4 Reasons Why School Trips Are Worth The Hassle
19 December 2017
It’s no secret that the current education model leaves much to be desired.
It’s been apparent for a while now that students aren’t leaving school with the skills they need. Employers are struggling to find candidates who’re proficient in the necessary soft skills, and many students are suffering due to not being prepared for life and the world of work.
Albeit, they’re by no means a definitive solution to the problem, school trips are a highly effective and proven way to get students to become more resilient and better able to face the world around them. By taking regular excursions outside of the familiar classroom, students can build the skills they need to become independent, level-headed employees, managers, entrepreneurs, or whatever they choose to be.
And the benefits don't stop there. Let's dive into four of the most significant reasons why school trips are definitely worth the hassle.
1. Better Learning
Even the thought of venturing outside the classroom’s walls is enough to raise anticipation in students. Actually doing so is a guaranteed way to bring a heightened energy and excitement into learning.
When in a new and unfamiliar environment, this energy automatically translates to greater attentiveness and focus — prerequisites for learning and grasping new ideas at a deep level. Students also benefit from being immersed in the holistic learning experience that is the real world, as opposed to the textual, one-dimensional student-teacher approach. In this way, students can pursue their own interests, rather than solely that of the teachers. One of the main factors in why students who do not normally shine in the classroom excel on school trips.
2. Special Moments
There is no shortage of opportunities for making memories on school trips. From the bus ride to and from the destination to the unexpected encounters and mishaps that inevitably occur during the trip, every moment is an opportunity in which you and your students can get to know each other better.
This is particularly important for student/teacher relations, as engaging with students on a school trip is a great way to break down the perceived barriers and build stronger bonds that will last for a long time if not their whole lives. What’s more, outside of the pressures and social norms of the classroom, new relationships between students are free to form and flourish.
3. Spark New Thinking
After a school trip, it’s often surprising to hear what students have to say when asked what the best part of the experience was for them. It may be the cunning seagulls at the beach, the charming demeanor of the partner who helped lead the group, or the homeless man and his friendly dog.
If it was a museum or planned event you visited, you shouldn’t consider this as a failure. Rather, it should be seen as a mark of a student’s curiosity and appreciation of the real world, and therefore encouraged. For many students, it’s not often they get to experience different cultures or ways of thinking outside of what they know; a school trip is an ideal time to do so and expand their current worldview.
4. Real World Skills
Interacting with new people in strange places, navigating the world, looking out for their peers, dealing with the unexpected; every school trip, no matter where you go, is choked full of opportunities for improving life skills.
Life skills shouldn’t be thought of as arbitrary to say, what will be learned when going to a museum. They’re essential if students are to become strong and well-rounded citizens of the 21st century. Some of the most important skills that are lacking today include self-confidence, self-esteem, and resilience — uncoincidentally the most difficult to teach in the classroom. They are, however, natural consequences of going on a school trip. Particularly one in which students encounter new
and challenging situations that force them outside of their comfort zones.
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