Before I made the last minute decision to step-in as a counselor for 6th-grade camp, I didn’t really think about young 6th graders really was. But by the time I realized I was in way too deep. Putting a group of 12 young middle schoolers together with minimum supervision is hectic but the experience that the counselors make of it will stick in their minds as one of their favorite middle school memories.

Even though I have experience babysitting kids that don’t listen and choose to do what they want, nothing could prepare me for the craziness that is outdoor school. While I liked to spend my time focusing on the negatives, I found that throughout my experience it was important to focus on the positives.

One of the positives I found was that the activities like zip lining, horseback riding, and tie-dying really got the girls excited about participating when they put away the whole ‘too cool for school’ act away. Something I learned was that beads were my best friend because nothing will make an energetic 6th grader do what they’re supposed to like a nice bribe.

Overall, being a 6th-grade camp counselor was a great experience that helped me to learn some responsibility and how to work better with children. It’s an experience that I wouldn’t go through again but I’m so glad I tried it.