Most teachers, over the course of their career, will have the chance to whisk their students away on an educational whirlwind, affectionately known as a school trip.
Taking your students out of the classroom is an extremely valuable use of your time. Taking the time to organise extracurricular visits during the school year can not only improve your teacher-pupil relationships in class, but can also contribute towards uptake of your subject at options stage.
Make geography the trendiest of humanities and win your students over with our top 6 ways to enhance your school trip.
1. Choose the right destination
Although fun will be high on your agenda during your school trip, you will also have another primary focus of delivering learning relevant to your curriculum.
Travelling to a destination appropriate to your learning objectives will allow your students to start making associations between classroom theory and outdoor resources.
A visit to Thingvellir National Park in Iceland is ideal for understanding the realities of tectonic plate boundaries, whilst a cable car ride at Mount Etna in Sicily is the perfect way for your students to understand Volcanic Hazards.
2. Enlist some expert help
Consider including a Field Study Tutor (FST) on your trip to help you achieve your learning objectives.
A Field Study Tutor will not only deliver curriculum content to your class, but will be there to help with logistical aspects of your tour.
With a role primarily focused on teaching and engaging your students to take the pressure off teachers, FSTs have in-depth knowledge of your destination, a strong geographical understanding and heaps of teaching experience.
“A spectacular, beautiful country full of amazement and awe, brought to life by our fantastic Field Study Tutor.”
Monifieth High School
3. Maximise learning with study handbooks
Lesson planning can be time consuming for teachers, so to have tailor-made study material prepared for you in advance means one less item on your tick-list.
Our geography handbooks can be used before you head out on your trip, giving your students access to the theory behind their upcoming fieldwork. They are designed with your destination and excursions in mind, and can even be used as revision guides back in the classroom.
Prepared by our Geography Tours Development Manager, these resources are considered an essential asset by many geography teachers planning trips.
“These resources provide a focus and structure for students as they tackle geographical issues and make connections between the real world and geographical theory.”
Geography Tours Development Manager
4. Excursions are everything
A school trip without excursions is like a school without students – uneventful with very little learning! Exploration needs to be factored in to your itinerary, but pre-planned activities will help your trip to run much more smoothly.
Choosing excursions to suit your curriculum is important, however it’s just as vital that your group has the opportunity to have fun and make some memories. Social excursions can range from feasting on the local cuisine, to bowling nights and theme parks.
5. Get your group excited
Convincing students to wave their school goodbye for a few days is easy – they will be buzzing with the thought of having some time away with their friends.
Asking parents for money to pay for such trips can be another challenge though. Luckily, if you’re travelling with Rayburn Tours, we’ll equip you with specially made PowerPoint presentations and posters to help you with the ‘sell’. We’ll even come and present at a parent’s evening if you need us to!
6. Travel with a specialist
There’s an ongoing debate as to whether a DIY school trip is better than travelling with a specialist tour operator.
Booking with a reputable company brings you a multitude of benefits, including:
- Protection – you will have the safety blanket of ABTA and ATOL should anything go wrong
- Paperwork – save yourself the headache of searching for the best prices, dealing with transport providers and organising relevant visas
- Stress-free – relax and let the experts organise every fine detail of your trip, so you can focus on your students’ learning