to expect a thank you after a school trip?

[KingscoteStaff]

We got back today after a week's residential trip, camping with Year 6s.

Out of 60 children, 3 said thank you, one mother asked why her child's sleeping bag had not been rolled properly into its bag and one dad complained that we were late. This was true (30 minutes), but we had called the school office regularly throughout the journey back, giving up to date news about the shocking traffic.

It's my job, I know, but I haven't been paid any extra for the nights or been reimbursed for the extra childcare needed for my own children while I've been away.

We had a fantastic time, and I loved watching our classes pushing their limits when abseiling or canoeing, and just hanging out around the tents in the evening.

So should I just accept that the reward is the job and not expect a thank you from the children or their parents? We got a big one from our Head Teacher, by the way.

I am doing a count this weekend of the times I thank someone for doing something that is just doing their job.

The point is that these residential trips etc are NOT part of a teacher 'just doing their job'. They are voluntary. All comments like the above - and some other corkers on here - do is confirm my view that teachers should drop these kinds of extras until they are no longer seen as some kind of entitlement, but as a gift from the teachers to their pupils.

I always take my child to say thank you as they get off the bus. Often I am greeted by a totally tightlipped exhausted teacher who has absolutely nothing left to say to anyone as they stagger off home. I still get my thank you in, though!

"I am doing a count this weekend of the times I thank someone for doing something that is just doing their job."

Unpaid work too?

I like the idea that it's like a holiday for the staff. Ask any parent who hosted a sleepover at their place and I'm sure they'll tell you they are shattered the next day because the kids didn't go to sleep for ages, made noise, got hungry at random moments etc etc, and how lovely it is now that they've all gone home!
Add in the fact that it goes on for several nights, that the children are busy all day doing things which you also have to do so no chance for a rest, that (as people have mentioned) you may have to buy stuff for the children and end up out of pocket - it's certainly not my idea of a holiday. Fun, yes. But relaxing holiday? Nope.

I don't do it but I work at a venue where we run workshops for school kids including those on residentials. Special mention should go to the teacher yesterday who purchased new t-shirts for two kids who vomited on their way to us, but didn't have any spares with them, and then purchased near on a dozen bottles of water when several of the kids were very thirsty but reluctant to spend their 'gift shop' money on something as basic as a drink.

Oh, and I also travelled a bit as part of my job and it was unpaid overtime.
But, I didn't have to pay to do a recce of the venue first, so i could write a risk assessment.
I attended evening meetings/talks but wasn't responsible for making sure everyone then got to bed and went to sleep.
I wasn't responsible for making sure everyone else ate enough.
I wasn't the one they came to in the middle of the night if they felt unwell, or a bit homesick.
I wasn't supposed to be keeping an eye on what they all did with their stuff in case they came back without a precious item of clothing.
I wasn't responsible for where they all were for 24 hours a day for several days on the trot.
I wasn't responsible for organising activities for every waking second in case they got bored.
I wasn't the one that everyone would blame if something went wrong.

Going away to a conference, or hosting dinners for clients, is not the same at all. You are with adults, not children. At the end of the night you trot off to your own room and do whatever you wish with your time. You never get that clocking-off when you run a trip.
Being with an adult can be challenging, yes. But it doesn't come close to the stress of being completely responsible for 30-odd children for 48 hours (plus) straight, when you are the one who is supposed to solve all their problems, organise their every waking (and sleeping) second, and therefore cannot take any 'down-time' at all. Sorry - it's just not in the same league.

My Dh takes year 10 History students each year to do the WW1 trip, it's knackering, wet muddy and cold (though obviously nothing like the soldiers experienced!). It's a rather emotional trip anyway and though the parents haven't ever been overly grateful (apart form the odd one) - some of his students have taken the time to email him upon their return to say thank you, and I know each year the students fight to get put in his group, so that in itself is enough to tell him nice things - but yes what a difference a smile and a thank you could make upon your return!

ChopstheScarletduck - yes we as parents have to get the kids ready, have a nice few child free days then deal with the normal aftermath BUT the teachers have to work constantly. They will be on duty till the late hours and they can be woken if the kids are scared, excited or sick. I imagine it must be good fun if the kids are nice ones and the activities interesting. Still it is above and beyond the call of duty though and means they will be away from family/usual activites.

When you have a child with an the aftermath isn't necessary 'normal'

Sn

I remember being on a rapids ride at Thorpe Park once. There were two tubs of boys behind us - probably about 10/11. In the shop there was a lady who looked in charge of them. I asked if she was one of the staff responsible for them and said we had been in the boat in front of them. She looked a bit anxious and said she was the deputy head. I then said they had been incredibly well behaved and pleasant together on those boats and were an absolute credit to their school and that it had been lovely to have them behind us and sense their enjoyment and niceness. I have never seen a lady look so happy and she said it had made her day, made the trip a hundred times better and she would really enjoy telling them that on the bus on the way home - and that they were fab boys and they deserved it too.

I'm a primary Headteacher - these trips are fantastic and it's a pleasure and a privilege to see children in a new light! However, to be 'on call' from the minute you leave school to the minute you get back, day AND night, is exhausting. Particularly when you're looking after other people's children rather than your own; and so many more of them! Particularly difficult and tiring if any children fall ill, have special needs or cry/play up all night. There are no lie-ins, no early nights and no one to hand over to. But they are wonderful!
Please do say thank you to the staff, it means such a lot to them.
Can you imagine going on holiday with your DC and a dozen friends that you were completely responsible for?!

I usually do a quick thank-you-good-bye thing when I collect DS after a residential, which the teacher might not think of as a proper thank-you, but I am very grateful - just excited to see DS.

After the last residential I did email both the class teacher and the head the next day to thank them properly - so you may be inundated with emails and cards tomorrow!

I think you're fab for doing it, OP. DH is a teacher and does a 6 night residential trip to Washington, DC with his year 9s - a full on "welcome to your capital, here is your history" tour. He always returns completely knackered, and yes, never gets paid extra and rarely gets thanked from his head.

We do extremely well at Christmas from his form-room (posh school, rich parents, high quality chocs! :)) but not really the kids he takes on the trip, it must be said. It's a shame. I'll make sure DS thanks every teacher who does this stuff!

Chops dd has ASD and has just come back from her residential. There was no aftermath for us though because school secured funding from the LA to provide her with extra support and the school listened whilst I bored the pants off them filling them in on her every foible.She had an amazing time but it wouldn't have been wonderful if the school hadn't been prepared to put in the extra support she'd need and hadn't worked with me beforehand.I think the fact the HT wasn't listening was your warning bell and at that point I would have withdrawn dd.

What she said.
I have taken children with a range of sn on residentials, and I have come back to my own son having been disrupted and out of routine because his mum went missing for a week.
Given the opportunity to travel with a bunch of adults for a weekend away for my job sounds wonderfully relaxing TBH.

Badger-unpaid or paid-anyone who's done something for me deserves a thank you. I kind of feel that thank yous and going out of my way to praise good service gives me the right to complain when things go wrong-assuming someone hasn't just had a bad day.

I always say thank you and make sure my kids say thank you to teachers/Scout leaders who take them on trips. I even said thanks to the teachers who took Reception on a trip to London, even though I went with them (and they gave me a thank you note which was lovely)

I'm grateful to anyone who puts up with my children!

It makes me sad that people don't appreciate what teachers/scout leaders do and the effort they put into these trips.

I'm currently on a boat with 30 children that I've taken abroad for the past 10 days. I am a wreck! Will count how many thank-yous I get tonight!

the best one I saw was on arrival back from a two night trip. It was pissing down so the coach had parked as close as poss to the gate so we could get the bags off and put them under cover, to then allow the kids off and find theirs in the dry. One of the kids chosen to unload the bags did the job, found his v quickly and went off. His mum then went apeshit at one of the other teachers because the bus was still blocking the gate and she had things to do and places to be... honestly, it beggars belief! I can understand forgetting a thank you in the rush of reuniting kids with parents etc but that kind of thing, or the missing sock story up thread are just batshit!

One of the reasons I packed up teaching was because after 7 years of putting on countless shows, events and excursions for the kids, it became clear that it was never appreciated, either by the parents, the children, or the senor management team.

I was told off by one parent on the stairs for only giving 2 weeks' notice of an after school things where children were going to sing some songs that they had learned in class. Bear in mind I was putting on 3 major shows a year, but this was a a very minor one.

"I get fed up with you lot, demanding we make costumes all the time. I am a working mother. You don't understand working mothers."
"She doesn't need a costume, they are just performing some songs. Nobody said anything about costumes. Anyway, I am a working mother too. "
"Yes, but you are a teacher, you have lots of time for things like this. I have a very important job, you know, my clinics are booked up three months ahead, I can't just drop things at a moment's notice."
"You've got two weeks notice of a 20 minute informal concert. If you can't come perhaps their father could come? Anyway, a lot of the parents will be at work, this is only really an extra curricular activity, it's just we thought that it might be nice to ask the parents to come along if they were free."
"He has a very important job as well. You can't expect him to come in for things."

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Then there was the time I put on a huge musical production about soldiers in World War I, a blinding production if I say so myself, and the composer came and said it was great as well. The kids did enjoy that one. The entire junior school was in it. One of my proudest moments.

The head told me off at the beginning for not attending all the after school sewing sessions where the PTA were making ersatz soldiers' outfits (apparently I was supposed to do that and then do my marking late into the night. My male colleague also helping with the show was exempted from sewing duty, of course). Next thing I know, the head calls me in and says "In my last school, the music department had a real buzz, and a view of Colwyn Bay, whereas your department doesn't really have a buzz."

WTF? I had just put on a show with something like 200 kids in it, practically to professional standards, in the middle of the rough end of Battersea, with practically no budget, and 10% of the kids would probably have statements these days.

This sort of things really sticks in the gut and makes life very difficult.

I think I assume too much sometimes. My dd was on a 3 day trip and most of the children and parents said thank you more than once - mo gifts though - they are for end of term - do you get any of these as thank you'd for the year?

People are gits basically. I say thank you (and make DS say it too) when I collect him from school. I say thank you to my hairdresser. I say thank you to the bus driver. I say thank you to the man in the shop. I say thank you to the person that has served me at the checkout.

Having done many, many shit jobs in my life, I know how much better you feel if someone actually notices that you are doing your job well. No matter what it is.

As an aside, I cannot believe that anyone thinks that a) a residential is an excuse for a free holiday or that b) teachers get paid overtime for doing them

Ok...just got home. Got 5 thank-yous plus one lovely mum gave me a box of chocs. Wasn't expecting that!

I've found out today, that I won't be needed for a trip to London (from Yorkshire) next weekend.

I told (relatively inexperienced, nervous) colleague who is organising the trip that if she couldn't staff it otherwise, I'd go, but would rather not, just this once - my heart sank at the prospect of 'losing' a weekend's work (routine marking etc) & having to catch up all next week. Much to my relief she's talked someone else into it.

I love doing residential trips, actually, but it IS hard work, not a jaunt that the kids are somehow subsidising, & certainly not paid - we're usually giving up a weekend or half term with our own families, & can even end up out of pocket - dh has had to turn down work before now because I'm school tripping over a half term.

Thanks are much appreciated - wouldn't expect gifts, but just a friendly word rather than a glare when the coach is late back is nice!

I stopped at the receptionist's desk, after I had seen the doctor on Friday, just to make a point of saying thankyou. I had spent 2 days teaching with a horrible cough and, at 5.00, stopped in to the surgery to see if there was any chance of seeing a doctor. I had little hope, but instead of laughing at me for being so naive, she talked to a colleague and they 'found' me a slot. I was eternally grateful as I ended up with anti biotics and an inhaler and not having to spend hours at the walk in over the weekend. She was just doing her job.

I absolutely don't expect presents or cards, but after being responsible for other people's children 24/7 for 3-5 days, leaving my own for that amount of time, asking dh to be on sole duty while I am away and then having a wasted weekend when I get back as I am so knackered, a simple 'thank you' makes an enormous difference. I do enjoy them, but it is HARD work.