Traveling with Students

From January 2010 archived blog
by Sandra Hinesly

While interviewing for your first CTE teaching assignment the principal informs you that traveling with students will be an important part of your job. For some this would cause the first sign of panic about a new career field and for others this information would be an added bonus to a great career choice. Experienced Career and Technical Education teachers will all agree that there is pleasure and stress associated with traveling with students. The student youth organizations (CTSO’s) are an integral part of all CTE programs as they provide students with the opportunity to gain social and leadership skills, to build self-esteem, and to participate in a competitive environment that allows them to demonstrate their acquired academic skills in individual or team activities.

Teachers and students across the state are gearing up for spring competition as the first level of competition begins for some as early as the end of January 2010.  It would be difficult to estimate the value of these conferences to the chapters, teachers, and students, however; it is easy to see why some advisors might find the prospect of traveling with a large group of students a little intimidating.  So here are some travel tips to help us all get organized:

• Consider creating a notebook for yourself and all chaperones that could include the following: a photo ID of all individual students on the trip, a section that contains all parent permission forms and medical needs of any student, a section that contains the tentative agenda, and a section that contains the cell phone numbers of all students, parents of students, advisors and chaperones on the trip.
• Prior to the trip conduct parent/student meeting to discuss conduct policies, expectations of the trip, sign any needed forms, discuss money that will be needed and appropriate clothing for the trip.
• If parents cannot make the meeting, then they should schedule an individual meeting time.
• If flying to your destination, consider holding all boarding passes until it is time to board and then handing them to the students at the gate.  This way you know everyone is on board and you are not counting noses on the plane.  Buy one color of ribbon and give every participant a piece to put on their luggage to make it easy to spot your group’s luggage at the airport and the hotel.
• If you have to take a student for medical treatment, be prepared by having the paperwork ready and someone to watch the other students while you are gone. 

Being organized, involving your students, and having a great attitude makes a big difference in the success of your trip and you may never know the difference you or the trip made in the life of one of your students.