Teacher Roles During A RiverWatch Trip
Once a teacher arrives on-site at the river, professional RiverWatch guides take on much of the formal group management and instruction.
The guides are trained river instructors with first-aid certification and safety experience. They are also very familiar with the stretch of river in that particular area and deliver the RiverWatch program daily.
A Medical Model
RiverWatch provides a service analogous to a medical specialist working with a general practitioner and patient.
The family doctor knows the patient best and over a long time period, however, the patient is referred to a specialist in situations requiring specific knowledge, more in-depth training or specialized equipment.
In the case of RiverWatch, teachers are in the role of general practitioners that know their students well but briefly refer their students into the care of local, professional guides for the best possible river ecology field trip.
Here is a list of suggested duties and roles for a teacher to consider…
Stay in touch with the senior RiverWatch guide
- Check the weather
- Confirm numbers of students
- Confirm arrival time
Bring the paper work
- Raft Group Forms
- Permission Forms
- Adult Waivers
- Student Health Forms
Identify the warmest and driest location for students to meet
- Students can stand together as a large group for five minutes
- Stay on the bus if the weather is cool or wet
- Send those in need to the washroom facilities
Check with the bus driver
- Confirm the pick-up time and place
- Have a guide speak to the driver if there is confusion
- Have the driver check the empty bus for forgotten items
Assemble all the school adults and all the guides
- Meet outside the bus or off to the side and away from the students
- Introduce everyone
Deal with the paperwork
- State how many people are in the group
- Hand-over the "Student Permission Forms" and "Adult Waivers"
- Hand-over the "Raft Group Forms"
- Discuss "Medical Concerns and Special Needs"
Discuss general logistics
- Identify who has cell phones, radios and first-aid skills
- Confirm the end-of-day finish times with the guides
- Discuss weather considerations
- Begin a vehicle shuttle if necessary
Discuss the school, group and individual personalities
- Describe the school
- Describe the overall group
- Describe the raft groups
- Describe the pre-trip lessons and knowledge level of the group
- State any special requests for the group
- Identify how to best "handle" and assist this group
Reaffirm the roles of guide, teachers, volunteers and students
Assemble the entire group
- Do a head count
- Say a few good words about the students
The guides will introduce themselves
Guides generally take on group management and instruction for the day
- Supervising adults are largely in a support role
Ensure all students are listening during introductory talks
Assist students with gear
Assign a school adult to each raft
Guides will conduct the formal instruction
- Teachers will assist as needed and provide general enthusiasm
- Teachers must not instigate or encourage splashing
- Supervising adults should help with the data collection sheet
Take pictures
Assist students with chemistry and invertebrate samples
- Ensure that the datasheets are completed before leaving each site
- Encourage students to become familiar with the tests done by others
- Encourage students to discuss and compare the test results
Guide's Role
- Take charge of first-aid management
- Place all 911 calls
- Have the final authority on all emergency decisions
Teacher's Role
- Take charge of the main student group
- Students should be seated together away from the water and supervised
- Offer support as needed
- Make the student's health form available
- Contact the principal and parents
- Discuss the situation and affirm decisions with students
- Notify the principal of developments
Emergency Decision-Making
- Hospital evacuation and 911 calls will be done after teacher and guide consult
- Trips may continue after teacher, guide and principal consult
- Guides have the final decision-making role
Guide's Role
- Handle minor behavior concerns on an ongoing basis
- Students that continue to cause concern will be seated next to the guide
- Students that continue to cause a problem will be removed to the teacher's care
- Phone for a cab if needed
- Have the final authority on behavior decisions
Teacher's Role
- May arrange a parent and student phone conversation on-shore
- May phone the principal and parents on-shore
Decision Making
- All students should be seated together away from the water and supervised
- The student in question should be removed to the side under supervision
- The decision to remove a student from the trip will be made through consultation between the teacher, guide and principal
Convene a lunchtime meeting between all teachers, supervisors and guides
- All students should be seated together away from the water and supervised
- Rearrange raft groups if necessary for more power or better behavior
- Discuss the timing of the day
- Discuss the group's learning and progress
The teacher can have a lunchtime chat with any uncooperative student
Help summarize the day before the trip finishes
Ensure that all the clean-up work is done before students head for the bus
- Help to keep students away from the river after their PFD's have been removed
- Arrange the group to say thanks to the guides
- Sign the datasheet verifying the actual number of students on the trip
Obtain science materials
- Obtain the datasheet white copies
- Obtain the bacteria vials and kits for use back at school
Take back formal management of the class
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