Hey Shawnta! Field Trips Went Away During the Pandemic. What Can I Do to Get Them Back at My Children’s School?

Hey Shawnta!

Field trips went away during the pandemic. What can I do to get them back at my children’s school?

Although it takes a lot of work to plan field trips, I always enjoyed getting my students off campus for a learning experience. Even if students are not excited about the purpose of the field trip, most students enjoy a new learning environment. The bus ride there and back allows students to talk longer than they would during a passing period or during recess. It also allows teachers to loosen up and continue to build relationships with their students, but in a different setting. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on field trips, and now it is time to bring them back.

Students can take field trips to various places: a zoo, a factory, a business, a habitat, a theater, a museum, etc. Teachers really do an excellent job of connecting standards in the classroom to lessons off campus. Many times, teachers would love to have parental support in this process.

Ask Your Teachers About Field Trips and Pitch In

• Start by reaching out to your children’s teachers to ask if they are going to have any field trips. Then ask if there is a possibility of having more and how you could help.
  
  
• Parents can help by calling potential sites to inquire about their field trip availability, research whether the site provides any resources or lesson plans, and find out what a visit to the site would include.
  
  
• Once the trip is confirmed, parents can help make the flyer. The teacher or school administrator might add some details or give you a template to work with. 
  
  
• If the trip comes with a cost, parents can help fundraise to cover the cost of the trip to ensure all students can attend. Finances are a barrier to a lot of field trips.
  
  
• Volunteer to be a chaperone. Well before the trip, make sure you have a background check on file and encourage other parents to get one too. Teachers always appreciate having parent volunteers. Every parent added to the trip helps with having more eyes on students in a public place. Also, I have found that students tend not to misbehave when many adults participate in the trip.