Reflections about the Field Trip to see Ella

I am exhausted! I never knew that field trips were so much work. This field trip sounded simple enough. All students in the Learning Community go to see a play in St. Louis. In order for that to happen, I applied for a grant from The Foundation. That involved researching the costs and reserving the tickets, figuring out transportation costs, scurrying around for various signatures at the last minute.



I think last minute scurrying is pretty much the theme of the field trip to me.



Times I scurried during prep for the field trip:

-gathering signatures for the grant application

-locating proof that funding did not exist elsewhere

-finally sending payment to the Rep (which, I think, made it in time...just barely)

-getting the excused absence paperwork filled out 2 weeks after it was supposed to be filled out, but still in time to do it before the field trip itself

-getting the pizza to the students before leaving

-getting to the field trip location itself



I believe I left out a couple of scurryings; I certainly left out many additional harried moments.



In the end, though, the part of the play we saw was great, the students were very gracious, and I think I can honestly say that a good time was had and learning occured. I think I've come to the conclusion that I will probably do a field trip again (note all the qualifiers there), but there's no way I will do them on a regular basis.



The worst part of it all for me was the feeling that I was personally responsible if anything happened to the students while we were on this trip. Feeling responsible like that is exhausting. Driving a 12 passenger van is exhausting. Marathons around campus as I get paperwork taken care of-- also exhausting. I sense a new theme here.