In the states, one would think
'Okay, we're taking 5 year olds on a trip...let's plan this out, have a meeting about it, inform parents, etc'.
Here in Kuwait it's more
'Send letter home to parents only a week prior, don't inform teachers of anything, except all teachers to know what to do (even first year teachers), and go with it."
I had the most bi-polar first field trip experience of my life. We sent out fliers a week prior (this I was okay with), collected money (no problem), and I was fine until day-of...that's when surprises began happening. I arrived earlier than usual to prepare myself.
At 7:30, my HOD (head of department) comes in and says make sure the kids eat breakfast at 8, we leave at 8:30 (usually they eat at 9). Okay, so I have them write in their journals until then.
7:55--HOD says take them all to the bathroom as well before we leave. Does she realize it takes at least 30 minutes to eat, 15 for bathroom?! Okay, HURRY KIDS...line up! We'll take them to the bathroom first. Of course, the WHOLE KG department is taking their kids to the bathroom. I notice all other students wearing name tags. Wait, are my students supposed to have name-tags on?! No one told me this! Do I have any? My Teacher's Aide says we should have some in a drawer. She manages the class while I check. 9, we have 9 name tags and 20 students going! WTF? Why did NO ONE tell me we needed to make our own name tags. I borrow stickers from another teacher and quickly fill out the students name, KG2 Red, and school.
Okay, they've eaten...went to bathroom...and it's 8:45 with no word from anyone. Did the leave with out us? Another teacher walks by my room: They're waiting for you at the gate! Let's go! Really?! No one told me to head out yet...where to go..NOTHING! Okay, fine- i'll figure it out. Enas and I split the class in 2, I take 10 and she takes 10. We go outside to the buses and Enas is able to get on one bus. The driver attempts to split up my class into other buses. No way sir! I can't have 10 students with Enas and 10 split amongst other KG teachers, I would lose them all! He only speaks arabic, and Enas has to hop out of her bus again to load me and my class in our own.
We get to the IMAX theatre in Salmiya (my first time there, ever). We're in lines...somehow my class is in the front of all and enter in first. Having no idea what to do, they throw 3D glasses at us (remember: I wasn't told what the trip was, what we were doing, nothing) and we are hurried to our seats. Enas goes on one end, I go on the other with our kids in between. Then, the movie was in ARABIC. This is an ENGLISH school, an ENGLISH field trip yet the movie was in ARABIC. I sat there trying to understand what was going on while elephants and monkeys popped out at me in 3D.
Pointless, non-educational movie finished and we were off to lunch. Another hectic free-for-all. We finally maneuvered our class to seats and awaited their lunches. This was what their money went toward--I had 23 students pay for the trip, 20 show up...so boy was I surprised when they didn't have enough meals for my class because they gave "extras" (aka my students lunches) to maids. And then when I grabbed from other teachers extra-bins I got scoulded because those were for the maids. REALLY? My students have no food, but you're going to feed it to the maids who weren't even helping my class?! Give YOUR extra food to the maids. Not mine. I should technically have 23 meals, luckily I managed to find 20. UGH.
Finally, the nightmare trip was over and we were on our way home. Good things field trips for KG only happen once a year...I hope.
'Okay, we're taking 5 year olds on a trip...let's plan this out, have a meeting about it, inform parents, etc'.
Here in Kuwait it's more
'Send letter home to parents only a week prior, don't inform teachers of anything, except all teachers to know what to do (even first year teachers), and go with it."
I had the most bi-polar first field trip experience of my life. We sent out fliers a week prior (this I was okay with), collected money (no problem), and I was fine until day-of...that's when surprises began happening. I arrived earlier than usual to prepare myself.
At 7:30, my HOD (head of department) comes in and says make sure the kids eat breakfast at 8, we leave at 8:30 (usually they eat at 9). Okay, so I have them write in their journals until then.
7:55--HOD says take them all to the bathroom as well before we leave. Does she realize it takes at least 30 minutes to eat, 15 for bathroom?! Okay, HURRY KIDS...line up! We'll take them to the bathroom first. Of course, the WHOLE KG department is taking their kids to the bathroom. I notice all other students wearing name tags. Wait, are my students supposed to have name-tags on?! No one told me this! Do I have any? My Teacher's Aide says we should have some in a drawer. She manages the class while I check. 9, we have 9 name tags and 20 students going! WTF? Why did NO ONE tell me we needed to make our own name tags. I borrow stickers from another teacher and quickly fill out the students name, KG2 Red, and school.
We get to the IMAX theatre in Salmiya (my first time there, ever). We're in lines...somehow my class is in the front of all and enter in first. Having no idea what to do, they throw 3D glasses at us (remember: I wasn't told what the trip was, what we were doing, nothing) and we are hurried to our seats. Enas goes on one end, I go on the other with our kids in between. Then, the movie was in ARABIC. This is an ENGLISH school, an ENGLISH field trip yet the movie was in ARABIC. I sat there trying to understand what was going on while elephants and monkeys popped out at me in 3D.
Pointless, non-educational movie finished and we were off to lunch. Another hectic free-for-all. We finally maneuvered our class to seats and awaited their lunches. This was what their money went toward--I had 23 students pay for the trip, 20 show up...so boy was I surprised when they didn't have enough meals for my class because they gave "extras" (aka my students lunches) to maids. And then when I grabbed from other teachers extra-bins I got scoulded because those were for the maids. REALLY? My students have no food, but you're going to feed it to the maids who weren't even helping my class?! Give YOUR extra food to the maids. Not mine. I should technically have 23 meals, luckily I managed to find 20. UGH.
Finally, the nightmare trip was over and we were on our way home. Good things field trips for KG only happen once a year...I hope.
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