5 Tips for Stress-Free School Field Trips
Kids love school field trips. What student doesn’t appreciate a chance to get out of the familiar school building and head somewhere interesting, like the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park, or Banneker-Douglass Museum?
Well-planned school field trips help students retain information thanks to the fresh locations, in-person experiences, and real-world demonstrations. Critical thinking skills improve, perspectives change, academics get a healthy boost, and complex concepts stick in their minds better.
Teachers and faculty, on the other hand, find school field trips more stressful. There’s a ton of groundwork and logistics, from determining where the field trip will be to deciding how to get there — all while keeping the students safe.
However, planning school field trips doesn’t have to make you tear your hair out! By following these tips, you can create a fun, compelling experience without the worry.
1. Scout Your Locations
The first step is deciding what kind of field trip your students will most appreciate and remember. If you’re thinking about taking them to the local aquarium, for example, go check it out yourself. See what kind of tours the location offers, investigate timelines for shows and demonstrations, and add up the costs.
Then, dig into the details. How long does it take to get to the location? Will you need to hire a transportation company? How many students will be coming? Where are the bathrooms? Where will the students eat lunch? If you think through every step of your school field trips, you’ll be able to tackle problems before they happen.
2. Tie in Classwork With School Field Trips
Permission slips aren’t the only required paperwork for the trip. To make school field trips as impactful as possible, prepare questions and assignments that mirror what the kids will be learning or have already learned. This classwork can both prepare your students and help you evaluate what they gained from the experience.
You should also have a clear itinerary planned for the kids. Along with the general schedule, go over the timeline of events with the students so they understand what they’ll be learning. The more you work on preparing them, the better they’ll retain the experience and be affected by what they see and do.
3. Plan Transportation
You might be tempted to just use school buses to ferry the kids. Instead, using a third-party transportation company will drastically reduce the number of headaches you’ll face (and the amount of wear and tear on the buses).
Just contact Chesapeake Charter, and the buses will be there when you need them. Chartering buses gets you professional drivers who know the routes to and from the school field trip locations. You just decide what time you want the buses to arrive!
Chartered buses may come with amenities like Wi-Fi and USB plugs, which can come in handy if the journey will last an hour or two. You’ll also get accessibility features such as wheelchair ramps and lifts.
4. Bring Quality Chaperones
Kids will be kids, so you need chaperones who can wrangle them effectively. Give yourself at least three weeks to line up chaperones by sending letters home with the students.
Make sure to follow up with all those who are interested to remind them about their duties. Print schedules, itineraries, and name tags for everyone, and don’t forget to give each chaperone your personal cell phone number!
The students will need to be prepped, no matter how good your chaperones are. You might be fine with personal devices on the bus, especially if you want students to take advantage of onboard Wi-Fi for presentations or travel entertainment. However, you should discuss proper etiquette during the trip.
Lunches should be packed and ready unless meals are part of the excursion. It’s a good idea to request that lunches be in recyclable or disposable containers. Also, ask the kids not to bring their backpacks along on school field trips.
5. Be on Time
Your rented buses will be on-site at an exact time, so your students need to be as well! Talk with your charter contact about when you need to be at the location for your scheduled field trip, and work backward from there.
The bus company will know transportation timelines inside and out, so you can rely on its expertise. You’ll also need to work out pickup times after the trip ends.
Coordinate with parents who may be picking up their children. (Of course, this step isn’t necessary if the kids are coming back to finish a school day. But make sure you leave enough time to get the kids back in time for their classes and account for unexpected delays.
Hire Chesapeake Charter for Your School Field Trips
Count on Chesapeake Charter to be your hidden advantage for coordinating successful school field trips. Here’s how we make the butterflies in your stomach disappear.
- Schedule Consistency: Don’t rely on volunteer drivers or public transportation — that’s a quick way to ensure people get lost or arrive late! Charter buses are on time, in the right location, and ready to go.
- Comfort: With well-padded seats, robust air conditioning, and onboard bathrooms, a chartered motorcoach makes getting to the field trip location a breeze.
- Safety: The drivers at Chesapeake Charter are highly trained and vetted. They also have the latest driver assistance and safety technology at their disposal.
- Cleanliness: We have strict sanitation protocols to ensure each bus and motorcoach is disinfected and ready for every trip.
Hire Chesapeake Charter and focus on the field trip logistics so your students have a memorable experience! Call us and get on the schedule today.
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