Taking The Lead
Taking The Lead
School camps can lead to the emergence of a Napoleon or a Neil Perry
Taking The Lead
School camps can lead to the emergence of a Napoleon or a Neil Perry – and not in the person you might expect.
One thing that often emerges during the corporate role-plays of the 21st century is that it's not always the obvious leader who demonstrates real "leadership".
In the role-play exercises that are performed as part of personnel selection processes, for instance, or during high-level corporate getaways, it may be that the senior managers involuntarily take a back seat while their subordinates step up and decide how to create a bridge from boxes or other seemingly pointless exercises.
Similarly, school camps can become an arena in which the most unlikely student finds a forum in which he or she takes the lead – either by choice or force.
"Not every kid is a natural leader, but there are different ways kids can lead," says child psychologist Tim Dansie. "There are many ways of being leaders, and some of them don't come up in a classroom situation.
"Often it can be as simple as volunteering – putting your hand up is, in itself, a sign of taking some responsibility, which is part of leadership."
Dansie is an Adelaide-based clinical practitioner who entered the field after a career as a teacher – spending a large amount of time in physical education and outdoor education excursions - in private boys' and co-educational schools. He recalls a camp during which boys were divided into groups, each of which had allotted amounts of food and was responsible for producing its own meals.
One student who wasn't known as a leader volunteered to direct his group in its menu decisions and meal preparation. Very quickly, the group's provisions were the envy of other students; soon he was helping other groups determine how to create some variety and taste in their meals, despite their limited resources. "He knew what he was doing," Dansie says. "He took it on – and, again, earned newfound respect from his peers.
"There's a kid who would never have taken on a leadership role within his school, but outside that environment found a way to show his skills and become highly valued by his peers."
Leadership is but one "life skill" that can emerge as a prized factor away from the "us and them" environment of the classroom, Dansie says. Many students may find that their individual strengths are evident on a camp – and also, perhaps, their weaknesses.
"There are some kids who find the academic demands of school very difficult, who socially are very quiet, and who get on camp, outside the classroom, and they just shine," Dansie says.
"It may be that camping is something they've done before, or that they have skills that aren't normally revealed in the classroom or school that on a camp site are discovered – not only by the other students and even teachers, but possibly by the student himself or herself.
"The student earns respect and perhaps new friendships among his or her peers, and from teachers as well. It can be very significant for their self-esteem."
Dansie recalls an instance from his own teaching career, when during a school ski trip it became apparent that a male student who was "very quiet, not great at ball sports" was a terrific skier. "He was outstanding, and upon our return quickly became known as the best skier in the school," Dansie says. "His self-esteem was boosted enormously. The other kids could see he was good at something. The camp provided that opportunity."
Another life skill is team-work; camps provide many opportunities for teachers to determine which students will volunteer beyond their immediate responsibilities and which will do as little as possible.
"For younger kids, camps are about leaving their parents and sharing time with their friends," Dansie says. "That's an important part of their development – leaving their parents and families or the safety-net of a sleepover.
"As they get older, it's more about learning skills like co-operating, working together as a group. As a teacher, you learn a lot about kids – you see who's willing to help and who expects everything to be done for them."
Dansie says teachers should be alerted to factors that may hamper a child's enjoyment of a camp, or that may create problems with other children. Homesickness and fear might create anxiety in a child, and should be discussed before the camp is shunned outright; however, there may be reasons for a child's reluctance that should be heeded, Dansie says. If a child's parents are going through a separation or divorce, for instance, and the child may become emotional or distressed upon leaving home, discussions between parents and the teacher can determine if the best course is for the child to attend the camp, or to remain with the family.
The key, says Dansie, is to provide a camp experience that makes the student want to return for more. These days, concerns about homesickness may be addressed through the availability of mobile phones or internet connections that enable communication while away from home. Dansie recalls that one former student was satisfied before she left for a camp that she would be able to send and receive text messages during the trip. She "loved " the experience - and her friends didn't even know she was contacting home.
But enjoyment of the camp means providing experiences that are memorable without pushing too far, he says. Send some kids on a boot camp without any chance of relaxation, and they'll never camp again – but on the other hand, older students should be exposed to experiences that are challenging and allow them to learn more about themselves and their capabilities. His suggestion: give students experiences that "stretch" them, but not too far, especially when they are young and may be away from home for the first time; but no matter how old they are, provide age-appropriate physically and mentally challenging exercises that are not a part of their normal school existence.
"You want them to walk away with great memories," Dansie says. "I've been on a camp where it rained five days straight. We were walking, and had very little sleep. But the kids – once they got past the fact they were wet and tired, found it became fun.
"Those kids still talk about that camp and how unbelievably funny it was. "Camps provide those memories. I'll guarantee if you ask most people, they'll remember some aspects of their school camps. But I'll bet they don't remember who taught them long division."
"There are many ways of being leaders, and some of them don't come up in a classroom situation."
