What is a teacher supposed to do on the morning of a field trip?
Field Trip Permission Slips - check!
Emergency Information printed - check!
Teacher bag packed - check!
Losing sleep the night before because of sheer panic - wait… yeah… check.
I knew what to do as far as Permission Slips and notes home but when it came to the actual day of the trip, I was drawing a blank. Like… legitimately…
What am I supposed to do ON the morning of the field trip?
After fumbling through a few day-of’s, I have come up with a checklist of how a teacher can survive (and thrive) on the day of the field trip with minimal surprises.
Step One: start the day off on the right foot.
What to do before leaving on a Field Trip:
Organize Student Lunches/Materials
I like to have my students take their lunches to their seat when they arrive to school on Field Trip morning. This gives me a chance to check for name labels and order extra cafeteria lunches if needed.
Morning Work
Find easy morning work for the students to do from arrival until the trip, preferably related to the day's activity. (Have them journal about what they are most excited about, complete a themed word search, or do a crossword with expectations.) Or, if time allows, do your normal procedures to maintain your class routines. Whichever you choose, keep it simple so you aren’t asked a ton of questions while doing the last-minute prep.
Teacher Bag Check
Do a quick check of your bag to make sure you have everything you need for the day (check out this post for the ultimate field trip bag checklist).
Chaperone Huddle
While you are still in your room, have the chaperones gather at your desk so you can give them their information for the day. (I typically don’t give it to them ahead of time to minimize the risk of lost instructions and avoid requests for group switches or other "special" requests.)
Class Huddle
While students are still in their desks and somewhat calm (ha) remind them of the expectations and schedule for the day. Make sure they know the progression of consequences when rules aren't followed. (Will someone come pick them up? Will they have to sit with the teacher all day? etc.) Keep this light and positive, bragging on them and letting them know you know none of that will be an issue.
Remind Everyone of the “Why”
Before you get off the bus, make sure students remember why we are going on this trip and what learning opportunities they are to be noticing. (You can give them paperwork to keep track, but I often just tell them they will be doing some work based on their observations when we get back to school.)
Gather Supplies
Now that you have verified everyone has a lunch and each lunch has a name on it, have students put lunches into a shared container as they line up. (I like carts with wheels for this!) I also use this time to have them line up in their chaperone groups so the chaos of arriving at the destination is a little less... chaotic. I will sometimes use different colored name tags if I want a clear indication of which student belongs in each group.
Head to the Bus!
Drop off your Office Info page and any other required paperwork on the way and make sure you have any medications you need from the nurse.
And SMILE! You have done all of the things you can do to prepare and are now ready to have a GREAT field trip!
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Looking for more Field Trip tips? Check out these posts!
