• • Field Trips
Would you rather stick pins under your fingernails than take your class on a field trip? If the mere thought of organizing one of these adventures and then actually carrying through gives you nightmares, take heart. It can be done with some simple but thorough preplanning.
• 1. Get a jump on your field trip schedule by gathering information on potential outings as soon as possible –even as early as late spring for the following year if you know about your future reference, including your own comments regarding past successes, failures, and changes to be made.
• 2. Create a blanket field trip permission slip that can be used for any outing .Then all you need to do is fill in the blanks with current information. Make ample extra copies as some students will misplace theirs- perhaps more than once. Be sure to send the slips home well in advance, and provide daily reminders to return them. If money is involved, be sure you know your school’s policy regarding students who, for whatever reason, do not pay. If a student has forgotten his or her permission slip on the day of the trip, confer with your school administration as to whether a call to the parent for permission will suffice. Do not make this decision yourself.
• 3. Discuss particulars of the trip thoroughly several times with your class. Cover provisions for lunch – will the school provide, will students need to bring their own, or will they have an opportunity to buy lunch during the trip? If the trip is outdoors or requires special clothing, be sure to address this. Don’t assume students will know how to dress appropriately either for the weather or for the type of trip. Be sure students are very clear about rules and expected behavior during the trip. In addition, just as you prepare a classroom lesson, you should