Summer Professional Development: Field Trip

Do you remember how excited you felt as a student when your teacher announced a field trip? Or how your students react when they have an opportunity to learn outside of the classroom?

Embrace the field trip feeling this summer! Whether you're planning a vacation or an excursion as a tourist in your own city, there are so many ways you can learn while you're out and about.

Document & share

Students might not be excited when summer comes to an end, but they're usually looking forward to telling their friends and teachers about what they did and where they went. You can do the same (and remind your students that you do exist outside of school)! Take photos and document your learning so that you can share your field trip with your students. It's a great way to build connections, and could offer a jumping off point for your first lesson or unit.

Back to the beginning

What inspired you to become a teacher? Maybe a visit to a planetarium encouraged you to become a science teacher, or a trip to a foreign country made you want to become a language teacher. While you might not be able to recreate these moments exactly, you can find smaller ways to recapture those feelings -- like a night of stargazing or watching a foreign film.

Get interdisciplinary

Maybe your trip doesn't present any obvious learning opportunities in your specific field. No problem! Look for interdisciplinary connections instead. A math teacher might find inspiration in the Golden Ratio or geometry at an art museum, while a social science teacher could discover local history on a hike.

Take a look at what science teachers in Chicago learned on their very own field trip to a local museum. A quick search for summer teacher workshops might uncover free or low-cost local activities for you, too.