Education students sharpen skills by learning on-the-job with STEAM Camp
Daily planning, execution of lessons, and interactions with students cited as invaluable
Education students sharpen skills by learning on-the-job with STEAM Camp
Daily planning, execution of lessons, and interactions with students cited as invaluable
When Music Education major Kimberly Sites learned of an opportunity to become a STEAM Camp counselor for the summer, she knew it was a job she didn’t want to pass up.
As a future educator, she wanted as many chances as possible to practice her classroom skills. She knew the experience of working with real students on a daily basis would help her develop the lesson-planning, creative, and interpersonal skills she needed to be successful in her eventual career.
“I felt this position would push me out of my comfort zone,” Sites said. “It was a way to help me become more well-rounded as an educator.”
Sites noted there are a set of skills that are important in teaching no matter what unique academic focus you choose.
“The camp experience helped me gain more skills in classroom management, effective communication, conflict resolution, time management, adaptability, and active listening. These are all crucial as an educator.”
Camp workday offers glimpse into education profession
STEAM summer camp provides kids in second through eighth grade with hands-on activities to learn more about science, technology, engineering, arts, and math at Miami’s Regional campuses. Counselors work with groups of students each day during June and July in weekly, theme-centered sessions. The camp day is similar to the school day, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Counselors must teach lessons and lead and motivate students effectively throughout the day in a very real educational setting.
Izabella Gorczyk, a third-year Inclusive Education major, said the camp gave her the perfect opportunity to build her classroom skills before she started student teaching, which for many new teachers is their first introduction to a classroom.
“Working at STEAM, I really hoped I would learn some skills for teaching early on, instead of waiting until I student teach my senior year,” she said. “It gave me the chance to learn behavior management strategies and how to take a lesson plan and be creative to turn it into a fun workshop for the campers. These will be really good skills to have when I start teaching.”
STEAM Program Coordinator Leeanne Courtney said a summer camp is a great environment for developing many of the problem-solving and communication skills all future professions value because, with lots of moving pieces, things can change quickly for counselors each day.
“Unpredictability is inherent in working with children,” she said. “This means counselors must rely on each other and act decisively.”
Camp counselors must also be adaptable, another highly desired skill in the professional world.
“Working with children, especially with those from a diverse variety of backgrounds and experiences like we do at STEAM Studio, develops compassionate and emotionally intelligent leaders,” she added. “Regardless of the counselor's intended career path, the ability to work positively with others who may or may not share your life experience is a powerful tool and a difficult one to develop.”
Counselors are immersed in the day-to-day workings of the camp and invested in how engaged their campers are in their lessons and activities. It can be a transformative experience due to this high level of interaction.
Christine Gorczyk, Izabella’s mother, said she noticed a change in her daughter after the experience.
“Bella's growth has been noticeable because she has progressed from being a counselor her first year to serving as a team lead for the past two years,” Christine said. “That progression has really shown me how much responsibility and confidence she has developed.”
In addition, she said her daughter has tangible takeaways from her experience for the future.
“She came away with lesson plans, activities, and educational materials she can use as she continues her education career,” she said. “That is one of the things I value most about the program. She is building a collection of educational resources and teaching strategies she can carry into her future classroom.”
Although Izabella is still a year or two away from becoming a full-time teacher, she said she feels prepared for her next steps in the professional world due to her time at Miami.
“I feel like Miami prioritizes getting their students the experiences they need early on so that they are ready for life after college,” she said. “STEAM is one of the reasons I feel ready for teaching. Because I feel that it has given me so much experience in a classroom setting with real students.”