Nothing beats the feeling of waking up one morning and remembering you don’t have a normal day at school– you have a field trip. Whether it’s to the aquarium, zoo, science museum, or even a play, field trips were a highlight of childhood learning.
This poses the question– are field trips really necessary for learning, or are they just a waste of time? And if they are so great, why aren’t they as common in high school?
Clay Kelsh, a Latin and AP Art History teacher, believes that field trips are crucial for the classroom. He has taken his students to places like the High Museum of Art, the Michael C. Carlos Museum, Stone Mountain, Hindu Temples, as well as international trips in Spain, France, Italy, and Greece.
“I think it’s always important to change your perspective, but metaphorically and physically. Humans are meant to learn by doing and exploring, not just staring and listening,” said Kelsh.
Studies show that being exposed to real world experiences can allow students to engage further into their education and enjoy the topics they are learning about.
Recently, Lauren Coleman’s AP Psychology and Introduction to Psychology classes took a field trip to Georgia Tech and Georgia State’s Center for Advanced Brain Imaging in order to view neuroimaging techniques that relate to the unit they studied.
“The AP Psychology field trip really benefited my learning and related a lot to what we talked about in class,” says senior Karly Johnson.
The hands-on learning that field trips provide is essential for students to make connections between the classroom and the real world.
“Being able to see direct application of concepts learned in the classroom increases interest and understanding for topics discussed,” said Coleman. “Field trips may vary based on unit of study, but effective ones bridge content with real world application to further deepen understanding and spark curiosity.”
Just last year, I had the opportunity to be a part of Pisgah Fellows, a student organization led by Dr. Chris Harmon and Megan Koch, created with the intention of fostering leadership skills. Within this organization we attended many out-of-school field trips such as luncheons with the general manager of the Buckhead Club and president of the Scheduling Institute as well as a tour of the Chick Fil A Headquarters. Through these experiences I was able to immerse myself into different environments which I wouldn’t have been able to do at school.
Lastly, field trips should be brought back for one plain and simple reason – teenagers don’t want to sit at desks all day listening to adults talk at them. In fact, it often takes a field trip for students to appreciate and understand the things they were learning about before.
Biology and Human Anatomy teacher, Andrew Perry, took his freshman class to the Chattahoochee Nature Center last year to discuss ecological principles from class.
“Students like [field trips] to get out of class, and teachers like them for their educational value. Eventually, I think, students come to appreciate the educational value as well,” said Perry.
Whether you believe it or not, field trips aren’t just a break from class– they’re an essential part of school. After all, the best learning doesn’t happen behind a desk– it happens in the real world.
