Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Educational experience as a Rec leader
During my last four summers I have had the pleasure of being a recreation leader. This job is very fun for someone who loves working with kids such as myself. I work with kids from the ages of 8-16, so the age difference is very big. I am at a park with mostly what they call the "troubled kids" these kids are known to have attitudes, to talk back and not to listen. My first year in working with these children i didn't really think much of it and now as the summers go by i start to look at it from a teachers standpoint. Most of them are good kids deep down they just seek attention from somebody older and they love getting the reactions from their peers. However after my first year i formed a good relationship with the children and they really listen to me and take my word for things. It is a very good program to keep kids busy from 8:30-1:30 during the summer days. It is a 3 month job and it is a city job so the tax payers and parents like to see it being done right and thats how I like to think I run my playground. I have had many people come up to work with me at the playground but after each year i get assigned somebody else mainly because they don't know how to get through to these kids. Going into next summer will be my 5th straight summer there and I couldn't be happier and wish for many more to come.
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I think it is important that these kids are getting the attention they need from someone who wants to work with children eventually. I can see why it would be such a great feeling working with these kids because you are just making sure that they are behaving appropriately. I used to go to a summer camp when i was younger and it was so much fun because i always got to play with the older kids. Its important that these kids have structure like that from 8:30-1:30 because that is basically the same time they are in school for. I think it is great aha your doing for these children because they need to have a type of role model like yourself to look up too.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like an amazing job. You seem really passionate about helping these children and I think that is a very important quality for a teacher to have. As difficult as the job must be at times, I am certain the intrinsic rewards are equally as notable. I think that its awesome that you want to continue working there for a fifth summer!
ReplyDeleteFirst off I think that is amazing that you can have the patience and determination to work in what could be considered a more difficult environment, so go you! Also, I think that a role model, such as yourself, it is very important to make connections with the kids, especially the troubled ones, like you have. I too work as a camp counselor and after school counselor with what could be considered "troubled kids" so I think I might have a little bit of an understanding of what you do, and I know how tough it can be. With that being said, how do you typically handle the unruly kids? Because as good as they are, and as well intention-ed as they may be, sometimes they act out. I feel that the handling of such outbreaks is key to gaining their respect as well as overall control.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an amazing opportunity. You've got to work with students from all ages with all different life styles. I can see where this can put you in tough situations sometimes but for the most part it seems really enjoyable. I think this is something I would enjoy as well. Getting involved and helping kids get though their problems is really important. I never got to experience the exact same thing as you but in my high school we had the "alternative program" which was a classroom on the other side of the school full of students who misbehaved and wasn't respectful to others. Even just being a student in the hall ways it was sad to see some of the ways they treated others. Having patience to work with students like that is remarkable and I think thats a really awesome job!
ReplyDeleteMoira poses a good question- what DO you do? What strategies work? You might not have ever even thought of them as strategies as you possibly do things intuitively. It is a special skill set that you seem to possess.
ReplyDeleteThis is really great of you to do, every child needs motivation and a mentor to look up to. I also believe that these students just seek attention from somebody older, and that one person who gives it to them will get the gift of making a huge difference in their life. You have the opportunity every time you are with these kids to be one of the most significant pieces to their life, you can easily steer a kid in the right direction when they're going down the wrong path. Kudos to you for the work that you're doing, I hope you continue to help out all the children. I don't agree with the label of "troubled kids" that they were given by people, I don't believe any kids are troubled. I just feel they are lacking that person that is willing to keep them on the right path. What do you think?
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