School trips can teach lessons you never expect

Allowing children to go on extended school trips is difficult, Deborah Williams writes, but some learning is best done outside the classroom.

Out-of-class learning experiences offer a chance for children to gain awareness about the world

Last week, a friend’s daughter left for a week-long school trip to explore ancient sites in Greece, which reminded me of my son’s trip to Ephesus a few years ago. He and his classmates prepared for the trip by poring over maps and history books; they learnt some rudimentary Turkish phrases, studied the currency and politics. And, in a concession to the nature of 11- and 12-year-olds, they had lessons about the fact that while they travelled, they should consider themselves ambassadors for their school and for Abu Dhabi.

The professor in me recognised the tremendous educational power of such an immersive experience; the parent in me didn’t want her “baby” to leave home. Prior to that trip, my son hadn’t been away from home for longer than a sleepover at a friend’s or a weekend with grandma. I considered being a chaperone, but ultimately the thought of spending a solid week with dozens of 12-year olds seemed scarier than sending my son off alone.

He returned in one piece, of course, fascinated by all that he’d seen and done: he had a journal full of historical analysis, a photo-essay about the ruins and surrounding countryside, and a deep appreciation for his travelling companions. They’d had to slog through the rain, bounce along country roads in school buses and eat whatever was served to them. It had not been a luxurious experience (other than the luxury of the trip itself) and he’d loved every minute of it.

That trip was many years ago now, but when I described it recently to an elderly relative, she groused that “children should be in school". I suggested that the best learning doesn’t always happen in the classroom, but she would not be persuaded. In her mind, education means students sitting in rows in front of a teacher who is doing something complicated on a "chalkboard". (The fact that she referred to chalkboards rather than whiteboards or PowerPoint ought to indicate her general perspective.)

I can hear you scoffing that I’m just a loosey-goosey American who doesn’t believe in discipline, but let me say that I’m the professor who, when her students ask to have class outside because it’s a beautiful day, always says no.

Who needs to compete with the distraction of sunlight and birds and passers-by? But a service trip to do charitable or environmental work, or an immersive historical expedition, or even an afternoon spent away from classes to listen to a concert pianist – these are not distractions.

These situations give students the opportunity to build on what they learn in class and connect their own ideas to what’s happening in the world around them. You might even say that the best in-class education prepares students precisely for these out-of-class possibilities, which are sometimes painstakingly arranged months ahead of time (as with my son’s Ephesus trip) and sometimes appear overnight, as when a distinguished visitor comes to Abu Dhabi and gives a lecture or performance that might benefit some group of school-aged students.

My younger son has not yet had an immersive experience through his school, other than a one-night camping trip, which he remembers because he scratched his cornea and ended up in the emergency room (he’s fine).

That’s the worry about letting our children out of the safety of the classroom: what if something happens? Certainly when my other son was in Turkey, dire “what if … what if …” thoughts whirled in my mind and were only mildly placated by regular updates from trip chaperones.

Perhaps these out-of-class learning experiences offer a double lesson: children gain awareness about the world and, equally importantly, parents (and other grown-ups, like my elderly aunt) learn that education happens in many different ways. We can’t guard against every eventuality, but if we don’t allow our children to have these experiences in the relative safety of school outings, how will they develop into resilient and independent adults? Hmm. Maybe the next time my students ask, I’ll agree to hold class outside.

Deborah Lindsay Williams is a professor of literature at NYU Abu Dhabi