The Outpost

The Outpost - Rediscovering the Circle of Courage: A First Year Teacher's Journey

Completing my first year as a teacher was one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. Between learning a new environment, new coworkers, balancing a full schedule, and putting into practice everything I learned about being a teacher, the first year of teaching was a whirlwind. However, I noticed that when I leaned on the bedrock of the Circle of Courage, I created an environment that pushed students to unimaginable success. 

This personal reflection and discovery led me to rethink the lessons I was giving and, more importantly, the assessments I was using. As a 6th-grade world history teacher in a low-income school district, I realized my students did not need traditional tests and assessments; they needed ways to demonstrate their learning that relied on the Circle of Courage and aspects of camp, such as creativity, critical thinking, independence, and personal mastery. If I could change my classroom—specifically my assessments—to unlock the power of camp in my classroom, then my students would flourish and leave my class with the tools and courage to succeed in the future. 

Rethinking Assessment

After the first few assessments of the school year, I quickly realized something had to change. Multiple-choice tests and short-answer writing questions were revealing critical data. First and foremost, students lacked the attention span or mental fortitude to present their knowledge in this format. Students who had clearly shown mastery of the content did not perform at their ability level, and when I debriefed with them, they clearly demonstrated knowledge. However, they also remarked that they had “lost focus,” were “bored,” or “just started circling answers” when completing assessments. These answers astounded me and prompted me to rethink how I was assessing students. 

Another piece of data I found was that these assessments were clearly not designed for all learners involved. My classes were full of students with IEPs, 504s, EL Learners, and students from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds. My outdated assessments weren't measuring students’ aptitude for world history; they were assessing whether they could read and answer the test questions. Once again, when I talked with students, they could answer content questions, but their performance on the assessment did not represent their knowledge. 

These realizations and reflections lead me to think back to the power of camp from my own childhood. In particular, a camp-wide relay race with many stages and challenges. A type of event that relied on creating a camp community and enabling individual performances. Some campers volunteered to climb the rock wall, while others had to chug soda as fast as they could, but my portion of the relay was a sprint around the lake. I remember the feeling of contributing to my team while showcasing a talent that I was proud of and passionate about. In that moment, I did not care that I was exhausted and would be cramping the rest of the day; all I cared about was the achievement I was part of.  

Utilizing this memory, I reworked my classroom with Project-Based Assessments. I needed to bring the emotions and methods of camp I had experienced back to the classroom. To do this, I needed to assess my students through methods that gave them autonomy and practical skills. Instead of traditional tests, I created a wide variety of assessments from poster projects and slide show presentations to TikTok videos where students were able to demonstrate their knowledge in ways that made sense to them, instead of outdated and ill-suited assessments of the past. Project-Based Assessments became the conduit through which my students engaged with camp in the classroom. 

Project-Based Belonging

The first step in creating new assessment strategies was addressing the issue that all students needed to be able to present their knowledge in their own way. No more hurdles that would advantage some students over others. So, the first project I had the students complete was an Ancient Egypt Poster Project. I gave each student a piece of poster paper and required them to use words and images to represent their topic. The immediate difference in output from the other assessments was astonishing. Students who had been shy in class were asking questions and pushing the boundaries of how creative their posters could be. Other students who struggled with reading and writing used computers for spell check and talk-to-type functions. But the most beautiful part was that the community started to grow. Instead of group animosity and test anxiety, students were engaging with each other’s projects, suggesting ideas, and borrowing creative choices. Afterwards, I hung the posters on the wall, and students huddled around to talk and marvel at each other’s work. Instead of a forgettable test, there was a constant reminder of a shared experience and an assessment that created a community. 

Project-Based Independence

Another main hurdle I wanted to avoid by implementing Project-Based Assessment was student engagement and investment. For this, there was a clear and easy solution. Each time I introduced a new project, the students got to choose their topic. I created a list of topics for each project where students could select a topic they were passionate about. The most fruitful example of this was a Greek Mythology slideshow presentation. Students chose any character from Greek Mythology to research and create a new myth about. This topic selection process had students researching and reading myths about Greek characters from Hercules to Cerberus, the three-headed dog. When students were able to pick a topic that they were interested in, or better yet, able to relate to, the project was no longer about the minimum number of slides or amount of sources needed; it was about a student’s passion and desire to learn about something they care about. The project becomes their own, instead of something they must turn in just to get a grade. 

Project-Based Generosity

One thing you learn about students as a first-year teacher is that when you say the word ‘project,’ the first question you get asked is, “Can we work with partners?” While this question is a slippery slope, there were many times when completing projects as a team benefited my students. My favorite example of this was an Ancient India and China TikTok video, where students worked in groups of 2-3 to create educational TikTok-style videos. Allowing students to work in groups can lead to disaster at times; however, I noticed that instead of friends messing around, they were complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses on an assignment that felt more like something they do for fun than a summative assessment. Some students were better camera people, while others were the stars of the show. Some students relied on educational-style videos, while, of course, others used dance moves to talk about the Great Wall of China. When students are placed on a team for an assessment that challenges their creativity and ability to produce a product rather than answer multiple-choice questions, they can come together and share their gifts. 

Project-Based Mastery

The most beautiful thing about a year of project-based assessment was that when it came to the final weeks of the school year, and students were challenged with a final project, every student already knew what it would take. The growth throughout the year had prepared them and had addressed the issues I noticed with my very first assessments. No longer did students lack the mental fortitude or drive to complete an assessment; instead, they went above and beyond the expectations. In the last few weeks of school, when other classes had movie time, my students were creating Modern World History projects. They were able to choose from any project type from the entire year, which led to incredible videos, beautiful tri-fold posterboards, and slide show presentations fit for high school audiences. When the students were given a year of practice and new challenges, instead of giving up or giving in as they did with their first assessment, they rose above and beyond, mastering the ability to research and present information in interesting and creative ways. 

Rethinking my assessments with the power of camp changed the atmosphere and potential in my classroom. Project-Based Assessments were critical in challenging student growth and accomplishment. Through the assessments, students learned with their passions and creativity, as well as mastering new skills and developing personal autonomy. By reintroducing the power of camp to my classroom, students flourished and achieved more than imaginable. 

Connor Bulgrin is a passionate teacher and coach who acts as a positive role model in both his professional and personal life. 

Connor recently completed his first year as a teacher after graduating from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He taught 6th-grade world history at Colleton County Middle School in Walterboro, South Carolina. Last year, he relocated to South Carolina from Gretna, Nebraska, after becoming a Teach For America corps member. Connor loves experiencing new places and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. 

Through teaching and coaching, Connor builds deep relationships with students to prioritize essential school and life skills in the classroom. He is focused on the success and well-being of students as well as the value of education in modern society. 

The Outpost - Why Camp Works: A Camp Professional’s View of the Circle of Courage

I’ve worked in professional summer camping long enough to hear the phrase, “It’s just camp.” 

And every time that I do, I smile, because I know what's actually happening - in our cabins, dining halls, on our athletic fields, climbing walls, and campfires. I can tell you that it looks a whole lot like an educational environment at its very best than what most people may think. 

At the heart of how I understand this work is the Circle of Courage, a youth development framework developed by Larry Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern. The Circle of Courage is built on four universal needs for young people to thrive: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, and Generosity. 

As a camp professional, I believe that this framework doesn’t just support what we do at camp. It explains the why behind what makes camp work, especially when we think about camp as a powerful partner in the education space. 

Camp is belonging, before it is anything else. 

In the school setting, students often earn their place through performance, behavior, or academic success. At camp, belonging comes first. 

On Sunday afternoon, when campers arrive at camp - nervous, excited, and unsure - our staff already knows their name and some basic background. Cabin groups form quickly and inside jokes are born by dinner. And by bedtime, many kids feel something that might have been missing all year: the feeling of “I belong here”.

Belonging isn’t a soft outcome. It's the soil in which we plant the seeds of what we hope to grow within our campers. Seeds of character rooted in our camp's values: caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility. 

When kids feel emotionally safe, they are more likely to try, take risks, fail, and grow. From the educational lens, it's the same truths seen in research on engagement, motivation, and resilience. 

At camp, we intentionally build that sense of community through shared meals, cabin devotions, group challenges, and play. Education rarely gets the luxury of beginning with the relationship, we do and we insist on it. 

Camp teaches mastery without the pressure of grades

One of the most beautiful things about camp is how naturally mastery unfolds.

A camper who couldn’t get the courage to climb the wall on Monday is ringing the bell at the top by Thursday. A camper who is missing home and who had barely spoken to anyone on day one is leading a cabin skit by the end of the week. A struggling student in school finds success and suddenly is an expert in archery, commanding a horse on the trail, or in navigating waterways on a float trip. In traditional educational settings success is often tied to comparison and evaluation. At camp mastery is personal.

Young people need repeated opportunities to experience competence. Camp offers short, intense, high-impact learning cycles: try, fail, coach, try again. This mirrors some of the most effective instructional models used in the classroom today. The difference is that the emotional weight is lighter and the encouragement is often louder - much louder.

Camp Builds Independence through trusted risk

One of my favorite moments every week is watching a camper realize they can do something without an adult stepping in. 

Finding their way to the next activity. Speaking up during cabin time. Trying a new role on a team. Making hard choices when no one is watching.

Camp is structured freedom.

We don't remove boundaries or compromise on safety, but within them, kids are invited to lead themselves. In this independence, our campers develop a healthy sense of personal responsibility and self-direction. 

From an education standpoint, this is the heart of life-long learning. Students who believe they can solve problems, adapt, and advocate for themselves are far more prepared for the complexity of the world beyond the walls of a classroom.

At camp, independence grows naturally because kids are trusted with real responsibility. Small, age-appropriate, and meaningful responsibility.  

Camp forms generosity, not just good behavior

Generosity is where camp quietly becomes one of the most powerful character education environments that I know.

Generosity shows up when a camper sits with a kid that's eating alone. When a cabin cheers for the slowest runner. When someone gives up the front seat in the canoe or the best bunk in the cabin, likely a top bunk. It’s where the whole camp can get excited about the camp staff retrieving a frisbee perpetually stuck on top of cabin 9’s roof. We call it “camp magic”, but what it actually is intentional moments of generosity. 

We don't script these moments, we create a culture where they matter.

In my context as a camp professional in a Christian values organization, generosity goes even deeper. We talk about serving one another, loving our neighbors, and reflecting the character of Jesus in the small and ordinary choices of our day. Camp gives kids daily opportunities to put into practice all of these principles through action.

School often teaches what is right, Camp gives students repeated chances to do what is right.

What is the real intersection?

When I step back, I don't see summer camp and education as separate worlds. I see camp as a living laboratory for what education hopes to become. 

The Circle of Courage puts words to what many of us in the camp sphere have witnessed for years:

Belonging fuels engagement. Mastery builds confidence. Independence develops leadership. Generosity shapes community. 

Camp compresses all of that into a single week.

I’ll never claim that camp can replace school, but I do believe that camp fills something that schools can never hold alone- space for relationships, identity, courage, and the joy to grow alongside learning. 

And if we are serious about forming young people who are not only knowledgeable but resilient, compassionate and well-grounded, then the intersection of summer camp, education, and the Circle of Courage isn't optional.

Sean Gundersen is a mission-driven camp professional who loves helping people connect, grow, and experience the life-changing magic of camp.

Sean has led diverse camp and retreat programs across Iowa, Nebraska, and Indiana with the YMCA, 4-H, and faith-based organizations. His work has focused on strengthening program quality, creating welcoming environments, and supporting the teams who make camp possible. He is most energized by seeing campers try something new, watching staff step confidently into leadership, and helping families feel connected to camp life.

Sean believes camp is for everyone, a place where confidence grows, friendships form, and communities become stronger. He is excited to continue expanding meaningful programs, nurturing positive staff culture, and helping camp feel like a second home.