Why establish ground rules? Here is the thing, I say it’s better to be safe than sorry. It’s always better for students to know what is expected of them before any problems should incur. Ground rules set a precedent and clear understanding of what you expect from students when they are with you for their camp or group activity session.
Who? You may not have behavior issues with your older students but you may have issues with them whipping out their cell phone every second that they can. Set ground rules that are appropriate to the ages your students in your camp session are.
When? Establish rules the very first day of your camp session. For some classes, they may need little reminders at the beginning of each time you meet with them.
How can you establish ground rules? First it’s a good idea to reflect on what is important to you and base it on those things. You can even have students help you with the rules, but remember…
KISS– Keep It Simple Silly. Students are not going to sit there and memorize all these rules. So keep it short and simple. This is especially important if you are asking students to give feedback on rules. They are very good at coming up with lots and lots! 😉
I like to use the “Give Me 5” Rules for camp. You are welcome to download them for free below! Enjoy!
If you are looking for further help on summer camps, I have an online course, Make More, Teach Less; A Comprehensive Guide to Running a Music Camp available. This is a recorded course done on your own time. If you prefer to work one on one, I look forward to scheduling a mentoring session. Just fill out the form below.
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