4 Ways for Educators to Prepare for a School Trip

Since the purpose of an education in the modern Western system is partly to prepare students to face the big wide world, surely the benefits of excursions that foray into this world are obvious. Yet amid the potential excitement and expansions of worldviews that these journeys can amount to, are also the fears of potential danger and even the wasting of valuable educational time and energy.

However, with the right preparation it is possible to reap the highest of benefits from these excursions. Students should hence be able to comfortably return home to their normal classroom environment not only invigorated and exhilarated, but also having understood that they have been challenged in a safe and pedagogical context.

Research your destination

There are now many choices for the ideal school trip. Depending on the class, the age of the students and the purpose of the trip, excursions can be tailored to suit – anything from small journeys to a local place of interest to weeks-long adventures to foreign destinations. Key to deciding the most appropriate destination is doing the most effective research, so as to know, for example, that London offers ideal services to cater to historical tours whereas the south of France may be better suited to geological surveys.

Good health and safety preparation

One of the prime concerns for parents whenever a school trip is mentioned, let alone one overseas, is that of the basic health and safety of their child. The potential for children getting lost, attacked, or for crushing itineraries or arduous travel arrangements making the memories of the trip traumatic for participants, are all of deep consternation to worried parents. Hence a detailed and expert risk assessment, health checks and safety profiling of each and every student are essential to making sure that all major health and safety risks on an excursion are accounted for.

Good leadership

In conjunction with this concern for health and safety, often the success of a school trip hinges on the quality of the leadership involved. Effective leaders not only take responsibility to make sure an excursion is hazard free, but they also plan the smoothest possible journey wherein students both enjoy themselves yet also learn. This leadership more often than not involves a combination of effective teachers, learned administrators, travel and tour specialists and, on many occasions, diligent parents.

Prepare an educational program

As was touched upon, a successful school trip is not just fun and games. Appropriate educational content must be planned to assure that the excursion will be a success. From the politics in Berlin, the art of Japan, the literature of London, the philosophy in Scotland to the maths in the Middle East, each destination offers rich and multiple pedagogical wells to be drawn from. Successful trips will rely on keen educators who know how to invest in bringing this knowledge to students in the fresh and raw way only an out of class experience can provide.

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