The chaperones chosen for your trip are just as important as the attractions and experiences you’ve meticulously planned for your itinerary—they can truly make or break the experience for all involved. But besides knowing you need quality chaperones, you might not know how exactly to ensure that’s what you’ll get.
Read on for tips for upping your chaperone game.
START YOUR SEARCH EARLY
As soon as you have your trip dates locked in, don’t wait to put out the call for chaperones. There will certainly be parents who are willing and eager to help, but it’s important to also consider fellow educators for the role, as well. Your teacher colleagues will already understand the goals of the trip, in addition to being accustomed to being around a high number of highly energetic and enthusiastic students on a regular basis
An application process for parent chaperones is wise to determine who fits the bill. The sooner you can nail down who your go-to people are, the better.
LAY EXPECTATIONS OUT FULLY
For those parents who do express interest in participating in the trip as chaperone, ensure you share what is expected in terms of conduct during the trip. Just as students will need to abide by a code of conduct, chaperones should see in writing and be told verbally through various meetings what is expected of them.
While a student trip is meant to be fun, from a chaperone perspective, it’s important to emphasize that the trip is not a vacation for them and that the students are always the priority.
ASK PAST CHAPERONES FOR REFERALS
If you’ve traveled with your students before and had a great chaperone, consider reaching out to them to see if: 1. They want to potentially chaperone once again, or 2. If they have any leads on other responsible parents in the school system who might be willing to step up to the plate. Sometimes, you won’t know until you ask!
Courtesy of ETI.
