Back from Sarimbun!
I miss my kids already.
I've learnt so much from them, but there's too little time for me to tell them what. Wish i had more time to debrief and talk to them. Sigh.
Right from the beginning i wasn't expecting much from them. Expected fighting and arguments and lots of trouble. But they managed to control themselves and even backed off before the arguments turned into fighting. Was never expecting this level of self-control and mature thinking, so i was really happy to see that they managed their situations maturely.
Altogether, 3 arguments almost broke out into fights - the guys had to help restrain their classmates. Thank goodness for fellow classmates who spare a thought for you and help you think straight when you're not.
As a side note, I've never ever met a group of kids who enjoyed human entanglement as much as they did. They played it 3 times altogether spontaneously. Crazy funny kids. I enjoyed watching them as much as they enjoyed themselves playing (: Thiv and I laughed till our stomachs ached.
I'm grateful to them for being so pro-active and helping out whenever i needed it. Although they do dawdle, at the end of the day, they still get things done efficiently. The best group title is well-earned. (: Also, despite having to wait and watch during some mass activities, they NEVER wandered off and would always sit nearby to observe and learn. I was really pleasantly surprised that i didn't have to chase after lost or bored sheep.
They worked well together as a team, communicating well and functioning as a single entity. I was really happy with how they handled the mass activities. There was no assigned leader in the group, but the kids somehow managed to get by by listening to each other. It's something I have rarely seen before. If there was one way I could put it across, I would say they are selfless. They think for the group rather than think of only themselves. This is something they could definitely be proud of as a class.
Even as other groups faltered and failed to work together during performance prep, this class never did. Although many didn't want to dance, they still practiced and worked hard together during the choreographing of the dance and even gave feedback or added new steps in. Not one of them complained about practicing for performance prep. This attitude is definitely much better than many of the academically stronger schools out there, and something for them to be proud of.
I don't regret taking up outdoor camps despite the lousy pay. After this camp, I really believe I can learn things from the kids that i'd never be able to learn in an internship or in other jobs. They have made me reflect on how I tend to stereotype and generalize them, and how I am completely and utterly wrong. I probably learnt more from them than they from me.
I hope these kids really did take something away from the camp (other than the dirt and sand). I believe they have a bright future ahead of them, and i hope and pray hard that these kids will do well in life. I quote Thiv "QE1101B FTW!" (:
Stay strong (: