Another field trip event!
Although field trips are a tremendous amount of work they do have excellent learning opportunities. Plans and decisions have to be made. Kids have to be well prepared to take advantage of what they see.
For a few years my school took all the gr. 8 classes to a professional theater performance. We had to go 140 km (95 mi) to attend a professional performance. We were able to get a back stage tour and conversation with actors after the performance. We learned a bit about the play before we went. Then there were all those forms parents had to sigh to let their kid go on the trip.
So for 150 kids we had five buses and a whole lot of volunteer supervisors.
The big day came and we loaded the buses. One teacher was in charge of each bus and had a list of students, volunteers and teachers who were to be on that bus. I checked each bus if they had everybody before I said "Let's go."
When we got to the theater, somebody asked "Where's Bill?" We soon discovered that Bill wasn't there and had been left at the school. Now Bill was the head drama guy and had arranged all things with the theater. Bill knew what was to be going on.
I immediately started to worry because, I had left Bill behind.
I decided that the best thing for me to do was meet with Bill and have the chat. When we got back to the school Bill had gone home. As soon as I got home I got on the phone. I phoned Bill's house and his mother-in-law answered. She was laughing and thought it was funny. I did get Bill later in the evening. He was disappointed but not greatly upset.
He had gone back into the school to get his tie and jacket. He'd been on the bus and left to go back in the school. He knew part of it was his fault.
So that's the only time I left a teacher behind.
Oh my, poor guy. I'm sure he was disappointed, but it was partly his own fault. :-)
ReplyDeleteHe's a great character and nothing gets him down.
DeleteBill was a dufus!
ReplyDeleteBill just has too many things going on.
DeleteWell, that was unfortunate for him, but he did it to himself.
ReplyDeleteHe never missed a beat and kept on coming up with more ideas.
DeleteHe should have told someone on the bus! Or found you...maybe he just wanted the day off:)
ReplyDeleteThe teacher on the bus was the problem. He just didn't think.
DeleteHa-ha! That's a funny story Red. The head of drama was in the centre of a drama!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Please have another look at the title of this blogpost. I think you meant to write "Ever" and not "Every".
Good eye Mr Pudding. I'm not too sharp when it comes to editing.
DeleteOh, my! So, who gave the go ahead to leave??!!
ReplyDelete(ツ) from Cottage Country Ontario , ON!
I gave the go ahead. The guy who let us down was the supervisor on Bill's bus.
DeleteOur field trips tended to be to local conservation areas and that sort of thing. I remember my last year of high school, a creative writing teacher took us into Toronto to see a few spots. At one point he said, "meet here in an hour for lunch", and let us all go our own ways to get to that place. I wonder if they'd allow that these days.
ReplyDeletethat would not happen these days.That as a risk to give you free range.
DeleteHa! Well, at least when it's a teacher being left behind, you know they have the resources to take care of themselves. I'm surprised Bill didn't hop in his car and follow you to the theater!
ReplyDeleteBill did try to catch us but he had dilly dallied in the school for far too long.
DeleteHi Red, This post makes me wonder if there are teachers who have written books about their experiences while teaching. Hiawatha House is sort of like finding one of those kinds of books and getting one Chapter at a time. It’s cool. You’ve sure had some interesting experiences and I’ll bet that is true for most long-term teachers. My guess is that Bill has never forgotten missing his planned field trip. Now, to answer your question, What was I doing up at 4 in the morning. I sure would never have wanted to get up so early when I was teaching. But in retirement I’ve found some truth in that old saying, “early to bed, early to rise … “ I guess I could say I’m a morning person. I love to start my day with a good cup of coffee and an hour or two of peace and quiet. Well, that’s the story here. Hope all is well with you and things are starting to warm up in Red Deer. Seattle is having a fairly warm (23C now) and dry week … can you believe it? :-) John
ReplyDeleteThere are teacher biographies and like you I'm a fan of them. When I write this I can hardly believe what happened.
DeleteLOL Oh, poor Bill. These things happen :)
ReplyDeleteWe all had a good laugh at this one.
DeleteLOL I love it. I remember these experiences as a student lasting a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteI've had lots of remarks on what we did as many students live in this area.
DeleteAw, that's too bad that the drama teacher happened to be the one to be left behind! Great story, Red.
ReplyDeleteWe've had a laugh over this more than once.
Deletefun story but not for bill obviously
ReplyDeleteFunny story ... for all except for Bill!
ReplyDeleteBetter a teacher than a student! I remember counting and re-counting heads to make sure to make sure we still had everyone.
ReplyDeleteA funny story that still creates laughs. Bill missed out on a nice field trip, oh well, that's what happens when you step away for a moment or many moments in Bill's case. :)
ReplyDeleteStuff happens. Seems this was an accident and no one was at fault. I thought teachers kept lists?
ReplyDeleteBeen there done that, though we had four teachers on two buses. And parent chaperones were never included but that another story...:)
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness! That's rather funny, actually.
ReplyDelete