my week as a cabin instructor.

i spent this week working as a cabin instructor. my duties were similar to being a summer camp counselor. i met my group of 9 girls on monday evening, helped them move their luggage to our cozy cabin on the far side of the camp, got through dinner and then spent the evening getting settled in.

throughout the week, i taught evening classes in nocturnal animals, astronomy and a multi-part community building class called tribes. the classes went pretty well. there were some issues at first with tribes because some of the girls were friends from school and some weren't. i had to stress quite a bit that it didn't matter whether the girls are friends, we were all in a cabin together this week and we would make the most of it.

all in all, the week was great. there's a plague (nasty cold) going around the staff, so i wasn't feeling the greatest...however, i made it through! the shift schedule was a little funny. i worked evenings leading classes and spending the night in the cabin with the girls (no major issues!). i then got them through breakfast and showers and preparing to be out in the field all day. i had the afternoons off, but most of those i spent observing other staff members' classes for improving both my teaching and theirs (we constantly do evaluations of each other here. it's kind of great).

i enjoyed the change of pace, but it'll be fun to be in the field again this week. so, some may know of my clumsiness, but i'm keeping tabs of my small injuries so far...

• slicing my finger when constructing my bow drill (i'm just not going to have feeling in that little sliced area now)
• losing a chunk of my big toenail while walking to the bathroom at 5am (it's fine)
• getting my hand stuck between a vacuum cleaner handle and bunk bed (just a bruise)
• scraping off the top of my other big toe on the refrigerator (flesh wound, no big deal)