By: Loan-Anh Pham
Field trips are a crucial part of the educational experience, a crucial part that’s missing from curriculums today. Walk into a typical high school class and you’ll be unpleasantly greeted by a near-silent room accompanied by a droning lecture and a cloud of lethargy. Some classes may be characterized by an air of hustle and bustle, but underneath the surface, how many students are panicking as they scramble to finish the worksheet or figure out how to do the lab?
Field trips will pique students’ interest, give them a chance to relax from the busy routine of school, and provide motivation for both teachers and students to study in the aftermath. Take the traditional PowerPoint and Cornell notes and turn it into a day at the California Academy of Sciences or a research center. Instead of reading pages on end of Shakespeare, why not experience the bard’s work in its original setting, acted out in a theater? To be surrounded by a certain subject for a day breathes life into lifeless bullet points.
Arguably, field trips are the reprieve many students need from loaded schedules, and as a matter of fact, the announcement of one sends droves of students into cries of jubilation. “No school for a day!” students shout. And it’s true: the field trip is a break from school even if it technically is “school.” It reintroduces fun into learning and relieves the pressure of learning simply for the next test. It’s a chance to partake in fun activities with friends and make memories.
Of course, the hesitation over field trips usually stems from lack of funding (what doesn’t?). It’s certainly not cheap: transportation fees and substitute teacher payments alone bulk up a hefty price tag. Also, few programs will let in a horde of teenagers for free. There’s also the issue of paperwork, including proposal forms that need School Board approval, medical and permission forms to be collected from students, forms to approve chaperones, and so forth. Yet, the issue of money can be curbed by asking students to fundraise or shifting money from other purposes (such as dances). Paperwork done early is a trip halfway there. Anything can be done if enough support comes along.
I agree, field trips may seem a frivolous thought as our school has other expenses to attend to, such as old textbooks. Let me be frank: students can deal with cracked spines and dog-eared pages, but it’s a waste of time to come to school uninspired. Education is a gift, not a chore. It’s time to get out the door.
