Children
Cut, cut, cut. Scribble, draw, scribble. Giggle, question, silence.
These are the sounds of children's day camp I so love to hear (especially the silence part sometimes). My work at the Stewpot Summer Day Camp began last week, and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. There are plenty of times when the job is stressful. For example, it's never easy to have a classroom full of rowdy sixth graders, attempting to get them excited about an activity that is mostly lame and useless in their minds. Nor is it easy to have to repeat myself at least five times to first graders. Patience is a virtue, I tell myself.
Children possess an honesty and a wisdom that cannot be found in any adult I know. They are not afraid to voice whatever is on their minds-- whether that is hunger, pain, silliness, thoughtfulness, or sadness. They tell us how they feel about things, how they feel about us. I couldn't help but feel a kind of deep gladness today when a fellow employee told me that Orlando, the class clown and leader of the sixth grade pack, thinks that I'm always nice. Such simple words, but yet so meaningful. Maybe I'm only touching these kids' lives in a very small way, but I know they're touching mine.
These are the sounds of children's day camp I so love to hear (especially the silence part sometimes). My work at the Stewpot Summer Day Camp began last week, and I am thoroughly enjoying myself. There are plenty of times when the job is stressful. For example, it's never easy to have a classroom full of rowdy sixth graders, attempting to get them excited about an activity that is mostly lame and useless in their minds. Nor is it easy to have to repeat myself at least five times to first graders. Patience is a virtue, I tell myself.
Children possess an honesty and a wisdom that cannot be found in any adult I know. They are not afraid to voice whatever is on their minds-- whether that is hunger, pain, silliness, thoughtfulness, or sadness. They tell us how they feel about things, how they feel about us. I couldn't help but feel a kind of deep gladness today when a fellow employee told me that Orlando, the class clown and leader of the sixth grade pack, thinks that I'm always nice. Such simple words, but yet so meaningful. Maybe I'm only touching these kids' lives in a very small way, but I know they're touching mine.
that is really sweet eva, and i think you're definitely right (and so is that sixth grader)
ReplyDeleteUltimately, working with kids is far more of a reward than a frustration. It's great that you know that :)
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