Artifact Title: Camp Quality Counselor

Date: August, 2009 and August, 2010

Artifact Description:
This artifact contains pictures of me interacting with children while volunteering during
August of 2009, and August, 2010. The camp is for children ages five through eighteen
with a life threatening illnesses, usually cancerous. The Counselors are usually nurses,
or former campers, so that the counselors can more easily relate to the campers. Each
counselor is paired off with one camper because each camper requires much individual
attention. I was partnered with a fourteen year old and was requested by that child to be
assigned to her the following year. Even though each counselor is assigned one child,
everyone interacts with each other. The camp runs twenty-four hours a day for seven
days. The children stay overnight in cabins at the camp site. These students differ in
social skills and physical abilities. The goal was for the counselors to find ways for them
to enjoy living life, give hope for survival and interact with other children. Working with
these children helped me to learn to encourage children and help them to work together
to overcome diversity. This opportunity has also given me the experience of working
and collaborating with other counselors and building relationships with the parents as
well.
Wisconsin Teacher Standard Alignment:
This experience best aligns with Standard 5: Learning Environment-The teacher uses
an understanding of the individual and group motivation and behavior to create a
learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in
learning, and self-motivation.
This artifact best aligns with standard five because I had to motivate campers to work
productively and cooperatively with other campers in complex social settings. This
artifact shows my understanding of how participation supports commitment, and is
committed to the expression and use of democratic values in daily activities. For
example, every morning I would always encourage my camper to participate in various
activities held throughout the day. This questioning motivated my camper to engage in
individual and cooperative learning activities that helped her develop motivation to
achieve by allowing my camper to have choices in her activities and pursue the things
engagements that interested her.
I am more confident in this standard because I demonstrated an understanding of the
individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that
encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and selfmotivation through volunteering at Camp Quality.

UW-Platteville Knowledge, Skill, Disposition Alignment:

This experience best aligns KSD2.a: Creates an Environment of Respect and RapportThe candidate demonstrates genuine care and respect for students while the students
exhibit respect for the teacher. The students also display genuine care and respect for
one another as individuals and as students, and are aware of cultural, social, intellectual
and physical variations among their peers.
This experience volunteering best aligns with this KSD because, as a camp counselor
who had been a previous camper, I understood some of the pain that the campers were
going through. I knew limits that could not be forced on the children. I would participate
with the campers in activities such as crafts, athletic activities, and shows. I was able to
help guide my camper and build trust and authority so that I could successfully create
respect and rapport.
I am more competent in this KSD because I had to create an environment of respect
and Rapport while volunteering at Camp Quality.
Secondary KSDs:
KSD2.d: Manages Student Behavior
KSD3.c: Engages Students in Learning
KSD2.b: Establishing a Culture for Learning
What I learned about teaching/learning from this experience:
From being a counselor and encouraging the campers, I have learned so many new
things about creating a learning environment and presenting opportunities to students
that they did not see was an option at first. I also got the chance to see how other
counselors interacted with their campers.
What I learned about myself as a prospective educator as a result of this
experience:
Throughout this experience, I have discovered that, as a teacher, I will be able to
successfully collaborate with my fellow co-workers and students to create an
environment that will help our students to be highly engaged and comfortable with the
learning process. I now know that I will be an active force in encouraging students to get
involved in my school and district to build a stronger community.