Setting Goals for Summer 2020 and 2021 - First Class Counselors #21

05/21/20 • 47 min

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Thanks for the season, friends! Let’s recap and set some goals for whenever your next summer at camp will be.

Welcome to the season finale of season 2 of First Class Counsellors!

At the end of every summer, it’s important that you, as a counselor take some time to reflect on the many lessons that you learned from the summer.

It’s equally important to think about those lessons in the context of whatever is next.

That was the plan for this episode. We wanted to reflect on our entire season of episodes and think about what stood out as some important lessons or trends as we talked.

Then we planned on using those lessons and trends to help you set goals for the summer of 2020 at camp.

Then - COVID happened. Both Oliver and Matt’s camp communities have been directed to close overnight programs for the summer.

So, as any First Class Counselor would, they adapted and thought about goals that would apply in 2020 whether or not camp was running in 2020 and then how to think ahead to 2021.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

Matt and Oliver’s favourite episodes from Season 2 of First Class Counselors
Some of the most practical skills for counselors in camp and as they think about what’s next
Some of the biggest trends they spotted in the process of producing this season
Thoughts on how COVID is going to impact this summer for camp staff
Goal setting for 2020 and 2021
News on Season 3 of First Class Counsellors and how to stay in touch over the summer.

If you have any feedback, or a suggestion for a future FCC show, send Matt an email at [email protected]

Get Ready - Counsellors, do this NOW to level up your counselling skills.

Goals for 2020 and 2021
2020 - If camp is open
Matt: If camp is open, be the best team-player. Camp is going to look different this summer, but it’s your job to have the most fun, ever in the process.

Oliver: You are front-line safety supervisors. You have an incredible amount of responsibility to keep kids safe while still bringing the camp spirit. Treat that responsibility seriously. We thank you for this role you are taking on.

2020 - If camp is closed

Matt and Oliver: Treat this summer as a sabbatical. Work hard to grow your skills and learn more so you can come back without missing a step in 2021.

2021

Matt and Oliver: Come back. Do everything you can to not lose that camp spirit and come back in 2021. Camp, and the kids, will need you.

Bonus Resources

Visit https://www.camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors

Host Links

Oliver Gregan, Summer and Families Camp Director at YMCA Camp Jewell
Matt Honsberger, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Thanks for the season, friends! Let’s recap and set some goals for whenever your next summer at camp will be.

Welcome to the season finale of season 2 of First Class Counsellors!

At the end of every summer, it’s important that you, as a counselor take some time to reflect on the many lessons that you learned from the summer.

It’s equally important to think about those lessons in the context of whatever is next.

That was the plan for this episode. We wanted to reflect on our entire season of episodes and think about what stood out as some important lessons or trends as we talked.

Then we planned on using those lessons and trends to help you set goals for the summer of 2020 at camp.

Then - COVID happened. Both Oliver and Matt’s camp communities have been directed to close overnight programs for the summer.

So, as any First Class Counselor would, they adapted and thought about goals that would apply in 2020 whether or not camp was running in 2020 and then how to think ahead to 2021.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

Matt and Oliver’s favourite episodes from Season 2 of First Class Counselors
Some of the most practical skills for counselors in camp and as they think about what’s next
Some of the biggest trends they spotted in the process of producing this season
Thoughts on how COVID is going to impact this summer for camp staff
Goal setting for 2020 and 2021
News on Season 3 of First Class Counsellors and how to stay in touch over the summer.

If you have any feedback, or a suggestion for a future FCC show, send Matt an email at [email protected]

Get Ready - Counsellors, do this NOW to level up your counselling skills.

2020 - If camp is closed

Matt and Oliver: Treat this summer as a sabbatical. Work hard to grow your skills and learn more so you can come back without missing a step in 2021.

2021

Matt and Oliver: Come back. Do everything you can to not lose that camp spirit and come back in 2021. Camp, and the kids, will need you.

Bonus Resources

Visit https://www.camphacker.tv/first-class-counsellors

Host Links

Oliver Gregan, Summer and Families Camp Director at YMCA Camp Jewell
Matt Honsberger, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro

Previous Episode

How to Receive (and Give!) Feedback - First Class Counselors #20

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

First Class Counsellors show their maturity when they are able to receive and follow through on feedback. Here’s how to do it.

Welcome to episode 20 of First Class Counsellors!

Feedback. As a counselor you get a lot of feedback. Most of it is typically tough to hear or difficult to adapt to.

You are ultimately responsible for your behaviour and there are some things you may need to change.

How you receive that feedback and interpret it is important.

We are mostly going to talk about the tough conversations today but we want everyone to know that feedback is all positive because it is all aimed to get better. If you keep that growth mindset these conversations will not only be productive but a lot easier.

On this episode of First Class Counselors, we give you the tools to both receive and give feedback in the most productive was possible.

Tune in to this episode to hear about:

What’s it like for the person giving feedback?
Tips for listening to feedback so you get the most out of it
How to make the change that the feedback is asking you to make
What changes when it comes to evaluations?
How to give feedback to a co-counselor?
What about positive feedback? How do we give and receive it?

We hope you enjoy this episode, and most importantly, find it useful!

If you have any feedback, or a suggestion for a future FCC show, send Matt an email at [email protected]

Get Ready - Counselors, do this NOW to level up your counselling skills

Oliver: Draw a picture of your favorite camp song, send it to your director
Matt: The Crisis Text Line offers text-based support in Canada, Ireland, the UK, and the US. Services can also be accessed via Facebook Messenger. This service was just expanded to Canada and Ireland so your stakeholders may not be aware of it.

Check out the access numbers here https://www.crisistextline.org/.

Please note that it appears that parts of the website indicate that service hasn't launched in Ireland yet. But there is a contact number for Ireland on the landing page, so it looks like service is available but not fully ramped up yet.

Crisis Text Line is also looking for volunteers in all the countries they service and this could be a great opportunity for your staff and volunteers to support their communities at this time.

Host Links

Oliver Gregan, Summer and Families Camp Director at YMCA Camp Jewell
Matt Honsberger, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro

What is First Class Counsellors?

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, Summer and Families Camp Director at YMCA Camp Jewell and Matt Honsberger 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,

Next Episode

Camp and Back to School (during a pandemic) - First Class Counselors #22

Have some feedback? A topic suggestion? Text us!

Find links and show notes at https://gocamp.pro/fcc

You’re back to school and we’re back to Podcasting. Welcome to First Class Counselors Season 3!

It’s so great to be back.

Now we’re excited to be back to the podcast...but you may not be so excited about being back to school. We get it and we hear you.

So in our mission to keep talking about the things that matter most to camp counselors, we’re here to talk about how the skills that camp teaches can help during tough transitions like back to school.

To help us unpack this we welcome Thomas Dewar, a staff member at The Cairn Family of Camps in Ontario. Thomas is a music student at Western University in London, Ontario. He was a virtual camp staff during the summer of 2020, and is now in full back to school mode.

We’re so grateful to get Thomas’ perspective on how camp has given him the skills to manage back a normal, and this not so normal, transition.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

If you have any feedback, or a suggestion for a future FCC show, send Matt an email at [email protected]

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

Games, songs, and other super-practical tips that you can use at camp next summer.

Thomas: The Dinosaur Song (video coming soon!)

Matt: Game : Change 3 Things Game

Oliver: Write a letter to foster some of your social circles.

Funny letter prompts:

“A podcast I listen to told me to do this...”
“Wanted to let you know I want to hang out more often”
“I found this restaurant that is a nice place to meet up”
“I always wanted to skydive but I need you buddy”
“If school sucks send me a letter back and I will rescue you when you least need it”
“Here is a list of transcribed pick up lines so you can make new friends. I know you are lost without me”
“I am not desperate. But i did write this by hand, find an envelope, relearn how to address a letter, purchase a stamp and drop this in a mailbox to talk to you when I could have sent a text.”

Host Links

Oliver Gregan, Summer and Families Camp Director at YMCA Camp Jewell
Matt Honsberger, Executive Producer of Podcasting at Go Camp Pro

Guest

Thomas Dewar, Music Student - Trombone Performance - Camp Staff at The Cairn Family of Camps

What is First Class Counsellors?

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!