Taylor here again. I wrote to you all last time about the benefits of having a camper coordinator. In addition to that role, though, I’m also a classroom teacher. I’ve taught every age group from fifth grade through twelfth in both private and public school settings. Across these contexts, I can say this with confidence: teachers love teaching kids who have gone to summer camp.
Sure, our camp kids have special skills in archery and sailing that their peers may not, but it’s the “soft skills” that transfer throughout the school year and make our classrooms kinder, braver places. Let me tell you why.
Camp teaches kids resilience
Recently, I assigned my sixth graders an activity that was objectively tricky. When they got stuck (as I knew they would), one turned to the other and literally said, “you thought you couldn’t do camp, remember? But you did! We’ve got this.” I can’t say that I was surprised. Our mission at camp is to grow grit, and that grit teaches kids the lesson that they can rise to occasions well after the summer has finished. They know they can do it, and they don’t give up.
Campers are inclusive
Time and again, I find that children who have attended summer camp are more willing to strike up conversation with peers who are different from them. Used to being paired with unfamiliar groups in cabins, dining tables, and activities, campers empathize with what it feels like to be new. They know how to talk with just about anyone. They are the glue of my seating chart and the captains of my group projects!
Camp shows kids that they don’t need phones
A few years ago, my school decided to go totally phone-free throughout the school day, and guess who fared best? The kiddos who had been to camp knew, well before their classmates discovered, that they didn’t need their screens. Eager to connect in real life, they willingly parted with their devices and acted as role models for a more connected community. Practice makes perfect.
Camp kids are rarely bored
This last one might seem surprising, but hear me out! Nobody knows more games, more jokes, or more icebreakers than a camp counselor. And the kids who spent their most recent summer at camp have picked up on all of it. When the bus is late at the start of a field trip or there’s a moment to kill at the end of a lesson, teachers can count on even the youngest of camp kids to take charge and fill the space with some silly, wholesome fun. How’s that for leadership?
Kids aren’t always aware of these shifts in themselves, but you can bet that their peers notice. Everyone (teachers included) is better off for having a camp kids in their class, even if we sometimes catch them daydreaming about the next summer when they really should be reading 🙂