The Adventures of Pistol Paul and his Little White Pony.

Like any new role, being good at your job starts with learning some sort of script.  Four weeks in and I feel like I'm just getting a grasp on the fundamentals.  Each session is a bit of a performance.  Having good models to copy lets you get the flow going, and as your comfort level goes up you can start making those scripts suit your personality, picking and choosing based on the next group's vibe.

One of the first icebreaker type games we played was the alliteration name game.  It's pretty simple, and it can help you learn names quickly.  Playing this amongst instructors was an effective way to let a little personality shine through, and the nicknames even continue to work their magic as the weeks pass.

In our actual sessions, some of the kids have trouble picking out a name.  It's a pretty big deal to have a cool nickname.  Little do they know it doesn't really matter what they pick, as long as I, the instructor, remember it.  Kids love it when you know their names!  And if we have enough time in a session, I have the kids create a gesture to go with their name.  By the end we have a silly song and dance, and it's disarming for everybody to get a little movement going.  Body language isn't only an expression of what a person is feeling inside; it can create a feedback response in the other direction as well.  I especially enjoy seeing the more reserved kids come out of their shells with any game or activity.  By the end of the week it seems like a world of difference, and then they're off before you can even really comprehend the speed of things.

The weekly rotation is breaking ice, getting to know names, strengths, and weaknesses, and seeing the kids push themselves along.  And what they'll remember probably has nothing to do with me, and more about hanging out with friends, eating food, and having consecutive sleepovers.

So even if I screw up a little bit, they probably won't remember.  Or even notice all that much.

I've been getting more time to explore on the weekends, so I do something to help me decompress and do some thinking, listen to podcasts, etc.  On Saturday I hiked up to the ridgeline above Wainui and made my way over to Mount Bossu.  I couldn't actually reach the peak due to the thick vegetation, but it made for a nice five hour loop around the mountain.  Along the way I spotted some distant beaches with overnight trip potential, too.  It felt great to get out there and see what's around the bend, then to wrap up my day with some binge reading.  Not a bad way to spend a day off!

After a steady two hour ascent I could see into the neighboring valley.

Freshly sheered.  Eat, repeat.

Looking out to the ocean from a nice vantage point.

Cape Three Points tip-toes out into center stage.

Feed us, human.

Some unsual roadkill to be seen: Subsonic the Hedgehog.  Neither fast nor blue enough.