My Personal Action Plan

This is actually an assignment for a final due today, May 3rd.

Ever since 2011 when I became a camp counselor, I have loved working with kids especially in relation to team building facilitation. I have practiced the skills I was trained to do in my first ropes facilitation workshop through many leadership roles at Camp Johnsonburg. I have helped lead a team building workshop in the fall of 2012 and constantly look for more ways to use my skills and to practice them so one day I might become a "master" leader. In the summer of 2012 I had a Ropes Director, Vinnie Westphal, who was an excellent leader and mentor to me. He is an exemplary example of what I would like to become as a ropes facilitation. He and I have similar characteristic in facilitation such as being a good listener, staying focuses, giving good directions, having an interest in what is going on, and competency. In regards to competency however, he has much more knowledge then I do. Skills and qualities that he has that I lack are having superb encouraging and motivational skills, making sure everyone knows his or her responsibilities, giving adequate feedback, and connecting with participants past the "I'm the facilitator you are the participant" level.  Even as I assess my skills and knowledge now, I still recognize I have a long road a head of me in become the facilitation I admire to be.

I have brainstormed several different ways in which I could gain and practice my skills for the future so I might grow in my experiences. The first of these is continuing with the Johnsonburg Presbyterian Camp and Conference Center as a facilitator. This place gives me the practice I need to continue growing and using the experiences I will gain from other places such as the Essentials of Challenge Course Technology class at GMC. Secondly, I would like to constantly expand my knowledge on the subject by completing a Level 1 certification through High5! once I have the funds to do so. Another way I will gain new ideas to facilitate is to read materials from people who do this for a living like Jim Cain. Seeing and going to one of his workshops at the American Camp Association was very beneficial by not only learning new activities I might be able to use, but also by examining the way he talked to the group and facilitated us during the workshop. Lastly, I would like to practice giving feedback to my peers so that one day where I am in a high leadership position, such as the Ropes director at my camp, I will be able to do it with as much grace, reflection, and help as Vinnie did in 2012.