Now that I’m in the middle of the 5th of 7 camp sessions, I think it’s safe to say that I’m comfortably in a routine.
We spend 4 days running the camp, teaching lessons, etc. Then we have a day trip and end that day with the opening ceremony for the next group of campers.
The schedule for various camp events changes a bit every time, based mostly on weather, so there are always some slight changes.
Here’s the typical schedule:
- Day 1: Opening Ceremony
- Day 2: Morning Lessons, Sporty activities, Traditional Dance Night
- Day 3: Morning Lessons, Olympics/ Business Challenge/ Arts & Crafts, Movie Night
- Day 4: Morning Hike, Afternoon Lessons, Talent Show
- Day 5: Morning Lessons, Fashion Show/ Treasure Hunt, Closing Ceremony
The Schedule in Practice
This is our 2nd full day with this group, and we’ve already done the morning hike. When these things do change around, it’s usually because of weather.
In between each of our 3 lessons, we (and the kids) get short breaks. Then after lessons we have lunch and nothing happens until 3-4 PM (depending on the day).
From there, we have another break for dinner that lasts several hours before the evening activities at 8:30 PM.
Sometimes we do things sooner or later in the week, and in the last 2 sessions we’ve been given time off during certain events. Since we’re all familiar with running the various events now, it’s not as necessary to have so many trainers involved. The extra free time is nice!
Many of the trainers had this morning off. I didn’t, so I did the hike again, but I actually enjoy the hike, so I don’t really see it as an issue! I’ll have it off next time anyway!
We get another long break at the end of day 2, during the movie night. The Romanian trainers stay with the kids during the movie, but all of the English trainers are free to do whatever we want.
So, the people who didn’t go on the hike today will only have lessons to worry about, and then will get even more time off!
What the Lessons are Like
Every trainer is different, and each one has a different approach to lessons. There are also a variety of age groups, from 7 all the way up to 17 or even 18!
My age groups have been all over the place, but some trainers prefer to work specifically with older kids or younger kids.
I had 9-year-olds, then 8-year-olds, then 13-year-olds, followed by 14-year-olds and now 10-11-year-olds.
Because of this, I’ve had to prepare a wide variety of lessons for different age groups.
As I’ve said in previous posts, these are supposed to be informal lessons. They’re mainly games or activities that get them speaking English; nothing like an actual classroom lesson.
For example, I’ve played Mafia and a simplified version of D&D with the older kids!
Here’s the (normal) schedule for lessons:
- Morning Routine with the Whole Camp (15 minutes)
- Lesson 1 (50 minutes)
- 10-minute break
- Lesson 2 (50 minutes)
- 20-minute fruit break
- Lesson 3 (50 minutes)
All in all, we do these lessons for a total of about 3 hours, from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
My Favorite Lessons
Some of my favorite lessons have come from plans I made up myself rather than plans I borrowed from others.
Frazer, another trainer here, works with older kids, and loves to host debates between the kids on topics that they choose.
I tried it and, while it worked, I can’t say it was my favorite. My heart wasn’t in it.
One of my favorite lessons is actually with my younger kids. I do an easy game or activity to review animal names with them, then play a drawing game.
Initially the review activity was just flashcards, but that’s kinda boring.
This time, I taught them duck duck goose as a filler at the end of a previous lesson, then started the next lesson with the same game. Only, I modified the rules so that instead of saying “duck” they could say the name of any animal. They still had to say “goose” at the end though.
They had some fun with it, and we played for maybe 10-15 minutes. Then the real fun started.
I gave them paper and pencils, and one-by-one I described parts of different animals. “Head of a dog, antlers of a deer, eyes of a spider, body of a fish.”
After naming each part, I gave them time to draw it in before naming another one.
Finally, after their animal monstrosity was complete, I let them name it.
I used the same activity with 8-year-olds a few weeks ago, and it was just as much of a hit!
It’s fun for me, too, coming up with animal parts and seeing what they do with it. Some of them are really good at drawing and really creative, too!
One of the biggest difficulties with lesson planning is figuring out what they like between physical games, mental games, and arts & crafts. Usually it’s a mix between all 3, so I try to use all of them at least once a day when possible.
Talent Show Prep
You probably saw that I mentioned a talent show in that schedule.
Every single class group has to do some kind of performance. Usually it’s a dance, and a Just Dance video is projected on a wall behind the audience.
Some groups get way more creative. I’ve seen skits, scene reenactments, edited videos, and some silly comedy shows by little kids where they’re all falling over trying to kick a ball. It’s all good fun!
Every single one of my groups has done a dance of some kind. I’d love to do a more creative activity, but unfortunately they just haven’t had the motivation no matter what I try. My 13-year-olds (both groups) didn’t have much motivation to do anything at all, so we just did easy dances they already knew, like the Brasoveanca and the Macarena.
My group this time is also doing a dance, and like with most groups before it, there are a few kids who don’t want to do it. They just sit at the side and watch, looking annoyed and bored. But this is something we have to do as trainers, and they’re fully welcome to join and have fun with the rest of us! They just don’t want to.
Conclusion
I continue to grow closer with the other trainers here at camp, and any drama we have to deal with is fleeting.
It’s still a great time, and I’m enjoying all the trips we’ve taken!
We just visited Bran Castle/ Dracula Castle a few days ago. It felt more like a museum than a castle on the inside, but I still had fun! There were some other interesting shops and sights nearby, too!
I’ll be joining two of the other trainers for a short trip to Moldova and Dubai after we leave Romania!
