Mountain View Bible Camp Staff & Leadership Training Module 2 Principles for Counseling and Teaching

Basic principles Tom stretched and settled back into his chair. Their group discussion had been interesting, but it was clear there were lots of layers to unravel when it came to dealing with campers. Tom figured it would help to hear more from Frank. The camp leader tried to start with a little humor. “One counselor asked another, 'Why did the campers cross the road?' His friend said, 'I give up.'" Frank paused for effect. "The first counselor replied, 'I don't know either. Who knows why they do anything?'"

Four basic principles Tom chuckled with the rest of the staff in the room. He could hear Tracy cackling two rows behind him. That kind of humor was just her style. Frank grinned. “I know it often seems like campers are impossible to figure out. And of course, every child and teenager is different. But really, if you learn just four basic principles, you will be well on your way to having a great week with every camper.”

Basic principles “So here they are: four big ideas, four foundational points for every camp worker,” Frank said. The screen flashed to Frank's opening slide. Tom copied the phrases onto his note sheet. ● Understand the campers ● Discipline effectively ● Teach clearly ● Plan ahead Write these four phrases in the four boxes on your worksheet.

Understand the campers Frank continued. “Camp work— and actually, anything we do for the Lord—is like a bridge. We help people move from where they are to where God wants them to be. * “Now, if we're really going to do that, we have to know something about our campers. Where are they on God's bridge for their lives?” Tracy nodded; that made sense. It was why she hated getting calls from telemarketers; they act like they're your best friend but actually have no idea who you are or what you need. Definitely bad form for a camp worker. *Credit for the bridge analogy goes to Dr. Charles Zimmerman.

Understand the campers “So,” Frank explained, “here are some tips to consider if you want to understand your campers.” Tracy tried to keep up by listing them in her notes and adding her own comments, too.  Focus on each person. Learn their names and use them. Nothing sounds as sweet as hearing your own name.  A good phrase to use in conversation is, “Tell me more about that.”  Walk to activities with your campers; don't just send them on ahead.  Know where they are during each part of the day.  Find out their emotional life. What do they enjoy, hate, or fear?  Find out where their spiritual thoughts are. What do they think about the Bible, God, truth, faith, and so on? Write your own notes from Frank's points.

Discipline effectively When the next slide came up, Frank jiggled his red laser pointer and circled the word “discipline.” “What comes to mind when you read this word?” Answers came from around the room. “Good behavior.” “Rules.” “Doing what's right.” “Making campers obey,” Tracy suggested. Tom thought that was a pretty good one.

Discipline effectively Frank nodded at each person who commented. “Good—those are all related points. But did you know that the English word discipline is related to the word disciple? “And here's another thing: When the Bible uses the word discipline, like in Hebrews 12 about God's chastening, it's really a Greek word that means something like 'child training.' “So, discipline is more than just punishing a camper for bad behavior. It's intentional training.”

Discipline effectively Tom jotted down several notes as they appeared on Frank's slide.  Give simple, clear directions. This lets campers know what you expect as you move from one activity to the next.  Be aware. Sound and motion should always get your attention.  When needed, be responsive, Act with both firmness and self-control. Explain what you want done, but don't threaten or whine—you're still the counselor!  Everything matters! Where do you sit at meals? Where do you sit during meetings? Be able to reach and respond as needed. Write your own notes from Frank's points here.

Discipline effectively “Memorize this phrase” said Frank. “Never ignore inappropriate behavior. Come on, say it with me...” “Never ignore inappropriate behavior,” the staff intoned. It sounded a little comical, but Frank looked serious. “If you ignore little problems, they will almost always develop into bigger problems. And please, please, please,” he continued, “follow through on what you say. If you ask campers to stop, go, or whatever, make sure it happens. Don't let them ignore you. You will soon become irrelevant!” Tom remembered being in some cabin groups like that when he was a kid. Now that he was on staff, he was determined not to let that happen in his group. Add a couple of the ideas from this slide to your worksheet.

Teach clearly “The third section has to do with clear teaching.” Frank turned to hang a large blank sheet of paper on the wall. “Here are three big points.” Tom drew three arrows on his notebook page, then waited for the information. Frank started writing. “First, find the main point. What's the main thing you want campers to understand when you're done? Is your lesson about sin? Faith? Compassion? Once you have that in mind, make that your center. Everything should connect to that theme in some way. “Then, when you explain the Bible story, it's great to actually read some of the Bible verses. But it's deadly to read 20 or 25 verses without stopping! Read, but also explain. Make it clear.” Choose a few words from this section to add to your worksheet notes, as well.

Teach clearly Tracy nodded as she jotted those notes. But Frank's next comment puzzled her. “Good teaching is easy on the ears and on the eyes,” he was saying. He lowered his voice a bit. “You want to keep the attention of your listeners any way you can.” Frank was practically whispering now, and Tracy leaned forward to hear him. “How can you use your voice to keep people's attention?” He paused, then said with hushed drama, “You can start to get... VERY, VERY QUIET!” Frank shouted out the last three words, and Tracy's entire row jumped. The whole room laughed as they realized Frank's point. Write yourself a note about using your voice volume.

Teach clearly “See how both soft and loud voices add to your teaching?” Frank grinned. On his wall sheet, he wrote, “Use your voice to help your teaching.” “And by the way, a microphone just makes your voice even more flexible. Use one, even if you don't think you need it.” Tom raised his hand. “You said good teaching is easy on the eyes, too. What do you mean?” Frank nodded. “Right. I was coming to that. Teaching is not only vocal. It's visual, too. If you're teaching a group of campers, at some point you've got to give them something to look at for a while—whether it's a note page, a picture, an object you're going to hold up, a poster, a projector shot, a skit... something. It's why I put this sheet up on the wall.” Choose a few words from this section to add to your worksheet notes.

Teach clearly Tom realized Frank was writing that third point on the wall chart, and he hurried to catch up: Provide something visual. “You don't have to have a three-ring circus going on. We're not just going for entertainment,” Frank added. “But the visual aspect of your lesson is truly important, and you should always at least give it some thought.” “And remember: If your visual might cause a distraction later in your lesson, just move it out of the way or cover it up when you're done using it. The lesson always takes center stage—not the visual aid.” Write yourself a note about using visuals in your lesson.

Plan ahead “OK, just stand up and stretch real quick, then take a seat again,” Frank suggested. “You're doing a great job keeping up with me. Here's the fourth and last principle for this session.” Tracy found the fourth box on her note page and wrote out Frank's phrase: “Plan ahead.” Frank held up a picture of a brain. “See this? God gave you one, too, and all you have to do is use it for a few extra minutes before stuff happens at camp.” OK, Tom thought, I can see that Frank is following his own advice about using visual aids. But a brain picture? Really? Choose a few words from this section to add to your worksheet notes, as well.

Plan ahead Frank smiled across the room. “I'm really not trying to insult you. I know you know how to use your brains. But it's true that camp staff do need to develop the habit of thinking ahead. Here's what I mean: ● “Check the daily schedule. Is there time for each event? Have you built in time for getting from one activity to another? Will every group of campers know where they're supposed to go? ● “Watch for trouble spots. For example, transitioning from one activity to another is a common source of trouble. It's unstructured, so campers can stir up a little strife in no time. You might think the campers are just heading to the dining room or down to the pool, but you can suddenly have World War III on your hands.” Add a few notes about planning ahead.

Plan ahead ● “Anticipate the little things. It's so easy for an overtime meeting to affect lunch time, which affects swim time, which delays crafts. These snags can unravel a camp program.” Frank powered down the projector and put the laser pointer on the podium. “There will always be delays, unanticipated interruptions, that sort of thing. You just want to minimize the snags you can control, and that makes the uncontrollable ones a lot easier to handle.” Choose a few thoughts from this section to add to your worksheet.

Back to the staff room “Now, I gave you a lot to chew on! See how it goes as you fill out the worksheet,” Frank directed. Chairs scraped the floor as Tom, Tracy, and the rest of the staff headed for their small groups once again.

Your own thoughts Work through this part yourself. In each section of your worksheet, you should have one of these themes: ● Understand the campers ● Discipline effectively ● Teach clearly ● Plan ahead Review the slides and your notes. Are there any patterns you notice for all four sections?

Your own thoughts: Leading with diligence? Consider this Leadership Verse: Romans 12:6, 8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them... he who leads, with diligence. What points from this verse touch on the concepts of counseling and teaching from this session?

Congratulations! You've completed Module 2. Review your worksheet, and then close this training file when you're ready. Next you'll rejoin Tom and Tracy as they cover Module 3: “Leading a Camper to Christ”