I just chaperoned a kindergarten field trip

[laurafergie]

OMG!!!

I haven't chaperoned an elementary school field trip in NINETEEN years and now I remember why I had such a mental block.

We went to a kid's "cooking school". It was cute and fun, but the stuff was a bit too old for the 5-6 year olds. The teacher was talking about 1/4 cups and yeast making carbon dioxide and the the kids weren't getting it.

But when we started making the bread sticks most everybody shaped up. However, I was in charge of six little girls and two of them were brats! Pouting, yelling, griping, bouncing, standing on the chairs...the teacher had to take them out more than once. All of my attention was on those two girls the entire time, and BOY do I have a headache.

My hat is off to all of the elementary school teachers - I don't see how you do it every day.

That is all.

 

[mykidsand_i]

Good for you! It's great of you to help out on a field trip like that. It means so much to the kids to get to go on things like that! I've been there many times with the headache and know exactly what you mean! There's ALWAYS the one or two that are horrible...ALWAYS. For me, it always seems to be a girl who's crying, pouty and throwing fits and 1 boy who causes other trouble.

I wish more people would help with field trips. I know that work schedules don't really allow for it nowdays, but it seems like it's usually the same parent or two that helps the class through out the year...in our area we have many stay at home moms, and a few stay at home dads. A lot of the stay at home parents don't even offer to help. I'm happy with the ones that do, because it's a great way to support their kids and their child's teachers!

 

[castleview]

Take a bow, Laurafergie...and a nap. You deserve it. . How fun and exhausting!

 

[CathrynRose]

You just jogged my PTSS memory.

I chaperoned a 1st grade trip to The Field Museum, and specifically got a kid who the teacher referred to as "Squirrely" .

Time for a drink, woman!

 

[Mkrop]

Good for you! It's great of you to help out on a field trip like that. It means so much to the kids to get to go on things like that! I've been there many times with the headache and know exactly what you mean! There's ALWAYS the one or two that are horrible...ALWAYS. For me, it always seems to be a girl who's crying, pouty and throwing fits and 1 boy who causes other trouble.

I wish more people would help with field trips. I know that work schedules don't really allow for it nowdays, but it seems like it's usually the same parent or two that helps the class through out the year...in our area we have many stay at home moms, and a few stay at home dads. A lot of the stay at home parents don't even offer to help. I'm happy with the ones that do, because it's a great way to support their kids and their child's teachers!

Our school is the exact opposite. Everyone wants to go on the field trips and many parents get upset when they are not picked. You also have to have clearance to go, so many parents find that out the hard way, even though they are told from day one that you need this.

 

[RF536]

I am sure the kids apprecaited having you there, with out parent volunteers they wouldn't be able to go on the field trip.

I have been able to go on at least 1 field trip per year with both of my boys and DH also tries to attend 1 as well. We both help out in DS7's class once a week and did the same for DS9 until this year, in 3rd grade they don't use parent helpers. Because the teachers know us and know we will keep the kids in line, we always end up with the boys who need to be watched closely.

 

[Snoozan]

Oh, those days of class field trips - I remember that! I usually tried to send my DH on the trips that involved outside activities as we had 2 DS's who I felt could only benefit from having a parent around as they were a handful. My most memorable experience was when we visited a natural science museum and one of the little boys in my group(we always got only boys to chaperone - always!)managed to lock himself in the bathroom. That was fun! I don't know how teachers cope with dealing with little kids and their antics day in and day out - they deserve WAY more pay then they get!

 

[castleview]

Our school is the exact opposite. Everyone wants to go on the field trips and many parents get upset when they are not picked. You also have to have clearance to go, so many parents find that out the hard way, even though they are told from day one that you need this.

Yeah, I'll maybe do one a year for the kids, but I really can't stand it. I always put down "If you can't find anyone else." My oldest is at a grade where the teachers don't want the parents there and I'm good with it. Yet, so many parents think it's a slap in the face if they can't go on all the field trips. Some have actually driven themselves to all the field trips even if the school doesn't have anymore tickets.

Now that I think about it, my second grader has one trip that every parent is invited to at the zoo and it's rather nice the ways it's done. But I remember someone saying "what's the point in being a room mom if everyone gets to come?"

 

[laurafergie]

You just jogged my PTSS memory.

I chaperoned a 1st grade trip to The Field Museum, and specifically got a kid who the teacher referred to as "Squirrely" .

Time for a drink, woman!

Thank you! There was Miller Time involved a small bit last night.

I usually help out in the library, the book fair or I buy supplies, things where I'm not quite so one on one with the kids. Yes, I have I have a bunch of kids myself - but it doesn't mean I am the most patient of people.

I was patting myself on the back last night that MY at least, had great manners - then I get a call from teacher this morning that DD6 was having a temper tantrum and would I please talk to her on the teacher's cell phone so they could go to lunch!! Sigh..guess I'm not the greatest parent out there after all.

 

[Sheree Bobbins]

Bless you, my sister, for you have enabled a class trip to be carried out. Know that you are appreciated by the teachers.

 

[MM27]

Every time we go on a trip I have at least one parent tell me that they could never be a teacher One mother has chaperoned all our trips this year so far, but on the last one we went somewhere an hour away and she decided she didn't want to ride the bus with us because as she said, "I would need to bring along a thermos filled with some hard liquor "

I usually pass off my worst students to the parents on field trips and keep the best kids for myself.

 

[MnMomtoboys]

Field trips are tough. Even kids that are well behaved can go nuts. I spent a couple of years with this one kid that no one else wanted to deal with.. Most of the time the teacher would not count me as a chaperone so I would only have him. It was easier that way since we could go with whoever he was getting alone with that day. The school finally got the parents to realize that he needed to be in a public school with an IEP so I was free.

Some field trips are a blast and some are complete torture.

 

[cybrkitn]

I just found out yesterday that I'm chaperoning (sp?) for DS7's field trip to Cooperative Extension (I also know it as 4-H). This is my first time doing this and both DS and I are looking forward to it.

He goes to a private school and there are a total of 10 kids including himself in the class. Thankfully, I don't have to worry too much about the kids (just my own DS possibly acting up b/c "Mom's" there). Most, if not all, are at each other's b-day parties through-out the year and are pretty well behaved.

 

[daisyduck123]

My hat is off to all of the elementary school teachers - I don't see how you do it every day.

That is all.

Thank you...I needed that. It's nice to hear from parents now & then that they realize our job is HARD. 1st grade teacher, 24 students

 

[sallysmom]

Great posts.

I always worked full time and envied those parents who had the time to do their chaperoning bit. One day I actually took a day off to chaperone my daughter's class trip to a museum. They split up the kids in groups of 4 (lots of parents volunteer at my daughter's North School Long Island school) and I had the group with the one boy who kind of "wanders off." Three polite and fun-loving girls and I spent my entire time freaking out about losing this boy. Then, to really top off the day, when we met up to walk back to the busses, it turned out one of the busses broke down, they squeezed all the kids into one bus with the minimal allowed adult coverage and the rest of us parents were stranded. We were told "a van is coming to pick you all up." Of course, after an hour or so of no van, some moms called a local car service and I was lucky enough to get in a group with someone's husband coming. We arrived back at the school 2 hours after closing and our kids were hanging out in the office waiting for us.
Uggghhh! It took me a while to recover from that day. And surprisingly, my daughter still asks me, "When are you going to come on another trip, Mommy?"

 

[DVC mom]

Thank you for realizing we DO have a difficult time as teachers. If more parents would help, they'd see what we see. If I take the time to write something in your child's planner it stood out in the events of the day and was something that needed to be discussed at home. I don't have time or energy to make notes of everything that happens in a day. You can bet if I send you a note, you might want to talk to your darling. I am firm, fair, and consisent and treat my students as I would want my kids to be treated. I have always said if we can behave, we can learn. Those lucky enough to have parents to follow through with the notes at home will learn quickly how to act in a public setting and will spend more time learning.

 

[Blueeyes101817]

We had one field trip so far in my class (I teach Kindergarten). When we got back, I had 3 of the parents come up to me and say they dont know how I do it all day! They said tehy were so glad that they got to go on the trip since they got to see what really goes on in Kindergarten!

 

[bigbabyblues]

Thank you...I needed that. It's nice to hear from parents now & then that they realize our job is HARD. 1st grade teacher, 24 students

As the mom of a 3rd grader and a Kindergartner, I thank you and all the other teachers! There is no way I could do your job, nor would I even try. Teachers are special people IMO.

My DH is a substitute bus driver. Last week, he drove 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders from our DS' school (small school, but still) to the zoo over two hours away. Sending DH was my contribution, they could not have paid me to chaperone that trip! I don't mind to help out in the classroom, help with parties, etc., but not a field trip!

 

[sms]

I just went with my DS (1st grade) on his field trip to the zoo which is 2.5 hour away! Atleast it was a charter bus and they could watch a movie. Most of them slept on the way back! I chaperoned my DS and 2 other boys. One of them was terrific, the other not so great! We still had a great time. Ony one problem...The gorilla decided he wanted to have an "extra curricular activity" with himself. My group missed it, thank God, but the teacher of one group has to call the parents and have them explain something!!! I'm so glad we missed that one!!

 

[Kteacher]