When researching different field trip ideas I came across this article: "How to Stay Sane On A Class Field Trip." I thought I would share-- considering we all will be taking a child, or class on field trip some day! Enjoy.
1.Once you are at the school and are given your group of children, introduce yourself. Inform them of the rules of the place you are going.
2.On the bus involve your group in a game of road trip bingo. Usually these packets are supplied by the teacher. Try to space out the hints so you don't fill the answers before you leave the home town. There are many other games that you can play. (Idea: When you become a teacher you can think about making "field trip bus bags" filled with different quiet, fun games each group can play. Also these bags of games can also be used during the field trip if there is down time, rather than have the children run around.)
3.Once you reach your destination, gather you group and tell them everyone gets pick something they want to see. One at a time, take the group to each section. If you have a camera allow each child to take two pictures. Making a schedule that the students know will allow the group to have structure.
4.Chances are there is one class clown. Sometimes you might be the one to get that class clown. With a child like this, inform the child ahead of time that this behavior will not be allowed. If need be you will inform the teacher of the acts and their fun will end. Most kids will agree to be good, because they don't want their fun to end. No one wants to stay with the teacher. They for some reason think teachers can't have fun.
5.With everything going well, remember to have fun yourself. You and your child will remember this trip for ever. So have a blast and enjoy the trip.
Nicole...thanks for the tips! Indeed, field trips can be very trying at times with a number of students out of the classroom. However, I think if we treat field trips like in-class time with rules, expectations, and little tasks, the students will be focused and "busy" so not to get off track and goof of! Also, having enough chaperones should help too.
ReplyDeleteI think the ideas in this article were interesting. I never thought about having games for the students to play on the bus. I also agree with Brandon, that if students are given the expectations/rules well before the field trip, they will understand what is expected of them and behave accordingly.
ReplyDeleteI love the field trip tips. Many students think field trips are a green light to go crazy, which can be stressful for teachers and chaperones. Having a structured field trip using these ideas can really help decrease the amount of craziness. I think that teachers should have a meeting with chaperones prior to the field trip to inform them of these steps and guidelines, because I think a lot of the time the chaperones are unaware of how to structure their group of students.
ReplyDeleteHaha.. I really liked this. I think this is sometimes an aspect of teaching that we overlook. One day we will have to take our students on a field trip and we need to think about this a little bit beforehand. When I become a first year teacher, I probably wouldn't instantly think about how I am going to keep my students in line while on the field trip. However, it is definitely needed. As a teacher, you don't just need to worry about what to do while at the destination, you also need to know how to handle the students in the travel.
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