Hidden Curriculum vs. Uncertainty
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
So I got an email from my friend, the great Steve Purdum from Camp Mishawaka, after last week's Day 1 Training newsletter that basically broke my brain (in the good way).
If you haven’t read it, maybe go here first?
He asked: “Aren’t you contradicting yourself? You talk about embracing uncertainty, but then you’re also saying we should illuminate the Hidden Curriculum for staff. Which is it?”
First reaction: Crap. He might be right.
Second reaction: This is worth unpacking.
Here’s what I’m wrestling with, and maybe we can talk this out right here, right now.
I think focusing on Day 1 and illuminating the Hidden Curriculum are sorta the same thing.
On Day 1, we want to keep it simple, acknowledging we can’t possibly prepare you for everything, so let’s nail the basics and trust you’ll figure out the rest.
Plus, the highlighting Hidden Curriculum (all those unwritten rules and expectations that nobody tells you directly) is us saying, “Let me make the invisible visible so you’re not flying blind.”
So, how does Embracing Uncertainty fit in?
After some windshield time thinking about this (I was driving a ton last couple of weeks doing staff trainings all over), I’m realizing it all fits together.
Here’s what I mean:
The Open-World Training Approach
You know how the best video games handle onboarding? They don’t dump everything on you at once.
Take something like Zelda or Skyrim. You start with basic controls. Move, jump, interact with objects. Maybe fight a tiny slime that poses zero threat.
The game teaches you just enough to not completely fail in the first five minutes. But it DOESN’T explain every weapon, spell, strategy, or secret area before setting you loose.
Why? Because you’d be overwhelmed, bored, and you’d forget 90% of it anyway. Then it’s on to some other video game.
Camp staff training works the same way.
The Hidden Curriculum isn’t about giving staff a complete manual for every possible scenario. It’s about giving them the basic controls, the foundational knowledge they need to navigate Day 1 (and maybe Day 2) without panicking.
After that? Let them explore. Let them discover. Let them level up through actual experience.
The best game structures supports uncertainty. They make not knowing everything feel like part of the adventure, not a failure.
The Hidden Curriculum Goldilocks Zone
The goal isn’t to eliminate ALL uncertainty – that’s impossible and probably not even desirable. Camp is messy and unpredictable. Always will be. Always should be. That’s what makes camp the best.
The goal is to illuminate JUST ENOUGH of the Hidden Curriculum so that your staff:
Knows what “good enough” looks like
Understands their decision-making sandbox
Feels confident seeking help when needed
Recognizes when they are confused and has no problem asking
Think of it this way: Your staff need to know ENOUGH to not crash and burn on Day 1, but not SO MUCH that they’re paralyzed by information overload.
Even if we COULD provide all the answers ahead of time, most staff wouldn’t absorb them anyway. As Steve brilliantly pointed out, nobody needs information until the exact moment they need it.
Plus, let’s be real. Most staff spend at least half of training worrying if the other counselors like them. (Guilty as charged. I STILL do this at conferences and definitely will do this this summer.)
Those worries leave precious little brain bandwidth for memorizing contingency protocols for situations that may never happen.
We can reduce anxiety by acknowledging things will change, things will go wrong. It’s ok. When it’s too much, the first step is to always just call a supervisor. That covers soooooo many situations.
Once that’s covered, what goes in the “just right” category? What deserves precious staff training time?
The 3-Layer Training Framework
After wrestling with this question (and several more windshield queries), here’s what I’ve landed on:
Layer 1: Non-Negotiables The “must knows” for Day 1 survival:
Basic safety protocols (“If you’re worried, get the nurse”)
Daily schedule and transitions
Where everything is (bathroom, health center, office)
How to get help (“Radio front desk”)
Your camp’s core values (what we’re all about)
How to greet kids and parents
This is your controller tutorial. You can’t play the game without these basics.
Layer 2: Good-to-Knows Reference materials, not memorization requirements:
Detailed activity instructions
Emergency protocols beyond “get help”
Age-specific development info
Advanced behavior strategies
Special dietary/medical considerations
These live on laminated cards, in binders, on bulletin boards. Available when needed, but not crammed into brains during training.
Layer 3: Figure-It-Out-As-You-Go Experiential learnings that only make sense in context:
Reading camper moods and energy
Navigating cabin dynamics
Managing homesickness
Leading songs with confidence
Handling tough parent conversations
You can’t teach these in training sessions beyond ways to not epically screw them up. They require practice, failure, reflection, and trying again.
Say this out loud to your staff
You are going to do these figure-it-out things here is how you start then let’s talk more as you learn
Some Training Exercises That Might Actually Work?
Sandbox Mapping - Instead of telling staff what they can and can’t do, have them create the map together.
Give small groups different scenarios (“A camper refuses to participate in an activity”) and ask them to identify: What decisions can you make on your own? What requires asking someone? What’s an absolute no?
This builds ownership and understanding way better than reading a policy manual.
Info Archaeology - Turn discovering the hidden curriculum into a game. Send groups on missions around camp to uncover unwritten rules: “Find three things counselors do that no manual would ever mention.”
They might discover things like “Everyone helps set up for meals” or “We always check in with shy kids during free time.”
This makes the invisible visible while making staff active participants in the process.
Just-in-Time Knowledge Drops Schedule mini-training sessions throughout the summer, not just upfront. Right before the first swim session, teach water safety. Before the first field trip, cover transportation protocols.
Information delivered when it’s needed gets retained way better than information delivered “just in case.”
Teaching Them to Fish (Not Just Giving Them Fish)
When we focus on the meta-skill of discovering Hidden Curriculum, we’re not just preparing staff for YOUR camp. We’re helping them develop a life skill.
Think about it. Every workplace, every social group, every new environment has unwritten rules. By explicitly teaching staff how to identify and navigate these unwritten expectations, we’re building people who can adapt anywhere.
And I am realizing even as I write this that this all only works when the staff are bought.
With the extra time from slimming training down, I’m only thinking how can I get the staff more bought in?
We’re All Figuring It Out Together
Look, I’m still figuring this out too.
This summer, I’m stepping into a new camp role, and I’m nervous as hell.
Will I hit the right balance? Will I give staff too much info or not enough? Am I overthinking the whole hidden curriculum thing?
Maybe some yeses in there.
But Steve’s question has me thinking that it’s okay to hold seemingly contradictory ideas.
Kinda make it up as we go along, while also being intentional about what we choose to share upfront.
Maybe the Hidden Curriculum isn’t just for the staff. Maybe it’s for us directors too. The unwritten rules that say “You should have all the answers” or “Your training should be perfect” might be worth examining.
What I know I’m going to try: Being more honest with staff about what we do and don’t know. More transparent about why we prioritize certain training over others. More comfortable saying “we’re all learning here.”
That growth happens when we embrace the uncertainty, not when we pretend it doesn’t exist.
You got this (and so do I, hopefully),
Jack
PS - Would love to hear your thoughts on this. Steve emailed me back and it started a whole newsletter. I love when that happens.
Also check out a couple of email series about all things camp:
And if you’re gearing up for staff training, we have:
The Summer Camp Society Staff Training Recipe Book
A full week already planned * 99 pages * 23 sessions with all activities * Too much to list here.
Get my newsletter every week.
It’s all about kids today
Jack Schott
Summer Camp Evangelist