DBacks, Zoo's and Bloody Noses

So today was the day...our very first field trip. I've been on a lot of field trips in my years as an educator. Some a success, some definitely not successful, this one was a mix of both.

As soon as the kids got to school they wanted to know "how many minutes?" I can't even remember how many times I answered that question! Around 9 my volunteers showed up. We had my mom (thank you!), a grandma and an intern for my class.

First things first, buddy them up. Not so easy. It's a very fragile balance trying to place responsible kids with semi-responsible kids. Kids that like each other, that can help each other, etc. We finally got into pairs and then to the bus...

Walking through the front office with 20 excited kids was fun. Thank you Lorraine for not having my head. The bus ride was actually really smooth. They are much quieter then teens. When I would look back to check on them, the bus looked empty because their heads don't come up over the seats, too cute!

The actual presentation at the ballpark left a lot to be desired. It's not so easy to keep a very large group of 1-3rd graders satisfied. The thought process was good, but the actual follow through left a lot to be desired. The best part of the presentation was the animals that the Phoenix Zoo brought out.

After the very L-O-N-G hour presentation at the ballpark we hit a park near school for lunch and playtime. I think that it may have been the hottest day we've had since school started, but the kids didn't seem to mind too much. There were 4 long picnic tables, perfect for our four classes and a fabulous play structure.

Christy, Jill, Jenn and I took pictures in our fantastic shirts (Thank you, Christy!) and then took a whole group picture of the 1/2's.

When we got back to school, the kids were able to tell me all about the presentation and exactly what they had learned. So that just went to show me that even though they may seem distracted and squirmy, they get it. Thank goodness!

With only one bloody nose (grandma was on hand though!) and no kids lost, I'm calling our first field trip a success!