1. Check with the Director of Studies (Leslie).
2. If you are taking the class for more than 1 horu and 40 minutes, you might need to cover other teaching responsibilities.
For example, if my class from 9-10:40 wants to go to Miami for the day, perhaps for a very important exhibition at a museum, I will need to find a teacher to cover the 11-12:40 class that I also teach. If I can take ALL of the students from my 9-10:40 class, then the teacher of that class can cover my other class.
If some students DON'T want to go to the Museum, maybe they can join a different class for the day. Perhaps Tony can cover the teaching for the day? There are many possibilities.
3. Get a waiver from each student. When you "waive" something, you say good bye to it. Say goodbye to your comfortable class in the school. The statement below must be signed and given to the Director of Studies (who keeps it in the student's folder in our office).
4. Arrange the transportation. Sometimes it requires the teacher to rent the van or car. This is the easiest procedure. Talk with the Activities Guy to see if there are other possibilities.
5. Let all of the students know about the outing. Sometimes students in other classes want to go with you! Ask them to follow step nubmer 3 and 6.
6. Assign homework. This is an academic and vocabulary-building expedition.
7. Collect activities for the trip. There is a box labeled "Field Trip" and you can find lyrics to songs and a tape with Beach Boys songs (good for deceiphering on the van. ... "bushy bushy blond hairdos, surfing USA. .... we'll be planning out our route, we're gonna take real soon, waxing down our surfboards, can't wait for June..." (Some of these lyrics are more difficult... for example, what is a "chisano"? It's somewhere in that song, "Surfing USA").
Other suggested vocabulary building ideas:
a) I spy somethign that begins with A (apple, anteaster, Arkansas) ... you must be able to see it in or outside the car.
b) Recite lyrics of a song until someone guesses the title of the song or until they can sing the chorus.
c) Listen to music and stop after 30 seconds. "What did the singer say? Who is the listener? What is he or she singing about? Is he happy or sad? What happened? Why did he write the song? When did this happen? Are there words that you don't understand? Which words? Who is the singer? Where does he live? Where is the song taking place? When could you use this song? What is the style of the song (blues, western, rock and roll, romantic)?"
d) Add a letter. Start with a word and see if you can expand. (you can move the letters around) SIT, SITE, BITES BITERS BITTERS
e) Change a letter, BEACH >> REACH >> TEACH >> if you can't continue, then you start a new word (and you lose a point). When someone loses 10 points, he buys a drink for everyone!
f) Fill in the blank. Someone reads a poem and everybody thinks of a word or a line to end the poem.
Roses are blue, violets are red
if you believe this, please get a new ______
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears
It's a world of laughter and a world of ______
ANSWER
(head) (tears)
WAIVER
I am a student. I agree that the trip organized outside of the school is good for my language learning. I accept responsibility for going on this trip. I choose to go on this trip. There is another activity that I can do if I choose not to go on this academic trip.
If there is a car accident, I will not say that the school is responsible. It is my choice to go on this trip. This trip was chosen by me.
If there is a delay and the organizer makes a change in the destination of the trip, I agree to go to the new destination or arrange for my own return. (For example: perhaps the museum is closed because the staff is on strike. the organizer can move the group to a cafe to complete the lesson. If I don't like this, I can arrange to return to school by myself).
I agree to pay for my share of the cost of the trip. Food and drinks and admission and transportation are not included in the school fee. The Teacher's time and energy are covered in the cost of the school.
Name: ____________________________ date: _______________________
Destination of Field Trip ____________________________________
This step-by-step method works for students, also. You can help your teacher meet these requirements by understanding the reasons why the school has these steps. You can also understand the procedure so you can help the teacher complete all of the steps.