Intentional First Impressions with Campers - First Class Counselors #61

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Find full show notes and links at: https://camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors/first-impressions-campers
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What to do the first time you’re alone with campers…

It’s arguably the most stressful time in a camp counsellor’s life. It’s the first day of camp, the caregivers have just left and it’s now just you and the campers. As 10 sets of eyes stare in anticipation, it dawns on you that what you do and say next really matters. 

How you spend that first little bit with your campers will set the tone for the session. If you don’t treat it intentionally, it’s going to be something that you, and likely the rest of camp is going to have to work on for the rest of the session.

This episode, we’ll cover:

• Why be intentional
• What to do in the first 5 minutes of being alone
• Things after that
• What doesn’t work

Pretty intense, right? So intense that Oliver and I couldn’t take on this one alone. We’re joined by Robynne Howard from the Cairn Family of Camps - a camp who does this first impression thing REALLY well.

So tune in to this “longy, but a goodie”!

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E.G.E.L - Ever Growing Ever Learning

• Robynne: Carry a garbage bag around with you. When kids inevitably hand you garbage or need a bandaid, you have space to put your garbage. Plus then you can help pick up garbage that you find around camp
• Oliver: Balloon buddy
• Matt: Look at your camera during zoom interviews - makes it look like you’re making eye contact with the interviewer

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Host Links

• Matt Wilfrid, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro
• Oliver Gregan, Executive Director at YMCA Camp Winona
• Robynne Howard, Camp Director at The Cairn Family of Camps

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What is First Class Counselors?

Camp Directors, this Podcast isn’t for you. It’s time to delegate! First Class Counsellors is for your counselling staff, the ones who are on the ground, playing with kids and changing lives.

Each week, we’ll cover practical and accessible tips that will level up your camp counsellor skills. These are things every counsellor should know, but that you may not have time to teach in staff training.

Our two hosts, Oliver Gregan and Matt Wilfrd from Go Camp Pro are excited to be able to provide this resource to camp counsellors and up and coming staff, who they believe, have the most important job at camp.

This is free professional development for your counsellors! We would love your feedback. Please leave your comments below, or, send Matt an email! Thank you!