Blog summary #2

Before writing this summary, I have revised my blog posts to find evidence if I have leisure educated someone based on what I have written and it seems there isn't too much to relate to as how to become a leisure educator. In order to be a leisure educator and a successful one,I feel, it is essential to be somewhat fully educated about yourself and your own leisure. Writing this blog made me appreciate leisure, made me aware of what i like and dislike and to a certain extent reinforce my self-identity in relation to leisure,and finally, point out more freely my intentions and goals towards leisure. I learnt about my time constraints, hobbies, social interaction, etc.. By learning this from my own experience,from books and a leisure educator himself, I believe the concept of becoming leisure educator is coming through. Therefore, the information in my blog relates indirectly on how to become a leisure educator.
Now,have I ever leisure educated someone? I will say: yes.
I have worked for approximately 4 years as a leisure animator\musicotherapist in a CHSLD for the elderly. Part of the job was to follow an assigned recreation curriculum and create new programs if I felt that already existing programs were not adequate enough and the participatory level was low.
The hardest part of the job was to increase the participation level in organized activities. When it came to a passive activity, there was a high level of participants such as watching a movie or playing bingo but when movement was required such as playing games and some form of sport, the level would decrease.The residents would seldom voluntarily participate. Everyday, you had to get them and promote the activity and sometimes explaining the benefits of the activity. As a leisure educator, you have to increase leisure participation and that's what I had to do taking into consideration their mental and physical constraints,etc. Boredom was the hardest aspect to overcome. When you had an hour to entertain them, you had no choice but to switch over activities, approach, tone of voice....if not they would fall asleep or leave.
I feel that to a certain level; I have leisure educated the elderly there unconsiously as I made them try new things, spoke with them about what they enjoy and work around that, made them aware of their physical constraints for them to enjoy certain activities they didn't know they could before, etc.