Our last full day at camp was Thursday. The day brought all of the week's learning together. The kids started off by attending "Conflict Resolution College" and learning the steps to solving problems. Mosaic has a creative way of looking at conflicts: It's not me against you, it's you and me, together, against the problem. The kids practiced the steps to conflict resolution:
1. Stop and take a breath
2. Talk using I statements
3. Listen
4. Empathize
5. Plan a solution
Once they completed all the courses in Conflict Resolution College the received their diplomas! The afternoon brought on the ultimate challenge. During "Peanut Butter Booger Fire Snot River" students were forced to use all the tools they had learned this week to problem solve. Our night was wrapped up with yummy burritos, a final campfire, and a candle lit solo walk. During the final campfire, students who began the week shy and timid were singing camp songs at the top of their lungs and dancing alongside their new found friends. While my students will leave camp as individuals, their path is now lighted by what they've learned in this place, beneath these trees, and amongst these friends. All the kids returned home happy, TIRED, and maybe a little bit dirty! They have learned so much and grown up a lot as well. The highlight of my week was having one of the cabin leaders tell me what one of my students said about me. The high school cabin leader came up to me and said,
"Your student speaks so highly of you. Her face lights up whenever she sees you and she says
'Ms. Graham is like an angel and she is so pretty when she wears her hair down. I love her so much.'
Then the high school student said, "I wish that when I was in school I had a teacher like you."
And that is why I am a teacher.
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