Field trip down Memory Lane

This is the time of the year that students are either anxiously awaiting their final end-of-the-year field trips or have recently returned from such a trip.

Thinking back on field trips brings back some really comical memories. There are a few that have actually gone off without a hitch, but most of are like weddings — you can plan and plan and plan, but when the final moment comes, there’s a little character-building surprise that makes the trip just a little more memorable.

Years ago, before the tunnel to Whittier was upgraded for cars, train was the only way to get to Whittier, and since the train only ran a few times a day, you had to be very aware of the schedule. My teaching team and I decided that our culminating activity, after an in-depth study on Alaska, should be a trip to Whittier and a glacier cruise. In anticipation of this trip, we orchestrated an amazing amount of fundraising and meticulously planned the day.

It almost went off without a hitch — up to the point of us coming back on the boat. As we were nearing the shore, we watched the train pulling out of the station to head back to Anchorage … without us!

We quickly called the railroad to find out what was going on, as our schedule said we were still 15 minutes early, and to see if they could please just change their minds and wait for us. What we found out was that the schedule that we had been sent was the winter schedule and our field trip was on the first day of the spring schedule. So, there we were, in the booming metropolis of Whittier with more than 70, 10-year-olds for a few surprising hours. And yes, by that time it was raining horizontally.

Back when I taught kindergarten, I looked forward to the annual trip to the zoo. I couldn’t wait to see if the caribou and moose had their babies yet and if the wolves, lynx and fox were out of their little houses, pacing in their pens. And I absolutely couldn’t wait to take the students to see the elephants, as it was always entertaining to watch them eat or to see them rolling their big ball.

I found out, though, that to a group of 5- and 6-year-olds, there’s nothing in the zoo that makes such a big impression as watching an elephant poop. Their excitement-meter was at an all-time high, and any time we came across another group of students that day, they excitedly shared the elephant pooping story. When their parents came to pick them up from school, the first thing they said was, “We got to see the elephant take a poop!”

After that, it almost felt anti-climactic to take classes back to the zoo if the elephant was just eating or playing with the ball.

I also have to laugh when I think of the field trip in which we got on the bus and the driver announced he had just received word that he needed to do a middle and high school take-home run, and then pick us up later. So, after our local apple-orchard tour, which should have lasted about 30 minutes, we found out that we needed to fill in a huge amount of time while we waited for the bus. We played every game we could think of that required no equipment, and the bus still hadn’t come.

It was about this time one of my teaching partners decided to fill the time by taking students on an “implement tour” and explain every piece of farm machinery she saw lining the driveway path. “Boys and girls, on the left we have a hay rake. A hay rake is used for … and to the right, we have a ...”

Spontaneity is the name of the game. We were all really thankful to see the bus pulling back in the driveway.

Fortunately, I wasn’t on the trip when an older grade went to Eklutna Lake for a little end-of-the-year hike, and one of the groups had to turn back to the bus when a bear was on its path. Meanwhile, the other two groups were out having a fabulous time, totally unaware that their classmates had just finished verse 87 of “100 Bottles of Pop on the Wall.”

Another outdoor field trip memory involves a bird flying overhead and relieving itself — on the teacher’s head! I found the nearest parent helper to supervise the students then dismissed myself to the restroom, where I discovered that all sinks are not equal for washing hair. I am now a strong advocate for installing deep sinks in all public restrooms that service teachers taking students on outdoor field trips.

There are many wonderful places in our community and state to take students on field trips, but I always wonder what surprises are in store after boarding the bus.

Diana Sloan-Basner is an elementary teacher at Birchtree Charter School. She started teaching in the Mat-Su in 1985, so she has been on many field trips!