As a child, I participated in playing soccer (a few times here and there), I did gymnastics for 10 years, and I was a camper at the summer camp I now work for. People would often describe me as a shy child and someone who wouldn't stand up for himself. I think this was thought of me because I was normally alone all the time and friends were not my strong suit. I had very few friends and once I reached middle school, all my friends left and I honestly had no friends then.
As an adult and now working with youth, I have been working at the YMCA in their after school program and their summer camp. I have had various positions in their after school program as a youth counselor, a lead staff, and now a site coordinator. With the summer camp I was a front line staff my first 4 years, then I became a program specialist for one year, and this past summer season I was a specialist in their leadership staff surrounding around parent engagement and the sign in/out process.
Within my experience as being a youth worker, play is a huge part of how the after school program and the summer camp operate. I believe that the amount of play the YMCA operates on is an issue because when we try and add in programs that do not offer as much or very little play, we get angry children and concerned parents saying that they are not having fun in the program. I try and make a common line between play and serious time when I try and plan activities and run curriculum that has a mixture of the two, half where you have to sit and do work, and the other half where play happens.
Hey I can relate to you on a lot. I was a quite child for a long time, and bouncing around schools from always moving it was hard to keep friends. But as I got older I beginning expressing myself more. With everything you went through you have done a great job. Your steps you have taken in the after school program " youth counselor, a lead staff, and now a site coordinator." You defiantly have came along way.
ReplyDeleteIt is so sad that the kids may not be enjoying the program, after all it is all about them! Hopefully they will soon see the value of play and incorporate it more into the programs.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how parents often associate play with fun, and anything other than that is not fun. Play can be framed in many different ways. It can also be used a tool to learn because playing is learning. Most people think of play as like recess, or organized play like a game. Play can happen more often than people realize.In my opinion it still doesn't happen enough especially in school systems.
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