Tag: field trip

Managing Special Needs Students On Field Trips – Complete Guide

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

Field trips are immense and enriching, teaching the child what goes on outside the classroom is of great educational value. They learn important skills such as safety, social interactions and flexibility.

Planning and executing a field trip for special needs students is a daunting task. Innumerable factors have to be considered for the trip to be safe, smooth and enjoyable.

Managing special need students on field-trip rests solely on prior planning and preparation. Taking them on field-trips becomes stress-free for both child and teacher when this is done in detail.

Read Also: Guidelines for Transportation of Students with Special Needs

1. Planning

1. Deciding on a suitable location

A location should be thoughtfully chosen to derive the maximum benefit.  Children going on field-trips are of different ages and in different stages of development. So locations which suit their interest and aptitude need to be chosen.

Special needs students have shorter attention spans. They might not be able to sit for long in buses. The trip duration will have to be limited to a few hours as day-long trips might tire them. A location where all students can go has to be selected.

Places where they can have real time visual and physical experience like farms, zoos and gardens will be safe and interesting options. Activity -oriented field trips to science centers where they can interact with simple equipment should be considered.

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These centers allow them to touch, feel and experience something new. Trips to supermarkets, grocery stores or book shops may be considered depending on the student capabilities.

2. Obtaining required permits

School district administrators need to approve of the trip. They need to assure that the trip is age appropriate, safe and enhances the curriculum. Schools have to adhere to regulations and policies stipulated by them.

3. Pre-visit to the location

It would be ideal if the school authority or concerned teacher could visit the locale prior to scheduling the trip. An assessment of the child-friendly facilities available at the place can be done.

Availability of the wheel-chair ramps, easy bathroom access, toilet paper, food stalls for handicapped is to be checked. Any addition in services required, like requests for extra wheel-chair etc could be made on this visit. This would ensure that everything will be in place, on arrival, on the day of the trip.

4. Locality assessment

Awareness of the police stations, hospitals, Para-medical services and fire stations around the location of field-trips is necessary. The teachers on duty should be provided with a list of essential services and their contact telephone numbers nearest to the place of the trip.

This will prove extremely useful in case of emergency. In the event of any mishap, they can contact the services directly instead of waiting for help from the school. This will save time and ensure quick and prompt action.

5. Parent approval

Parents are informed of the nature of the trip, time and date. A written approval from the parent has to be obtained for their ward to be included in the trip.

2. Accompanying staff

1. 1:1 ratio:

As the needs of special children vary, each child has to be given constant individual attention. It is suggested that on field trips it would be ideal to have a one-on-one aide i.e. a teacher for each student.

This will make the child feel comfortable. The teacher will be relieved of monitoring an entire group. Undue strain causes both children and teacher to be stressed.

2. Parents

Parents can be asked if they would like to escort their wards. This option would be highly beneficial to all. Children feel more secure with their parents in an unfamiliar environment. This reduces child distress. Parent experience the safety of the child. This reduces their anxiety.

Parents can be asked if they would like to escort their wards. This option would be highly beneficial to all. Children feel more secure with their parents in an unfamiliar environment. This reduces child distress. Parent experience the safety of the child. This reduces their anxiety.

Parents can be asked if they would like to escort their wards. This option would be highly beneficial to all. Children feel more secure with their parents in an unfamiliar environment. This reduces child distress. Parent experience the safety of the child. This reduces their anxiety.

Parents can be asked if they would like to escort their wards. This option would be highly beneficial to all. Children feel more secure with their parents in an unfamiliar environment. This reduces child distress. Parent experience the safety of the child. This reduces their anxiety.

3. Volunteers and Buddy program

Some schools run buddy programs. A student, volunteer or teacher is assigned to the special need child as his/her buddy. The buddy spends time with the child, be-friends them and understand their needs and earn their trust.

A buddy as an escort will make the child feel safe, secure and comfortable. Community welfare volunteers can be requested for their services if necessary.

4. Nurse

A qualified school nurse has to be in attendance on the trip. First-aid essentials are a must. Medications for insect bites, allergies etc have to be ensured. Nutritional needs of the children are of concern and should be provided.

Read Also: 10 FAQs About Transporting Students With Special Needs

3. Consolidated Data Sheet

1.Student database

A comprehensive database with the list of special needs children on the field-trip is prepared. This will list the names, ages, parents name and address, contact numbers and emergency numbers. In addition to this, each child’s specific disabilities are listed.

2. Dietary needs

Pre-caution has to be taken while providing the children with the food and drinks especially from public outlets. Special needs students have specific diets to be followed.

Anything out of the norm might upset their systems and result in uneasiness. It would be better if the children could bring their food packs from home. This would help in preventing the children contracting food and water-borne diseases.

3. Food allergies

The data-base should list specific food allergies of the students. In instances where the school decides to provide the meals, this has to be taken into account.

The data-base should list specific food allergies of the students. In instances where the school decides to provide the meals, this has to be taken into account.

4. Insect allergies

The parents should inform the school of any allergy their child is prone to like insect bites, grass, hay etc. The school takes precaution to keep the child away from such circumstances.

The parents should inform the school of any allergy their child is prone to like insect bites, grass, hay etc. The school takes precaution to keep the child away from such circumstances.

The copy is given to all accompanying the students on the trip – teachers, escorts, nurses and bus drivers. A copy is left at the school.

Parents, if not accompanying, are given the telephone numbers of the teachers and bus drivers on the trip.

4. Preparation

1. Special needs children

Special needs students often do not feel comfortable when they are faced with a new environment. They are used to set timetables and regulated normal daily routines.

They find it difficult when their day to day schedules are disrupted. They do not know how to face situations alien to them. So preparing them for a field trip is the key to reducing their anxiety.

A pictorial itinerary of the trip can be shown to them.  A step by step enactment of how they will arrive at each step and how they have to behave at each stage would be helpful.

Answering queries from them will allay their fears. Familiarizing them for a week leading to the trip would help to reduce their anxiety and discomfort.

The student has to be prepared for the whole day of the trip. They have to be taught to request breaks and to convey discomfort.

The students have to be told who their escort or buddy would be. Pictures of them can be shown. They have to be educated on what the buddy/escort would do for them.

The students will have to be rewarded throughout the trip to motivate them. Positive reinforcement techniques will have to be applied before and after the trip.

2. Parents

Parents of special need children are anxious about them being taken to places outside the school environs. They are called to school and apprised of the entire trip details.

They are educated on how the trip will give their ward a different learning experience. This will enable the parent to mentally prepare the child for his forth coming trip.

Parents can send the child’s favorite snack which he/she can eat without being messy. Plenty of water should be provided.

5. Safety aspects

1. Transportation

Special needs students on a field trip should be transported only by school transport. Children should not be transported in private cars.

2. Identity tags

The children should be tagged with identity badges or bracelets showing their identity and contact details.

No amount of planning can eliminate the challenge of taking special need children on fieldtrips. The threshold level of special needs children is lower than normal. Their attitudes and moods change fast.

Read Also: How to Transport Special Needs Students on School Bus

Things may not work out as planned and changes need to be allowed. Some students run away, throw tantrums when they are under stress. These significant issues will make it complicated for the teachers. Hence fluidity in plans is required.

Field trips and special need children seem to be an impossible combination. Proper planning, preparation and an open mind can tremendously help in organizing safe and productive field-trips for special needs students.

How to Properly Organize and Manage School Field Trip

Posted on by TSB Super Admin

Planning a field trip and knowing exactly how to go about doing it is an essential skill. The idea of field trips works excellently for both the teachers and students.

While the idea is to take students out of the classroom and help them experience some real-life learning, it is also beneficial for teachers as they got to know a student’s interest.  

It is no wonder that school boards these days have become increasingly cautious about allowing field trips. If planned well then a field trip can indeed be a memorable and meaningful experience for everyone involved!

Planning and Organizing a Field Trip

Some of the below mentioned stages can be a good guide on how to organize and plan a school trip:

  1. Decide where to go and think about places that enhance and reinforce your curriculum goals.

  2. Ask your administrator and jot some notes before presenting the idea. Tell her why you want to go, where you want to go, what dates you are thinking of, and what the cost will be.
  3. Arrange for transportation and decide how you are going to get the little kids there and back.
  4. Decide on where and when you will stop for meals. Some of the common options available are either everyone including children bringing their own lunch, or stopping at a restaurant or café on or off sight.
  5. Make a plan and understand the time that each activity takes to perform keeping the interest and attention span of students in mind.
  6. Arrange for supervision depending on the number of students going for the trip and number of adults needed in order to handle the children. This also varies depending on the behaviour of age and maturity of the students.
  7. Create a permission form that includes all the necessary details about the field trip, like the date, time, venue, pick-up, drop-off, food to be carried, money to be carried, dress code if any and other such details that is necessary for parents to know before they sign and give their children the permission.
  8. Tie in the field trip with the student’s curriculum by deciding the kind of assignment and learning that can be done on the trip. This usually requires pre-learning and background reading to be done by the teachers.

Tips for Field Trip Behavior Management

While planning a field trip, teachers are usually worried about kid’s behaviour outside the school premises as they don’t how they are likely to behave outside the school setting. Some tips that teachers must remember while planning for a school field trip are:

  • If some students have significant trouble meeting the behaviour expectations on a day-to-day basis, they should hold a frank discussion regarding the same with the parents.
  • Always think of an alternative plan for students  that you think would not be able to cope with the trip circumstances.
  • Tell students they are under observation a week before the trip and reward the ones that behave appropriately as this will also give them an insight about the kind of behaviour that is expected from them.
  • Keep into consideration the medication schedule of kids from their parents
  • Hold an open discussion with students about the purpose of the trip and expectations of their roles and responsibilities on the same.
  • Consider keeping a low teacher-student  ratio to reduce chances of mishaps

Field Trip Safety Tips for Teachers

While taking children on a field trip, teachers have a huge responsibility of their safety. And as children are usually not so responsible and old enough to be at their best behaviours, teachers must keep a tab of the below tips as they are helpful in ensuring student safety:

  • Make students get their parents’ signature on a no-objection form which gives the school permission to take children on a field trip
  • Divide children into groups and assign a monitor to be able to give equal attention to all students and avoid mishaps.
  • Inform children about the place they are going to visit and prepare them about what they are going to be doing there.
  • Educate children about the safety tips for the trip and let them know who they are supposed to reach out to when they need any help.
  • Let the students know they are going to be divided into groups and also let them know who they are going to be with so that they can be comfortable around the people.
  • Choose a safe transport. Instead of hiring private vehicles, school buses that children travel are safer and more preferred during field trips.
  • Carry a first aid kit and also water and juices in case to avoid students from feeling dehydrated and low on energy

Here's a video of how teachers can able to track students while on a school field trip or an excursion

Field Trip Rules for Elementary School Students

For students of elementary school going for a field trip, certain rules are mandatory that make trip a pleasurable experience for all like:

  • Be along with your group at all times
  • Respect what the monitor says and obey her commands
  • Help keep noise and confusion at a minimum
  • Know who to talk about any problems that you are facing
  • Help others in your group
  • Take care of your belongings and do not indulge in any inappropriate behaviour while on the trip
  • Discuss if there is any problem with the teacher
  • Abstain from using any foul language or showing any disrespect

Field Trip Rules for Middle School Students

Just like students of elementary school, it is very essential for students of middle school to follow rules and regulations as the middle school usually have trips that are for more than just a day and usually are outside the city.

This makes it more important for them to abide by the rules to ensure their safety. The students must remember to:

  • Stick to the instructions given by teachers and  chaperones courteously and respectfully
  • Keep the transport vehicle, hostel or hotel room clean at all times
  • Not go beyond the mentioned boundaries of the place they are staying at
  • Strictly adhere to the time lines and report on time, as suggested by teachers.
  • Carry appropriate clothes according to the weather and the place
  • Not ride any form of public transportation during their free time
  • Make no excessive noise in hotel or the hostel through music or shouting
  • Follow the buddy system and leave no student alone in his or her hotel room

Impact of Field Trip on the School Environment

A field trip is one of the best tools that we can use to provide every student with real-world experiences.

By taking children out once in a while where they begin to see that what they learn within the classroom walls, schools promote a more efficient way of learning for the students.

It helps them solve the problems they see in the world around them and can have a direct impact on who they become as people. Field trips make learning relatable and faster for students making the school environment more lively and interactive.

Therefore, encouraging school trips is promoting a better learning program for schools and also enabling a healthy development amongst students making them more self-aware and confident.