The camp is set up where everyone comes at 9 am and camp ends at 3 pm. Till about 9:30 we all wait in the gym for all the kids to get there and the other kids just have free time. Then on Mondays and Wednesdays we stay in the gym for two hours till lunch time. These two hours have held some really fun times with the kids. We play dribbling games, shooting games, and have free time ( it's a basketball game). I usually help with the let's say less skilled kids because my boss is very good at basketball and is always with the older kids and the other teenager who works with us is a college basketball player at Trevecca University. So I'm very much under-qualified in the basketball teaching area compared to them. But I love working with the littler kids, they get so excited over winning a simple shooting game and they are just so darn cute.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays there is a dance class in the gym from 9:30 to 10:30 we can't be in there and we go to the Teen Center, oh the Teen Center. The Teen Center is one of the coolest places I've ever seen in a Y. It has a Wii, an Xbox 360, a pool table, a ping pong table, a Foosball table, and three TVs. It really is made for teens to hang out and just chill there. And trust me they do. There are always teenagers and kids hanging out and playing the Xbox. Also in the Teen Center there is a computer lab that the kids play Cool Math Games, yes that's the title of the website, and other kids games. On Fridays we split the camp into two groups and the groups switch between the Teen Center and the gym for the two hours. Then at 11:30 we eat lunch together everyday. Lunch time with the kids has been one of the most enjoyable times. I just get to talk to the kids and hang out. I've been trying to get together to have lunch with some of the other Turner Fellows in my area, but I really cant bring myself to leave the kids for that precious time I have with them.
After lunch everyday I lead journal time. This time is part of the literacy department where I give them a question and they have papers that have space to write a couple sentences and draw a picture. These questions have included: what do you want to be when you grow up, what are you thankful for, what would you do with a million dollars, and how have you helped someone. After we write for a while, I always get some kids to share their answers and they are so cute and sometimes shockingly insightful. One boy said he would give all the million dollars to the Y and multiple children were thankful for their counselors at the Y ( me and the two other guys I work with). After journal time we have devotional time where the kids here the bible and talk about God. But after journal time for me on Mondays and Wednesday I tutor a boy in the camp. He's about a year behind in reading, but it's fun to teach him to read.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays we go swimming after devotional. Swimming is crazy. On last Tuesday all the counselors went swimming and we were so tired afterwards. We threw the kids in the pool and we were basically attacked by the kids all the time. On Friday my boss decided to have a water balloon fight after lunch with the kids. We filled up all the 150 water balloons and it was crazy. Then we played kickball outside and shot each other with water guns. I ended up the wettest one coming back inside at the end because I had somehow gotten to be the target of the garden hose that one of the guy counselors got a hold of. But even though ever piece of clothing I had on was dripping with water and I had to wear that for the rest of the day, it was extremely fun.
My whole week has been extremely fun. I love the kids; I love the Y; I love counselors; I love my job. It would take a lot for someone to convince me that this was not the best job in the world.
Pictures from the Week:
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| Me and Gooch, my boss. |
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| Gooch in the Water with the kids |
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| Kickball outside |
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