First Field Trip

This year I am involved with the Model UN club on campus.  It is a pretty well developed club, and and it is one of the most popular at Maple Leaf.  One of the benefits of the club is that it is girls and guys (a pro for both the students and the teachers who get tired of dealing with only teenage boys).  The second benefit of the club is that it is all about going to conferences.  There are six of us running the club, and we meet once a week.  The meetings are all about prepping the kids to go to conferences and debate the resolutions they have written.  These kids know their way around a formal conference, and are gaining confidence daily speaking in front of large crowds.  All in all, these are some pretty impressive kids.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be able to chaperone a conference the students attended.  We didn't go far, just down the road to the American International School (about a 10 minute drive).  I was pretty nervous about things going smoothly, but in reality it was a pretty easy day.  I didn't lose any kids, no one was injured, everyone had lunch money, no one burst into hysterics mid speech.  None of my fears where realized!

Years of camp counselling prepped me for the constant counting of kids, continually tracking where everyone is, and the art of herding a group of youth along a path.  I am grateful to have had these experiences, so that I was able to be calm and enjoy the day watching the kids excel in their debates.  

Field trips are a great way to get to know the students beyond the daily grind.  I was able to see students, not just my own crew of 100, grow in their English skills and genuinely enjoy a learning experience.  The next Model UN trip is March and involves a plane ride and two nights in a hotel!  Warm-up round went well, though, so bring on the big one!