When I started as a counselor at the camp, I was just a green horn, knowing nothing about handling kids, but through the short four days, I gained a lot. Many lessons were learnt and I brought home many new experiences. Most importantly, it was a testing of my patience-- something that I had put down on my list of things to work on for 2007. And the camp was just the right place for it. Not only did the camp help me work on my patience, it also opened my eyes to see how little acts of concern and words of encouragement and affirmation could impact the kids’ lives. Our words could either break them or make them a better person.
I wasn’t the only one who gained from this camp. I think my own group of kids benefited a lot from it too. Especially Yang Zhi and Song Yang. During the first day of camp, both of them were two naughty, ‘bo chap’ kids who seem to take pleasure in torturing us by saying that whatever we ask them to do was lame and stupid. But as the days went by, I realized that shouting and getting frustrated at them was pretty useless, thus I decided to use a different approach. Instead of shouting and scolding them, I’ll pull them away from the other group members when they did wrong and talk to them nicely, encouraging them to be good and affirming them when they did the right thing. To my surprise, it worked way better than wasting my breath with countless scoldings. I have to say that I’m very proud of them. I’ve seen them transformed from two nonchalant and rowdy boys into two helpful and quite obedient campers.
I wasn’t the only one who gained from this camp. I think my own group of kids benefited a lot from it too. Especially Yang Zhi and Song Yang. During the first day of camp, both of them were two naughty, ‘bo chap’ kids who seem to take pleasure in torturing us by saying that whatever we ask them to do was lame and stupid. But as the days went by, I realized that shouting and getting frustrated at them was pretty useless, thus I decided to use a different approach. Instead of shouting and scolding them, I’ll pull them away from the other group members when they did wrong and talk to them nicely, encouraging them to be good and affirming them when they did the right thing. To my surprise, it worked way better than wasting my breath with countless scoldings. I have to say that I’m very proud of them. I’ve seen them transformed from two nonchalant and rowdy boys into two helpful and quite obedient campers.
Watching their little metamorphosis really encouraged me. A sense of accomplishment filled my heart as I watched the kids head home on the last day. Knowing that I had made an impact in the kids’ life made my time at the camp worthwhile.
If someone were to ask me whether I would help out again next year, I would agree without hesitation. Yes, the camp was tiring. But by just knowing how much u can change a kid’s life in just four short days beats all the negative thoughts harbored about the camp.
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