What’s the best way to learn? Is it reading about something, or by experiencing it firsthand on a field trip? Field trips are a fun way to learn and really enjoy time outside of the classroom. However, here at the School, field trips are limited. With only a few classes in the Upper School having the chance to go out and explore the world, some students feel like they are deserving of more field trips.
Freshman Ethan Wang explained that field trips help his learning by giving him access to different environments where he can continue to pursue learning and experience a fresh location other than a classroom. Natalie Tieng, the Division Coordinator of the Upper School explained that teachers at the School were asked to fill out a form in order to have a field trip, which gets reviewed by the Head of the Upper School. Field trips are constrained to a specific budget and must follow a certain schedule to not conflict with other classes in case there are tests that week. The budget and scheduling can place constraints on field trips that can be hard to navigate for teachers planning them.
Field trips can be a fun way to help students learn by developing creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork skills. Wang said, “It’s a different environment, therefore a few things are going to change. For example, if I had a field trip for my Spanish class, and we went to order food in Spanish, it would be much different than ordering in class with classmates.” According to him, field trips balance fun whilst still being school related and still offering learning opportunities. Ordering food in a different language, exploring nature, or even visiting a park to play a game with classmates is something that students at the School could use more of. Field trips offer a way to bring learning to life. They mix fun with education, spark curiosity, and help students see the world in new ways. More field trips at the School would be a great way to make learning even more exciting and meaningful.