LISTEN

Below is a poem we felt was appropriate to share and reflect on in during the process of better supporting and understanding the kids we interact with.  

(Author is anonymous)

When I ask you to listen to me

and you start giving advice, 

you have not done what I asked.

When I ask you to listen to me

and you begin to tell me why I shouldn't feel that way,

you are trampling on my feelings.

When I ask you to listen to me

and you feel you have to do something to solve my problem,

you have failed me, strange as that may seem.

Listen! All I asked, was that you listen.

not to talk or do - just hear me.

When you accept as a simple fact that I do feel what I feel, 

no mater how irrational, then I can quit trying to convince you 

and get about the business of understanding

what's behind this feeling.

And when that's clear, the answers are obvious and I don't need advice.

Feelings make sense when we understand what's behind them.

So, please, listen and just hear me. And if you want to talk, 

wait a minute for your turn and I'll listen to you. 

Employment and Emotional Intelligence

This can be found in the "By the Numbers" section of November 2011 edition of Counseling Today:

Emotional intelligence is a general assessment of a person's abilities to control emotions; to sense, understand and react to otherss' emotions; and to manage relationships.  With the post-recession economy forcing many companies to operate with smaller staffs and higher stress levels, these intangible qualities appear to be gaining favor with employers.

Between May 19 and June 8, Harris Interactive conducted an online survay of CareerBuilder of 2662 nongovernmental hiring managers and human resource professionals in the United States.  Among the findings the survey revealed:

• 34% of hiring managers said they are placing greater emphasis on emotional intelligence when hiring and promoting on employees post-recession
• 71% said they value emotional intelligence in an employee more than the employee IQ
• 59% of employers said they would not hire someone who possesses a high IQ but a low emotional intelligence
• 75% of employers are more likely to promote workers with high emotional intelligence over candidates with high IQ's

When asked why emotional intelligence is more important than high IQ, employers said employees with high emotional intelligence:

• Are more likely to stay calm under pressure
• Know how to resolve conflict effectively
• Are empathetic to their team members and react accordingly
• Lead by example
• Tend to make more thoughtful business decisions

Laser Tag

During PE we have been practicing for laser tag for a few weeks by playing adapted versions of capture the flag.  Team work, team think, and team communication are crucial elements for success in both capture the flag and laser tag, and we used the high motivation for laser tag as an opportunity to work on some these skills.

During the preparations, the guys learned many good strategies, became better team mates, and expressed a lot of excitement about the laser tag opportunity.

On the day of, we received some instructions on how to use the equipment, and were divided into two teams before eventually let loose.  There were several fierce battles including some very good hiding, some precision shooting, and some excellent team work.  The last and best battle occurred when the students were placed on one team and the staff were on the other.  The student defensive strategy took out the staff who decided to attack from various angles.  Staff hope for an opportunity to get revenge next week.

This ended up being one of the best Thursday outings ever...  

... only to be topped by next week as we get to play laser tag AND ride the triple zip line!!!

Water Slide

The water slide is on of the most thrilling activities of summer camp.  Here are some examples of how our campers (and staff) have enjoyed the ride.

Mud Bath

How to get a mud bath at Learning on the Log

1)   Lay down in a muddy area

2)   Ask counselors to spread mud over you

(two counselors will enhance the experience)

3)   Make sure it goes everywhere

4)   Smile

5)   Give hugs if happy

Summer Camp Count Down

There are 

25 Day's 

until Summer Camp 2011!!!

Team Building Activity

The staff at Learning on the Log are infamous for making a great team-building game out of nothing.  Here is an example of how:

Find a log in the woods, and provide some rope...

Ask the group to use all the rope, everyone must participate, and carry the log from point A to point B.  In this case the group was asked to carry the log up a steep stair way...

Have a follow up discussion after the activity is completed.  This is the most rewarding and fruitful part of the whole team-building game.