When I taught Kindergarten, I was extremely fortunate that I always had administration that believed in field trips and encouraged them. Even though we lived in a rural community, we did not let that stop us. We visited our Firestation, the Christmas tree farm, a stick horse rodeo hosted by our local Ag department, a children's museum, and the zoo. I loved field trips days because I got to watch my children shine. All of the questioning, talking, and reading came to life. They would ask the best questions and have great conversations. The children felt great about themselves and I knew all of the hard work was paying off. When we returned and at the end of the year, I was always touched by how much those experiences meant to them.
In today's world, there are so many ways we can bring adventures to our kids. There are interactive online field trips, virtual tours, and countless resources online. We also utilized the areas and resources around the school, created scavenger hunts, and use digital and video resources.
After reading this chapter and going down memory lane, it makes me long for a field trip day. Don't forget to enjoy all the great ideas from Deedee Wills
It's nice to know that there are other options besides taking a bus to far off lands...ha...right? I like field trips but they definitely stress me out and I feel like I really have to set the tone for the day for days leading up to them to ensure that my kiddos take from it what I want them to....balanced with fun!!!!
ReplyDeleteHolly
Crisscross Applesauce in First Grade
Holly,
ReplyDeleteI agree about the stress. I have learned the more prepared my students were and trained for behavior expected the easier it was. I think when I was better about setting the tone the better it went for all of us and we had lots more fun.