How to Make the Most of a Field Trip

Until 5^th grade, I was the perfect student. I handed in all of my assignments on time, got good grades, and generally did well on tests. But then I discovered a truth that still continues to be a big part of who I am – if it doesn’t interest me, I have a hard time really getting into it. This holds true to jobs I have had, house chores I was given, and even less annoying things, like planning a birthday party. I have real difficulty putting in 100% towards something, when the way I feel about it is not even close to 100%.

When I was a child, though, school field trips were always fun. It gave me the opportunity to let my hair down, see new sights, and spend some time away from the classroom. That in itself was always a wonderful thing, since it meant I, well… wasn’t in the classroom! You could potentially have the nicest class in the world, and still it would be one place that you were dying to get away from whenever you could. The classroom is waaay to monotonous.

School field trips, whether to the great outdoors or to a local museum, were a chance to do something a lot more ‘hands on’ than sitting in a stuffy classroom with a bored look and an open book. Simply being outside of the everyday classroom experience was already a wonderful stimulant, and from the get-go I was already a whole lot more interested in whatever it was that was about to take place.

The school field trip has two main aspects: the social one, and the educational one. The socially bonding part of any school trip began, for me, with the bus ride. As a kid, I remember stocking my backpack with sandwiches, snacks, and a lemon (in case I felt myself getting car sick). More often than not, there was music playing all the way to our destination.

I always felt it was nice that the staff gave us that opportunity, and didn’t start forcing the educational part of the trip too early. Every one of us needed that break, including the teachers, and it was something I always looked forward to. Seeing that bus parked next to the school was always a great way to start the day. It meant that I was going to school, but not going inside the school, and that idea was – and still is – very appealing.

When we arrived at our destination, indoors or out, there began the educational part of the trip. If we were indoors, like at a museum or famous building, there was a guide to help us out. I was usually one of those who listened and didn’t make trouble, since I was generally interested in what was being said. If we were outdoors – well, that’s just my style. I loved nature. Still do, as a matter of fact. Walking through forests, hiking up mountains, wading through shallow streams – it was the best. There, too, we always had a guide who would stop us every now and then to discuss the history and significance of the places where we were walking.

Nature was my personal favorite, but as you can see, museums were also exciting.

We would usually stop for lunch, and there was another big part of the social bonding. Nothing bonds people together like sharing a meal. There were always groups and cliques in our class, but all that ego and pretense – all of it – was forgotten when we would all be sitting around a bonfire or at the foot of a rushing waterfall.

Making the most out of a school field trip means giving the students and faculty a chance to unwind and learn something new in a different environment. And as far as I am concerned, when a school field trip is done right – it really works.