What do you remember from your time in school? Just a few days here and there? Make more of your pupils' school days memorable by taking a trip outdoors.
Of the (approximately) 2280 days I spent there, only a handful have stuck in my mind.
Mostly I remember those days or experiences that were out of the ordinary, a departure from the norm. This means that I remember every school trip I have ever been on. OK, there aren't as many as ordinary school days and maybe that makes remembering them easier, but they were also exciting, often funny and sometimes scary, and they were always chock full of brand new sights, sounds and other sensory experiences that evidently shocked my brain into remembering them.
The experiences I remember from school trips aren’t necessarily the most conventionally ‘important’ of my school career, but the very fact that they are remembered means they assume a new importance in my life because they are the bits of school that shape my thinking as an adult.
As a teacher, you get to choose what trips your class will go on and to have a hand in introducing them to memorable experiences that could last a lifetime. I urge you to choose a trip that challenges and surprises them, that introduces them to new sensory experiences and offers opportunities for further exploration back in the classroom. Choose a trip that will influence the choices they make as an adult, leading to a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone. Finally, make more of their time in school memorable by choosing to increase the number of trips you take; local farms and countryside locations are relatively easy and cost-effective to get to for most schools and, if you don’t know anywhere local, you can search our places to visit for inspiration.
