Taking kids on an educational trip can be a daunting task and a stressful experience. Get the job done right with these top tips for educators and parents alike. You should enjoy the trip too; the children shouldn’t have all the fun.
Clear Communication
When you are discussing any educational adventure with students or their caregivers, it is important to make sure everyone is on the same page. You should be clear about the behavior you expect from your students and their responsibilities. When you are giving information to their parents and caregivers make sure they are fully aware of where their children will be going and what they will be doing there. This prevents problems down the road. Repeat the important information during communications, either face-to-face or by letter or email, especially when it comes to timings and the itinerary. You do not want parents arriving late and disrupting the day for everyone else.
Make It Interesting as Well as Educational
Bored students, especially young ones, are hard to control and can get themselves into trouble. You need to make sure they are fully engaged with the subject. This will prevent them from wandering off or causing disruptions that can affect the whole group’s education. Look for engaging trips that will capture their imagination instead of cold and dour walks around museums. These astronomy field trips are the perfect examples of engaging and entertaining excursions that will grab your students by the mind. They will keep your students interested and in one place, not disappearing on their own trip away from the group.
Plan for Refreshments
Students who get hungry get angsty. Whether they are first graders or sophomores, food is the fuel, and it is key to keeping them awake, aware, and engaged. Make sure there are food and drink breaks on the itinerary, and not just lunch. Use structured refreshments to break up the day, and make sure they know what the plan is to cut down on their demands. If they know when their next meal is, they will behave much better. This will make your day go more smoothly, and your students will make better ambassadors of the school and your class than a rowdy and hungry group.
Bring the Trip Back with You
Any educational excursion should have a follow-up. There should be lessons for your students to learn on the road that they can bring back to the classroom. A test or a pop quiz the day after the trip is a good idea, and you could work a treasure hunt or questionnaire into the day that they work together on when they return. This helps ensure they take on board the information they are exposed to and will encourage them to ask questions during the trip.
Follow these top tips and your class trip will be a breeze. Take some of the stress and strain from herding the kids around by keeping them informed and engaged so you can enjoy the excursion too.
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