through my own camp experiences. I have been either a counsellor or a director of a camp since age 16. I have dedicated 7 years of my life to various camps, but I truly feel that it has given me much more than I could possibly give it, and that comes from the relationships I have formed with my colleagues. In an odd way, I have formed relationships with people from camp that I have never had in any other context. I think that comes from a few things. First, you spend every day of the summer together with these people, which comes with it a sense of family. Second, you share something with them that you do not have in other experiences. When working with kids, you are given the opportunity to be creative, active and very very silly! Most jobs you cannot say that about, and I think allowing your peers to see that silly side of you and being accepted for it is insanely powerful.
The past 4 years, I have been able to plan a training week for our incoming counsellors for the summer, and I absolutely love creating an environment where the counsellors feel comfortable with being silly and enthusiastic - but it isn't easy! One of the first things I do is set the tone of the week by saying that counsellors should expect to do a lot of things that are out of their comfort zone, but it has purpose. The goal is bring them closer to their fellow counsellors and to us as directors! And I find that once they get past the 'I'm too cool" stage and see how goofy we as directors are being, the walls come down quickly. Activities such as dressing up in funny costumes and playing Minute to Win It games where we all have to do weird things allow counsellors to let go their inhibitions and be in the moment. And that's when the magic happens!
In the classroom, things do not have to be any different! I think that teachers often get caught up at the beginning of the year in the sheer amount of subject matter they need to cover that they forget to establish a sense of community with their students. I remember all too well as a student being assigned a desk and getting right into writing your name on every journal or binder, writing a reflection on what I did in the summer or doing some sort of artwork about "Getting to Know Me". Although I am not bashing any of these strategies, why can't we start the first day of school with community building games? Why can't we as teachers take our kids outside and play cooperative games that get students active and engaged in getting to know one another! These are the kids you will be spending an entire year with, why not start it off right? For some specific ideas of icebreaker games you can use with your students, check out this video done by Parks and Recreation of Ontario!
My Pinterest page also has some interesting ideas for icebreaker games you can do with students. If you are interested in learning more check out Icebreakers That Rock!
Yes, some teachers might see this idea as "fluff" with no real "relevance" to the curriculum. However, I am almost positive that that "fluff" is what your kids will remember when asked about their year. Sometimes "fluff" is what stands between teachers and a fantastic year with students who feel they know one another and you, their teacher. Students can feel more comfortable with making mistakes and taking risks because they are not afraid of being judged. Even with the stress of the beginning of the year, I think building a community in your classroom takes precedence over all else.
What comes next? Teamwork and Engagement! Stay tuned for my next post :)
