Today, the AVID students of Dale Junior high went on a field trip to Cal State Long Beach. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a real field trip (I’m not counting the Ropes Course because it was a bit too stationary to be really considered one). Field trips rejuvenate me in a way and inspire me to continue teaching, probably because of the unique experiences they bring. Seeing that I have never been on the campus before, it was like I was experiencing it alongside the kids.
We were only on the campus for 3 hours, so we really only got to go to a few places.
The first stop was of course their version of library walk (friendship walk) where there was a cool Tech Day with a bunch of booths set up. The kids got their fill of free pizza and I took some pictures with the school mascot.
Afterwards, we went to the Bookstore where students had an opportunity to buy things. I bought a CSULB Mike Wazowski T-Shirt which I will wear on future College Thursdays.
Then, we went to the food court where students either ate the school lunches or bought some lunches. I ate some Carl’s Jr. It tasted delicious at the time, but made me feel a bit nauseous later on the bus.
Then, we went to the library, where students mostly all got Starbucks. I think they enjoyed this part of the visit the most, and heightened their experience. It’s interesting. I guess if they had boba on campus that would probably be my favorite part of the trip as well. It was there that the librarians told me some students from Orangeview stole things from the library and ran away, necessitating the need for them to call campus security. I was mortified, but at the same time happy that I wasn’t teaching at that school myself.
Finally, we went to the Japanese Garden, a place of calmness and serenity ruined now by loud middle schoolers.
It was a fun experience, and I was grateful for the opportunity to chaperone. Here’s hoping I can enjoy some more enriching field trips with students in the future, no matter how old I get.
