Student Educational Trip: 5 Reasons to Become a Group Leader

You are a passionate teacher dedicated to the intellectual and personal growth of your students. However, coordinating a multi-day trip for your class can seem like a daunting logistical balancing act. Do not hesistate! The benefits of student travel far outweigh the upfront effort.

1. Promote Lifelong Learning – You know that learning is a lifelong, ongoing process that does not end when you leave the classroom. Traveling with your students makes a bold statement about your enthusiasm for learning, for finding opportunities to grow in understanding, and for engaging with the world around you.

2. Enrich Your Teaching Experience– There is a difference between showing a student a picture and taking them there for a first-hand experience. Traveling with your students adds additional context and substance to classroom material, and reinforces concepts learned throughout the school year. Traveling provides an amazing opportunity to engage in experiential learning and discussion based teaching.
 
3. Never Forget– Traveling creates unique moments for students that they likely never experienced before or will ever again. As a result, school trips form memories that are unforgettable. And as much as they will remember when they marched with their band at Walt Disney World® or sat on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, they will remember their caring teacher or group leader who made it all possible.
 
4. Expose Students to New Environments– Traveling is a constant teacher. Students not only experience a new city, but also many new situations, such as staying in a hotel with classmates and traveling by bus. By leaving their comfort zones, students often gain maturity, self-confidence, and independence as they adapt to these new environments.  Traveling is an amazing opportunity to promote the personal development of your students.

5. Give the Experiential Learners a Chance to Soar– Most people learn best through a combination of auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learning styles. However, each person typically has a preference a particular style.  Students who are strongly kinesthetic (experiential) learners will thrive on an educational trip as they experience the classroom material first-hand.