3 Down, 1 to Go

I've now completed 3 of the 4 trips slated for this summer: Olympic Peninsual w/ Ben, Spokane for the Biotechnology Workshop, and Daroga State Park for SMT Safari.

I haven't given much of an update on the workshop. The quick and dirty is that it was good, I learned alot and had some great time to reflect on my teaching and network with other fabulous teachers. Now the challenge will be to integrate what I've learned in a practical way into my classroom. That's the hard part.

SMT Safari was amazing. The team was probably near the best team I've ever been a part of. There was no complaining the entire trip! The attitude of the students was outstanding and they were always willing to work. Granted, they weren't perfect, but who is, really, right? The trip was great. The staff I worked with was amazingly supportive and I couldn't have done it without them. Matt O'Brien did a fabulous job teaching and balancing my anal-retentive tendencies. : )

While in many ways I'm still processing what happened on the trip, it did confirm one thing for me: I don't really want to be in charge. I much prefer supporting someone else who's in charge than actually being the guy in charge. God definatly showed me that I can lead with His help, but that doesn't change that its not my first choice. If God again asks me to do something like that, I will, but its more an act of obedience than of desire, which sometimes God requires.

I also realize that I didn't do a good job of taking care of me on the trip (I know you're all shocked about that). (Side Note: this post is serving as my processing of the trip, so I'm sorry if it seems a bit dis-jointed) I felt an incredible responsibility to the team and even though I was tired much of the trip, I didn't take any direct down time for myself, really. There were a few times when I was just chatting w/ students, but that's part of my job description, and when I stayed in the same place for a while I did start to feel like I should be doing other things. I wonder if I would have done better the last few days frustration-wise if I had taken the time during the day to nap or read or something. Ah well, live and learn.

I also really felt alot of parallels between this camp and my first year of teaching, in that there are lots of things I would do differently if I were to lead the trip again. Thankfully, however, I'm not beating myself up about those things. Instead, I'm drawing from my teaching experience and writing them down, knowing fully that I did my best and that I can't do it all right the first time.

Like I said, the trip overall was fabulous. There were little things I would have liked to have gone differently, but they are just that: little things. It was clear that God wanted me to be a part of the trip and have a leadership role. Though I don't fully know why, I do know that I was doing what God wanted me to be doing, and that's enough.

Tonight I pack for the last camp of the summer, JH Ranch. We leave uber early Sunday morning and are gone until about 10pm the following Saturday night. It'll be great to have less responsibility and just be a staffer again. : ) Then, the following week I'll be doing training for school again, so this last camp is really my last hurrah of the summer. Then its back to the "real world" whatever that is!