Over my 37 years of teaching I had many different and interesting assignments. One of those assignments was to teach outdoor Ed. I had been going along with other Outdoor ed. teachers when they went on field trips. So I was given a couple of classes to teach.
We had in class instruction and then went on field trips to apply what the kids learned. We hiked, cross country skied and snowshoed. All field trips were over nighters. The kids were given a list of equipment they needed. For most overnights we stayed in youth hostels. The huts were small so kids slept on the floor.
For one or two field trips a year we tented. One field trip in November we tented under winter conditions.
Now when you take 35 kids on a 2 or 3 day field trip, the kids just don't go home at 3:30 PM to their home. We had those kids until it was bed time. Something had to be done to keep them occupied. We just didn't turn on the TV.
So I'm finally getting to the flashlight. One of the things they were to bring was a flashlight. Yes the flashlight was used in the tent. However, there were many games of tag or whatever they did using the flashlights. They hid from the light. They played tag. They ran all over the place. They kept themselves occupied for an hour or two.
So , I'll bet the only kids playing with a flashlight were my Outdoor ed. classes.
I admire teachers who organize field trips of any kind but especially overnight ones or foreign field trips. It's a lot of work and responsibility.
ReplyDeleteField trips are more valuable than we think. I had a young lawyer tell me that the Out door ed trips were the best part of school.
DeleteSounds like a fun time, playing tag with the flashlights. I used to love camping. Have a great day and a happy weekend.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was still camping!
DeleteWe used to play with flashlights too. My grandfather had an old military flashlight that was olive green, with a body perpendicular to the lens, kind of like a periscope. It was very weird.
ReplyDeleteI've seen one of those flashlights.
DeleteThose lights were used for night marches. The person in the front right and left corners of the block of soldiers ('guide ons') marching would hold them so that you could keep the group together. The perpendicular design was to allow the holder to hold it naturally in his hand as he marched, and the light would be shining at the ground to guide the group. Usually, in the back of it, if you unscrewed it, there would be a red lense that you could put over the light to make it harder for the 'enemy' to see.
DeleteNot so! We enjoyed playing hide and seek in the dark with them.
ReplyDeleteAs I remember there was a lot of running in flashlight tag.
DeleteIn hide and seek, a good strategy was to hide your flashlight someplace where it was visible, just barely...and when 'it' headed towards it in the dark, you took advantage of the distraction to make a run for it. "Hooooooooome freeeeeeeeeeee!" The crickets would stop for a moment to marvel at our cleverness.
DeleteI bet the kids loved those trips. My students loved field trips but we didn’t go overnight!
ReplyDeleteThey loved every minute of those trips. As adults they've told me how much they liked the activity.
DeleteYour post about taking kids on a field trip brought a smile to my face. Like Joyful said in her comment, “it’s a lot of work and responsibility.” Working with high school kids, I knew overnighters would be especially challenging. My one big memory about field trips was when I was Senior Class Advisor and we took the kids (bus loads of them) over to Stuart Anderson’s Ranch in central Washington, about 2 hours away. Lots of smiles and challenges I recall from that trip. 😊 It wasn't completely overnight, but we didn't get back home until about 4 in the morning.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt about it that field trips can be stressful and take much planning.
DeleteSounds like fun for the kids bck then. Now they would bring their phones, how boring.
ReplyDeleteFlashlight tag gave them much more exercise. However some of the places we would go would not have cell coverage. We went tot he Rockies.
DeleteThank you for your love of youth and your energy in helping them become human beings!!
ReplyDeleteQuite an experience for them.
ReplyDeleteWhen they are adults I've met them and received positive comments.
DeleteNow I think the kids' flashlights are on their phones.
ReplyDeleteMy ipad is pretty bright too.
DeleteI loved to play with flashlights under the covers when I was supposed to be asleep. Usually I would read under there. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're not the only one who read under the covers.
DeleteOne of my children went on a trip of several nights (a band trip maybe) and a teacher took a TV with them so they could all watch World Cup soccer at some early hour
ReplyDeleteThat teacher was o the bit. Where we went there was not TV coverage. There was no cell coverage either.
DeleteCool times. I remember flashlight tag.
ReplyDeleteIt kept the kids well occupied and they ran off energy.
DeleteMy grandsons liked flash lights so much we bought them some! Otherwise every weekend our batteries on ours would be dead:)
ReplyDeleteI'll bet your grandsons remember those flashlights. They would be great where you live out in the country.
DeleteThey went from kids with flashlights to adults with kids with flashlights on the phone.
ReplyDeleteTime goes by quickly but those field trips seem like yesterday.
DeleteOH MY GOSH! 3 day OVERNIGHT camping trips with 35 kids?!? That is amazing! And all you needed was flashlights to keep them occupied? You are totally amazing, Red. You must have been exhausted at the end of that trip.
ReplyDeleteTo entertain them you should have taken along a guitar and with the kids sitting around the campfire, you would have sung:-
ReplyDeleteHome, home on the range,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard a discouraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day.
Thanks for sharing those great memories Red, always enjoy reading them. I bet the 'kids' are still talking about those times with you with great fondness.
ReplyDelete