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Tri-State Camp Conference
CAMP COUNSELOR
TRAINING: A Proactive,
Positive, and Week-by-Week
Approach to Working with
Campers in a Day Camp
Setting
Presented by: Dr. Caren Baruch-Feldman
(Camp Psychologist), Ms. Andrea Fleishaker,
and Ms. Pam Greenwood (Division Heads)
[email protected]
Goals for Today’s Workshop
• Discuss Counselor
Workbook that Was Used
at Camp Ramah in Nyack
• Review Strategies that
Staff Can Use to
Enhance CounselorCamper Relationships
• Demonstrate Training
Ideas
• Discuss Challenges and
Solutions Related to
Training Counselors
How We Instituted the Training at
Camp Ramah
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Workbook Provided to Staff
Part of Staff Week
Met 4 Times Over the Summer
Independent Reading
Activities to Reinforce the Reading
Ways We Are Improving it for Next
Summer
Counselor Workbook: Key Ideas
• Stresses Being Proactive,
Planful, and Mindful
• Uses a Week-by-Week
Approach
• Based on Psychological
Principles
• Based on Actual Counselors’
Experiences
• Provides Counselors with a
Resource
• Can Be Used as a Framework
for Talking About Campers
Throughout the Summer
Topics Covered in the Counselor Workbook
Week 1: Developing a Positive Relationship with Your Campers
Week 2: Tips from the Trenches - Gain Helpful Tips from Experienced
Counselors
Week 3: Help! - I Am Still Struggling. What Can I Do Now?
Weeks 4 & 5: My Boys/Girls Are Getting Very Comfortable and I Have
Two New Campers for the Second Month….
Week 6: Staying Motivated and Healthy During “Week 6”
Weeks 7 & 8: Ending Camp on a Positive Note
Child Development: Typical Developmental Behavior for Ages 5-13
Special Concerns and Specific Job Related Issues
Strategies that Staff Can Use to Enhance
Counselor- Camper Relationships
• Getting to Know Your Campers
• Treating Your Relationship Like a
Bank: Establishing a Positive Cash
Flow
• Changing One’s Focus from the
Negative to the Positive
• Using a Win-Win Approach Rather
than a Power Struggle
• Empathizing and Active Listening
• Establishing Clear Expectations
• Facilitating Friendships
Demonstrating Training Activities
for Counselors
Word Scrambler: Use to Teach Concepts Related to
Developing a Positive Relationship
with Your Campers
Role Play: To Address Difficult Situations
that Arise in Camp
Mindfulness Activity: To Help Counselors
Become Aware of How They Are
Perceived by Their Campers
Week 6 Activity: To Help Motivate Counselors During
“Week 6”
Word Scrambler
Use a Word
Scramble to
Teach Concepts
from the
Workbook
Role Play
Role Play the
Difficult Situations
that Arise at Camp
For Example
• Transitions
• Campers and Eating
• Reluctant Swimmers
• Dressing Suggestions
• Dealing with Cliques
• Bullying
• Disrespect and Lack of
Participation
EMPATHY/MINDFUL EXERCISE*
• How do you hope the campers would describe you?
• How would they actually describe you?
• How close are these descriptions?
If they are far apart, how can I change so that the words I hope my
campers would use to describe me will match the words they
actually use?
• Would I want anyone to speak to me the way I am speaking with my
campers?
• Am I speaking or acting in a way that will make my campers want to
hear and learn from me?
* Based on Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein’s Raising a Self
Disciplined Child
Helping Counselors Cope with Feelings of
Frustration and Worry
Especially During Week 6
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Throughout the summer, but especially in Week 6, it is common for
counselors to become frustrated and worried about their campers, cocounselors, supervisors, and camp life.
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Helping Counselors to THINK About the Situation Differently Can Help
Them to Feel Better.
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If counselors are feeling FRUSTRATED, they may be having too many
SHOULDS in their thoughts. Counselors can change their SHOULDS to
WISHES. Instead of “my camper SHOULD get dressed”, the counselor
could think, “I WISH Joe would get dressed, but my DEMANDINGNESS
won’t help the situation.”
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If counselors are feeling WORRIED, they may be “expecting the worst”.
Counselors can ask themselves - What is the worst thing that can happen?
From 1-100, how terrible is the situation? They can remind themselves that
it is never as bad as they are expecting.
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THE COUNSELORS CAN CHANGE HOW THEY FEEL BY
CHANGING THEIR THOUGHTS.
Changing Negative Thoughts to Positive Ones
Be Like Derek Jeter!
WEEK 6 Activity
It is the World Series, 9th inning, 7th game, 2 outs, score is tied. What is Derek Jeter
thinking when he gets to bat? “Oh no, I can’t do this. This game is too much, I‘m out
of here”. Derek then takes a swing and misses - do you think he says…“The crowd
has no right to boo me! They hate, me I just know it. I am so embarrassed. I am the
worst player ever.”
In reality - Derek Jeter’s Real Thoughts…“Before he bats, he is thinking, “I’ve been here
before and I know what to do. This is what I practice for and I am ready.” After he
misses, he is thinking, “I can’t control the crowd, but next time, I am going to send this
ball straight out of the park!”
So my question to you -- how can you think like Derek Jeter? Ask yourself the
following questions.
1. Can I change the way I think about camp, my campers, and my supervisors so that I
feel better?
2. Am I catastrophizing? What is the worst thing that can happen?
3. Can I change the way I think about the situation so I am less demanding and more
flexible?
4. How can I think about “Week 6” so that I am being more realistic, practical, and
flexible in my approach?
Challenges and Solutions to Training
Counselors
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Make It Fun
Be Practical
Get Their Input
Balance
Information with
Actual Specifics