Before & After school program
I am currently working
at my YMCA in Smithfield. Which these first few weeks have been crazy, because we
have been short staff but we are managing in group size. It’s been tough for
the kids, because there are some children that are new to the program so they
don’t know the staff’s names and other children’s name. We have been trying to
be on a schedule so the children and get use to the routine, but it hard when
sometimes we have to change it with the weather or if anything is going on at
the school. We try to play group games and group crafts so we can bond. Also,
we try to encourage everyone to play. As counselor I agree with Henry Jenkins, “We
watch to observe how others perform, to learn new skills, to appraise our own
performance, or simply because we do not yet feel in the right spirit to play”
(pg. 4). Right now, we are really enjoying going outside everyday if the
weather is good enough.
Summer Camp
I have worked two
summers now, but at two different YMCA’s and different shifts. The first time I
worked all day and the second time I only work am and pm. Comparing these two
camps the play was very different like just in space wise. Both YMCA had swim,
sports, relax time. We all ways brought them into their groups so they could
start the day. As a counselor I saw the kids build relationship and different
learning skills that they never did before. Also, I sometimes had to sub to do
all day camp, I got to eat lunch with the kids and interact with the different
kind of play they did. Even more so I got to interact with the different age
groups to because we separated by age so it was even enough for each counselor.
Baby sitting
I have babysat since
I was old enough to watch my cousins by myself or was watched by my aunt with
taking care of my cousins. In the beginning I really don’t want to call it
youth work, but I feel like once I was older to come up with games or talk to
the kids I watched. I got call by my mom and everyone else since I started I am
the baby or child whisper. I now mostly now babysit for the YMCA and we play
all the time and maybe here and there we read books when they want to. Also,
sometimes I’m doing the dramatic play when I dance to music to make one of the
babies to laugh. But also, I watch other children interact or I pretend with
them if I’m eating yummy ketchup that they gave me to eat.
Awesome blog Emily! It seems like you are SUPER involved with the YMCA. I like how much of your time you put into it and the time you put in with the children.
ReplyDeleteHey Emily! Your time at summer camp sounds like we have had similar experiences. I also love seeing the relationships that for in between campers and how it changes from week 1 to week 10!
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