Reflections on New York and the benefits of going abroad with students on trips

On Sunday 14th February, 5 sixth form students and I set off to New York on a joint trip with Bexleyheath School. The coach and flight connections went very smoothly but when we arrived at the hotel, we were shocked to see hundreds of dogs! America had the equivalent of the British Krufts Show and our hotel was dog friendly so most of the show dogs were staying with us! We quickly had our supersize Mcdonalds before going to bed. The next day was jam packed. We visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island followed by Wall Street and Times Square. We took a night time visit to the Empire State Building which had beautiful views despite the snow blizard that had begun. The next day was the coldest with a snow blizard lasting all day. We had planned to take a bus tour for the day but clearly realised when boarding the bus that this was silly as the bus windows were steamed up and we could see nothing! our tour guide promised it would improve, but two hours later, it hadnt and in our frustrated state, we hit 5th Avenue! We ate in Ellen's 'Stardust Diner' that night which was a great experience. All the waitresses and waiters sing musical hits whilst serving. The students also got the staff to sing Happy Birthday to me but happened to get the age wrong. 30 not 40!
Our last day was spent retracing Ben Stiller's steps at the Musuem of Natural History. We then returned to do some final shopping at Macy's and Bloomingdale's before heading home.

I cannot underestimate the value of a school trip particularly to a foreign country. Pupils recognise the 'human' nature of teachers and do appreciate the sacrifice teachers make to ensure that pupils' safety and well being are never compromised. Personally, facing the challenge of leading a trip is a welcome pressure. The responsiblity it entails far outweighed by the job satisfaction gained once the school trip is over. Your classroom management will improve if pupils know you are prepared to put in extra hours for no benefit.

Can I just lastly stress that this was not a jolly. I paid to go and will be doing so in October. You are sacrificing your holiday and many people understandably would want to avoid this. However, if you are interested in setting up a trip and want some initial advice, please feel free to come and have a chat.

Emily