Yes! I am still here and we survived the field trip and....*drum roll* we didn't lose a kid!
Considering the number of kids (go ahead and imagine 130 ten-year-olds, 4 school buses full, let loose in the woods!
), that can be a feat in itself. We already had fewer staff than Lauren would have likedbut when we did our pre-meet, she announced that we were down two more. One had food poisoning, and another was in a car accident on the way to work. (Someone made a right on red when they shouldn't have, she is OK, her bumper is not)
That left each of us alone with our groups, no one was a floater/runner.
I don't know what magic Lauren worked but the entire day ran perfectly!! Switching between rotations is usually a nightmare with 6 groups but it went PER-FECT! Kids were good, my sessions were good, and everyone seemed to be having fun.
My funny story of the day:
I have 22 kids sitting on stumps around a fire circle. 'Member, they are 10. This was my second rotation, and we are talking and commenting nonstop. I am asking them how they used the items I gave them to help them survive. They get random items and need to come up with creative ways to use them if they were lost in the wilderness. I am walking around the circle, collecting the items as they finish, while listening to their ideas and then asking them additional questions to expand upon them. I am talking to a group of boys who had farro rods and they said something about using the string that connects the rod to catch fish. I repeat back to them, "Yes! That is a smart way to use the farro rods... but I got tangled with my words and said "a fart way." At first, I was hoping they didn't notice, but one look at their faces was hysterical. The glances back and forth between them and then at me, I couldn't help but chuckle a little too- but then I moved on and fast.
Today is my Gary's birthday and he doesn't want to do anything special, but I'll have to see what I can come up with on the fly. Today is FP so maybe they will have something to inspire me.
Hugs to you!
Considering the number of kids (go ahead and imagine 130 ten-year-olds, 4 school buses full, let loose in the woods!

That left each of us alone with our groups, no one was a floater/runner.
I don't know what magic Lauren worked but the entire day ran perfectly!! Switching between rotations is usually a nightmare with 6 groups but it went PER-FECT! Kids were good, my sessions were good, and everyone seemed to be having fun.
My funny story of the day:
I have 22 kids sitting on stumps around a fire circle. 'Member, they are 10. This was my second rotation, and we are talking and commenting nonstop. I am asking them how they used the items I gave them to help them survive. They get random items and need to come up with creative ways to use them if they were lost in the wilderness. I am walking around the circle, collecting the items as they finish, while listening to their ideas and then asking them additional questions to expand upon them. I am talking to a group of boys who had farro rods and they said something about using the string that connects the rod to catch fish. I repeat back to them, "Yes! That is a smart way to use the farro rods... but I got tangled with my words and said "a fart way." At first, I was hoping they didn't notice, but one look at their faces was hysterical. The glances back and forth between them and then at me, I couldn't help but chuckle a little too- but then I moved on and fast.
Today is my Gary's birthday and he doesn't want to do anything special, but I'll have to see what I can come up with on the fly. Today is FP so maybe they will have something to inspire me.
Hugs to you!