How to Save Hours on a School Trip: Chaperone Recommendations

At Scholastica, we are all about maximizing your school trip experience. We want every group to return with long-lasting positive memories, excited about all that they have learned and eager to continue exploring.

One way that we maximize your experience is to streamline the tour process. We seek the most efficient travel routes and itineraries so that your group spends less time in transit and more time engaged in the sights of their destination.  Saving ten minutes here and fifteen minutes there accumulates throughout the trip, giving you more time to enjoy what you came to see.  Sometimes there is even time to do something extra!

Chaperones can play a big part in the streamlining process. Below are our chaperone recommendations for an efficient and enjoyable trip:

Chaperone   Recommendations

1. Form Chaperone Groups:

Divide students on each bus into small groups. Assign each group of students to a chaperone on that bus. Use our Bus Roster to get and stay organized.

When this helps on tour:

• Moving between locations: Every time a student tour changes locations, the group must be counted to ensure that all students are present. Chaperone groups make this a fast and easy process. When it is time to move, students quickly find their assigned chaperone. Chaperones give a thumbs up to the tour leader when they have every one in their group. Once the tour leader sees a thumbs up from each chaperone, it is time to move on. If a student isn’t present, the assigned chaperone knows immediately who is absent. We have found that this saves dramatic amounts of time compared to counting students in one large group or lining up students to count.

2. Assign a Chaperone to Count Students on Bus:

Assign one chaperone to count the group after the bus is loaded with students.

When this helps on tour:

• Bus Loading: Every time the group boards the bus, precious time can be lost if not done efficiently. Students should be encouraged to sit in their seat as soon as possible. One chaperone can then walk the aisle to quickly count the students and chaperones. We found that this is more efficient than counting students as they load the bus or calling roll after everyone has boarded. Chaperones often lose count as students board the bus and also want to do a backup count. By walking the aisle, the counting chaperone can visually see empty seats. They can also do a quick count as the walk to the back of the bus and a backup count as the walk to the front of the bus.  Once the chaperone gives the thumbs up to the tour leader, the bus can depart for the next location.  In cities like New York City and Washington DC, this can be especially important as buses are often given limited time for group loading and unloading.

3. Use Remind101 for Tour Reminders:

 Use the free text messaging service Remind101 to send tour reminders to chaperones.

When this helps on tour:

• Meeting Times:  Although meeting times and locations are stated by the tour leader, they can be forgotten in the excitement of all that there is to see and do. Group leaders and tour leaders can use Remind101 to send out a reminder about the meeting time and location. Tours are greatly streamlined if everyone is in the correct location at that planned time.

Chaperones greatly enhance a student trip. With their cooperative help, hours can be saved leaving more time for travel enjoyment. See more chaperone recommendations here.