Best Practices for School Trips

Tips and Strategies to Avoid ProblemsAixa B. RodriguezNYC DOE Teacher

So you are going to coordinate a trip...What are the steps to planning an effective school trip?What are some strategies to avoid problems, conflicts and liability? What are some strategies to use trips as incentives?

PlanningFirst things first, where are you going and why?

Is this an academic trip?

Is this a trip for the purpose of learning?

Will there be a task to be completed during the trip?

Get those questions answered first and make sure everyone knows what is expected from the trip.

Who is going on the trip?Decide the target audience of the trip.

Will there be criteria ? Is only a certain class or grade invited? Make these prerequisites clear. Make sure everyone is aware of the criteria and who is invited to avoid hurt feelings. Clear up any misconceptions from the beginning.

Which chaperones are going? Which students will they be supervising?

Make these groups up with care and concern for students who get along, and chaperones who have relationships with kids that will help them keep the kids behaving well. Make sure students who have had fights or conflicts before are grouped separately to the best of your ability.

Incentive TripsTrips designed to increase attendance and achievement should be planned with much care. In order to obtain the desired result, say increased attendance, one must get the students on board. There must be buy in to the entire program. This works best with a long term vision, not as a knee jerk reaction to low attendance.

First step is to agree on what good attendance means and make sure everyone knows the criteria and how the data will be obtained. For instance, it is not enough to be in school by the official attendance period. Students could have 90+ attendance but skip out on, or come late to 1st period. The regular attendance data will not show the patterns that must be corrected.

Step 1: BaselineAt the end of September, students should receive their attendance statistics on a contract that makes them eligible for the next trip provided there is improvement in attendance.The contract that is signed is a commitment to improve on the attendance stats on it, including scan time, number of times late to class, # of cuts, # of absences and behavior.

Everyone should be invited to attend this first trip where protocol and expectations should be enforced. The next trip is dangled as a carrot for improved behaviors. Students who attend the first trip should have enough buy in to know how much fun the trips can be.

What data should be on the contract? In a team, seek out the data you need to know to plan the trip.

Compile the statistics for cutting, absences, first period attendance and behavior.

Make the time period students will be tracked for clear and public.

Measure improvement from baseline, and maintenance of the desired attendance percentage.

Compile a list of students that have met eligibility standards.

Agree on what exceptions, if any, can be accepted.

DeadlinesStudents must attend to deadlines in order to function in polite society and the world of work. Practicing meeting deadlines in school helps students become accountable adults.

Publicize the last day a permission slip can be accepted and stick to it.

The deadlines are important because it leaves time for a trip coordinator to organize lists confirm chaperones, call parents and make any accompanying documents. Additionally, being consistent from September, will teach kids to be on time with their permission slip. It is hard to arrange groups, and excursions etc. with an incomplete list and multiple changes.

How to avoid the little surprises and headachesWrite out the names of each student on their individual permission slip.

Block out time or ask a colleague to assist on making calls to the parent of each kid invited to the trip so they are aware a trip permission slip is coming home with their child.

Attach a memo that details what is needed on the trip and the itinerary and date of the trip for the parent to post on the fridge.

Once you receive permission slips, confirm with a second phone call that the permission slip is legitimate. Students can forge parent signatures to attend a trip and without confirming with the parent, there is a chance the student did not have permission and attended a trip anyway.

Another reason for the calls is to confirm that the numbers are correct. Should an emergency occur, and the number be out of order or incorrect, there is a chance you may not be able to contact a parent.

“But this sounds like overkill!”Scenario 1- Female student gets parent to sign permission slip, but never submits it. Spends the day with her boyfriend, assuming an out of town trip will be home late. Parent comes to the school to pick up her child as it is late, and child is nowhere to be found, hadn’t attended the trip, and the parent is frantic. Teachers have no record of the child even submitting a form.

Scenario 2- Kid uses a copy of a permission slip signed by his mom for his friend to go on the trip, by submitting a copy of his slip and letting his friend sign his name on the front. Now one parent has given permission to a child that is not theirs.

“But where will I find the time?”Scenario 3: You are planning a trip to a national monument during a high terror alert. Something happens that spooks an entire crowd and the kids run and scatter. You have to find missing kids, and contact their parents, but the number on the back of the slip is not working.

Scenario 4: Angry parent arrives at school looking for their child. They had not signed a permission slip, it was forged. Child is grounded and not supposed to go on a trip, but you took them anyway.

Scenario 5: Permission is confirmed and child doesn’t show up to school, in this case the child decided not to go.

How can I make the process easier?

Create a master list of students in alphabetical order. Include student ID number, student cell number, important medical info, parent numbers and emails in September and remember to keep it updated.

Use this same whole school roster to cut and paste information such as who is attending a particular trip, the list can be used to input the students attending into the ATS / attendance system to generate a proper trip attendance roster.

Save this document and color code it, add a column for the group/chaperone the students belong to during each trip. It can be printed and given to each chaperone in their trip folder/clipboard. This allows any chaperone to have contact information for any student at their finger tips.

The Trip FolderEach chaperone should receive a folder that has all the important information needed on the trip. Copies of the individual group permission slips, and the main roster for the entire trip should be included. The task or work to be completed should be included. Depending on the type of trip you have, any vouchers, and other tickets should be counted nd placed i the trip folder for each chaperone to distribute to their own particular group. A trip itinerary that give information about when breaks to eat and go to the restroom should be stapled into the folder. Transportation forms and directions should be included in the itinerary.

The final count of students should be written next to the total amount expected in each individual group. This number should be known to all adults.

Planning for a smooth ride- Walking in the streetAt all times, when walking in the street, chaperones must be aware of their surroundings and keep the students together.

Ideally there should be one teacher taking point in the front. This teacher should be the group leader who knows the destination and details. There should be a teacher in the middle, keeping the kids to the right of the street for others to pass o the left and one teacher toward the back of the group to keep watch over stragglers.

Planning for a smooth ride- TransportationWhen taking public transportation with a group of students, it is important to take into consideration two things, the size of the group and the location and how busy the train station is. In addition, mobility issues such as injuries, and pregnancy should be considered. In a zone where there is an option to go to an empty platform, with less stairs, and more ability to spread out a large group into different train cars, this is preferable to a crowded platform. Being able to assure everyone can get into the train car together is important.

Planning for a smooth ride- School BusesIt is easier to pre assign a chaperone to the back of the bus, the middle of the bus and the front of the bus to control student behavior.

With large groups sometimes it is best to keep the smaller groups seated together with their chaperone to avoid having to line up again after exiting.

It might be a good time to review the trip task and behavior expectations in the small group.

Keeping in communication- ChaperonesPrior to leaving for the trip, all chaperones should have a meeting to be able to discuss what is happening, what the expectations are, the meeting times etc.

Everyone should have each other’s cell phone number. A group text should be sent to allow for all numbers to be saved. That group text should be how the chaperones communicate to each other should they get separated, need assistance or need to locate a missing child.

Responsibilities of the Chaperone1. Be on time to meetings and “present” during the

discussion.

2. Assist in the planning and contacting and organizing of materials.

3. Do not be distracted by personal calls, or texts

4. Keep in touch and check in with other chaperones

5. Prepare supplies that might be needed: first aid, menstrual supplies, etc.

6. Be prepared with a charged phone and if possible an emergency charger.

7. Know where you are going and how.

Parent Chaperones1.should be included in the planning

meetings for the trip and given the opportunity to know the names of the kids in their group.

2.Should receive a chaperone folder as well.

3.Should be given clear expectations of how parents should conduct themselves should be given before the trip.

4.Should be given a task, such as taking pictures or video with a school camera.

5.If a parent can handle that task it will free the chaperones to engage the students.

Spread the good cheer!- Social mediaPrior to the trip, decide if the students and chaperones will tweet the events of the trip. Inform parents, who can follow along with the fun from work or home.

Choose a hashtag, for example #BronxHSStatueofLibertyTrip2016 , check to see if it is in use or close to something else before you post.

Publicize the hashtag. Teach the kids and chaperones how to tweet out their pictures to the hashtag and how to search for the pics.

At the end of trip1.Collect all photographs in a google drive folder

2.Allow the students to create short videos and presentations from all the crowdsourced photos and videos.

3.This lends itself to much planning, writing and collaborating to extend this learning into the classroom.