Successful Chaperoning. I’ve taken groups of children everywhere from Dairy Queen to Mount Vernon. I’ve gone as the classroom teacher and as a chaperoning parent. Chaperoning is not for the faint of heart!
Read to find out 8 tips for Leading a Small Group of Children, 5 Questions to Ask Before You Leave, and the Top 10 Tips for Successful Chaperoning.
8 Tips for Leading a Small Group
- You are in charge of someone’s precious child! Treat them like gold!
- Your job at the beginning of the day is to know how you’re going to get them to the end of the day.
- Assign students partners. They feel a sense of responsibility too.
- Always count them, every step of the way. If you start with 5 kids, you want to end the day with them!
- Learn your students names. For safety reasons, students should not wear name tags with their names on them. They may wear tags that have the school’s phone number on them.
- Always – Safety First!
- Never leave your students unattended. Find another chaperone to partner with for the day.
- Bring an empty backpack – you may end up carrying all of the lunches.
5 Questions to Ask Before You Leave
- Schedule for the day (stick to it and make sure you meet the bus on time).
- Teacher’s Cell Phone Number
- Plan for taking opposite sex children to the bathroom.
- What to do if someone misbehaves or there is a medical emergency.
- Will the teacher be walking around or stay in one central location?
Top 10 Tips for Successful Chaperoning
- Take 2 Tylenol before you begin.
- Drive separately if you can or want to.
- Do not ask about or plan on bringing a sibling.
- Talk to your own child about appropriate behavior (sometimes they’re the worst – sorry to say!)
- Treat your small group like a team. Say: Sticking together + great behavior = a great day! Set high expectations for them!
- Adhere to cell phone guidelines. Only use the phone to contact the teacher or other chaperones, do not use it for personal calls during the day.
- Avoid the gift shop! Do not purchase things just for kids in your group, your child, or any food related items.
- If you’ve never been to the location, do some prep ahead of time. Look at a map on-line or get a book from the library.
- Check their photography rules. Some children are not allowed to have pictures taken of them.
- Watch the clock!
You can do it! Do not be afraid to ask for help!
Anymore tips? Feel free to add below.
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Kristen has survived trips to the farm, Kennedy Center, zoo, children’s museums, the park, nature centers, Washington D.C., the police station, the grocery store, McDonalds, Mt. Vernon, Dairy Queen, amusement park, bowling alley, fire station, a copy center, the U.S. Capitol building, and Outback Steakhouse both as a teacher and a chaperone. She’s always gone on the school bus and lived to tell about it. Her record: only one child lost (and found!)
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I found this on Pinterest and just wanted to add somethings. I work as an after school counselor during the school year and a summer camp counselor during the summer.
1-Brief the kids on what to do if they get lost. Never tell them to go to a trusted adult. Some kids are a little too trusting. Tell them to find a policeman, another chaperone, or to go to a specific place. A lot of places have a first aid station and that’s where we tell the kids to go. They know that if they get separated that we will go straight there.
2-As far as head counts go, I agree they’re important, but they’re not enough. You need to count the kids, then do a roll call or something like it. As it was put in a summer camp training, you may have the right number, but not the right kids!
3-For bathroom breaks, don’t be afraid to open the bathroom door, call out to see if anyone is in there, walk in do a quick once over, and then let a child go in. Anyone with kids will understand, and if they don’t, oh well.
4-You should have a way to get the kids attention and eyes on you. I work with Kindergarteners and I know that getting fourteen five and six year olds to drop what they’re doing and look at me is hard! The kids know that when I clap my hands, they stop talking/doing what they’re doing, repeat the clap and put their eyes one me. You can make up whatever beat you want, but I clap once, pause, clap again, pause, then clap three times fast. Some people raise their hand and say give me five and the kids then raise their hand. Other people say “1, 2, 3, all eyes on me.” Then the kids say “4, 5, 6, my eyes are fixed.”
Great tips Courtney! Thank you so much for taking the time to write all of these ideas out! I especially appreciated the one about calling into the bathroom. A lot of kids are never allowed to go into a public bathroom alone. Take extra care when you’re there. Thanks again!
Know if students in your group have allergies. If they do, monitor closely and know how to use an EPI PEN! Kids with anaphylaxis will always have it with them (or the adult will be assigned to carry it).
Awesome ideas! Will have a chance to use these in the next few weeks. 🙂 Some additional items I’ve brought in the past: magazines, books or mad libs for the long bus rides AND (more importantly) a few gallon sized ziplock bags and paper towels or baby wipes for anyone who gets motion sick. Unfortunately have had to use them, but glad to have them! 🙂