Wednesday @ WeHaKee: No Lazy Campers at WeHaKee!
“I’ve actually never met a lazy student.
Bored? Yep. Disengaged? Yep. Unmotivated
by irrelevant academic hoops? Yep. But lazy? No.”
Shelley Wright, Educator, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
In our last Wednesday @ WeHaKee post, we discussed the negative tone of some teacher comments and the direct impact these characterizations can have on students, even when they don’t hear the negative statements. Ms. Wright’s concerns are on the same page and echo the vigilance needed to look beyond the surface behaviors when dealing with children and youth.
When one takes a closer look at the typical students commonly found in alternate learning centers – those centers that generally serve as a ‘last chance’ for students who experience low success in the more traditional classroom setting – it becomes clear early on that these students are often quite intelligent individuals. They are not failing due to a lack of ability, rather a lack of interest and engagement. They are bored!
Again, there are many exceptional educators out there who are successfully working against the current and finding ways to engage and excite their students. But it is much more challenging to take this path as a teacher than it is to simply blame the student for not learning. For those teachers who choose to label their students lazy, perhaps it is them who actually are unwilling and unmotivated?!?
“We need to create an environment
that engages learners, fosters creativity,
and puts responsibility for learning
where it belongs – with our students.”
Shelley Wright
Moving from the classroom to the outdoor summer camp experience such as WeHaKee, it is virtually impossible to observe a lazy camper. There is so much to do among so many amazing people – counselors, activity leaders and other campers – that laziness is simply not an option. But examining the camp environment even closer, one will see that the camp experience nurtures a consistent atmosphere of engagement, motivation and interest. Learning is so much fun, particularly when one doesn’t know it’s happening!
We have said it before, there is a lot schools could learn from camps including today’s lesson – there are no lazy kids! Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your week everyone!
