Planning a Field Trip

To conduct an educational field trip consideration should be given to one or more of the following:

1. Request: You’ll almost have to request your field trip, even if field trips are a required part of the course curriculum. The request should be a straightforward statement clarifying to the administration how the field trip experience will supplement instruction and help students better conceptualize or appreciate the curriculum. This paperwork will likely go to the intermediary between you and the academic Dean or Principal, such as an administrative secretary; you’ll need to determine the standard practice at your particular institution. In either instance, the best approach is to submit field trip request paperwork early in the academic semester. 
2. Legal Paperwork: You and the institution you represent must be legally protected in the unlikely event that a student is seriously injured, lost, or decides to take legal action for something that happened during a field trip. Consequently, your managing institution may legally require additional paperwork, such as a class roster, medical consent and hold harmless indemnification forms, and transportation requests if charter buses are needed. If students are driving themselves, additional documents may be necessary. Before departing, ensure all forms are submitted, and you’ve made copies to take with you on your trip.  
3. Academic Fee Waivers: You may be able to apply for an academic fee waiver if your field trip destination requires an entrance fee, Joshua Tree National Park, for example. While meeting these requirements means a little extra work for you, it can result in significant cost savings for students and your academic institution. For example, the current fee at Joshua Tree National Park for a charter bus is $12 per person. That computes to $600 for a full bus! Always check ahead to determine if entrance costs can be reduced or eliminated. By doing so you are reducing costs, making it more likely that funding requests for transportation will be approved in the future. In any case, when visiting someplace for the first time, it’s always wise to check their website and/or make some calls.  
4. Transportation:  Field trip localities will typically be accessed via personal vehicles or institution-supported transportation, like school vans or charter buses. The destination and logistics of the trip should dictate your choice; some pros and cons are discussed below.
   • Personal vehicles. In this case, students are providing their own transportation. Ahead of the field trip, students should be arranged into carpooling groups and given clear instructions about logistics: departure time, driving directions, arrival time at destination, parking, parking fees, etc. This option won’t cost your institution anything unless reimbursing students and may require less instructor paperwork. On the other hand, the costs are being transferred to students in the form of gas and mileage and possible parking fees. You’re also asking students to drive themselves to an unfamiliar location, to which they may get lost along the way. Finally, campuses may not allow students to transport themselves, especially if the itinerary includes multiple stops. Check ahead of time and ensure your students complete the appropriate liability forms required by your institution.
   • School vans.  Some colleges provide passenger vans or large SUVs to be used by the academic departments that utilize field trips for instruction. This efficient option consolidates students into a single vehicle, encouraging classmates bonding. Vans and SUVs also typically allow better access to hard-to-reach destinations, places that smaller cars and busses can’t reach. However, it is paramount that responsible drivers are behind the wheels of each van, as the most significant hazard to and from any field trip will be safely navigating the sea of automobiles on our roadways. Again, check ahead of time and be sure to have your students complete the appropriate liability forms required by your school. Also, consider designating a student to be “on call” so communication can happen among vans.
   • Charter Buses.Charter buses have two advantages in that everyone rides together, and the instructor is freed from the responsibility of driving. Consequently, the instructor can communicate with everyone in person, providing students with instructions, pre/post field lectures, and narration of exciting and noteworthy landmarks, “en route talking points” as the bus rolls along. The big drawback of the bus is its size, which can limit access to the places you want to take your group. All field trips outlined in this field trip guidebook are accessible by charter bus, except for Rainbow Basin. Hiring the bus should not be the responsibility of the instructor, so be sure to leave this process to the staff charged to do so. If you are tasked with hiring a bus, contact a local charter bus directly. In my experience, I’ve found charter bus companies to be relatively easy to work with and eager for your business. In any case, always make your expectations for the bus and drivers as straightforward as possible, including the following:
     •  A working microphone – they frequently do not!   
     • A working DVD player or wifi – media that compliments the field trip curriculum can help constructively fill up time for longer drives.
     • A request that the driver has food and water for the day – try to avoid, if at all possible, stops for food and water, as they are typically a huge time sink.
     • Finally, consider that your bus driver’s skill can impact the quality of your field trip experience; some drivers are extraordinarily skilled, professional, and safe, while others may need help with directions, parking, and other logistics. Always be sure you know where you are going and what you will likely encounter along the way if your help is needed to get you and your students there and back again safely. I keep a log of my “favorite” drivers and request them by name.

5. Logistics: Executing safe, educational, and fun field trip experiences are more likely if planned from start to finish. This entails physically visiting the sites ahead of time, thinking about what your students will do before, during, and after the field trip, and, most importantly, identifying safety considerations. Throughout this guidebook, based on past experiences, I’ve addressed the most significant logistical and safety issues. Nevertheless, I strongly encourage a “walk-through” ahead of your first visit to any field trip destination, especially if you plan to reach the site via charter bus, to prepare yourself and the driver for any obstacles. Fortunately, many excellent destinations are reachable by a large charter bus. Unfortunately, some drivers may feel uncomfortable navigating a tight parking lot or driving a rutted road. Still, your assurance that the destination is accessible can be a big boost to a driver’s confidence. 
6. Safety and equipment: Safety is critical for any field trip. Even a minor injury or illness can spoil the day, and students should be treated to a fun and educational experience. Hence, it is essential that they are made aware of potential hazards and that you monitor student behavior throughout the trip. As stated above, all drivers must consider safety first and may require your assistance so they may focus on transporting passengers safely. Always consider traffic when exiting vehicles, whether on a seemingly empty backcountry road or a parking lot. In my experience, students tend to exit buses as if stepping onto a deserted stretch of the Sahara, without any thoughts of traffic. Likewise, having students exit onto the shoulder of a roadway to examine the geology, biology, etc. will necessitate a reminder to stay out of the road – students tend to “float” out into the street, feeling perhaps an unrealistic “safety in numbers”.  Once you’re safely in the field trip area, you are presented with a new host of hazards, including slip and fall, rattlesnakes, horseplay, dehydration, and exposure. To help mitigate these and other dangers, communicate with your students before, en route, and in the field. I always instruct students to bring at least a ½ gallon of water into the field and more if it’s an extended visit. Be explicit! “Lots” of water to someone inexperienced with hiking is a 16 oz bottle of Arrowhead water. You will also find that many students really want to climb and explore: fantastic, but not on your field trip. Too many things can go wrong if you allow students to start “exploring”, from a twisted ankle to getting lost or worse. I keep everyone together and limit climbing and exploring to what complements the learning objectives of the trip. I also try to keep my large groups as “small” as possible in order to reduce our physical imposition on others. I remind my students to walk single-file on trails and ask them to “gather round” as tightly as possible when at a lecture stop. This has the added benefit of making it easier for them to hear you and, in turn, be more engaged with the discussion.  To help illustrate concepts and new vocabulary, bring a large drawing pad and markers of different colors. Finally, include a first-aid kit to treat minor injuries. 

7. Rules of Conduct. Student safety must always be paramount regardless of the nature of a field trip. Making it clear beforehand, and again in the field, that reckless behaviors that are unacceptable will help ensure a safe trip and, at the same time, help students better focus on the main objective of the trip: learning curriculum in the field. Keep in mind that an academic field trip is just that, academic. You are conducting class outdoors, and you are in charge, period. Any student behavior that endangers themselves or others or negatively impacts the learning environment is unacceptable. Adopting this mentality will minimize misbehavior. When lecturing, I consider the field like an outdoor classroom: I wait until I have the attention of everyone before talking, then use classroom management strategies if there are disruptions during the lecture or learning activities. When walking from stop to stop, it’s essential to keep everyone together and move reasonably briskly to minimize “tardies” at the next lecture stop. Similarly, I’ve also learned to become more tolerant and considerate of the fitness of my students. Frequently, there are a few students that genuinely have a difficult time keeping up with the group because of their lack of physical fitness. In these cases, I praise the students for making their efforts and encourage them to do their best but not to overdo it. Again, safety. Heat exhaustion (or worse) is a real possibility in southern California. While you want your students to meet the learning objectives of the field trip, you also want them to remember the field trip as a positive experience. 
8. Considering Accessibility. Some students may have accessibility issues, such as being hearing impaired or having limited mobility. As their instructor, it is your responsibility to do all you can to help all students experience and meet the learning objectives of the field trip. I think a good practice is communicating with students with accessibility issues ahead of time to determine what they need and then doing all that is reasonable to accommodate their needs. For example, if they are hearing impaired, be sure to invite their sign language interpreters or if a student is in a wheelchair, consider how you can modify the field trip so that they may learn and enjoy along with their classmates. In my experience, so long as you try to get on the same page as the student(s) and make them feel that you are doing all you can for them, they will appreciate the efforts and have a positive experience.