The Field Trip

November 17

In the beginning, I was super excited about my school's after-school activities. Chaperone the Homecoming Dance? Sure! Sign me up! Come to the ALC fundraising dinner at Shakey's tonight? Sure sign me up! Chaperone the AVID trip to Knott's Berry Farm? Of course! Sign me up!

Never. Ever. Will I chaperone an after-school field trip again. I enjoyed the dance and the pizza. It's the theme park that was one (two… nine) hours too long. Friday at 5:30 PM (after a full day of teaching, which in itself should be remarkable and happy hour worthy) I queued up outside the school to chaperone the 9th and 10th grade bus to Knott's Berry Farm. Wait back up. Let's start at 4:30 PM when I decide to leave my bat cave (er, classroom) and venture out on 3rd St. to find some dinner before my exciting night. I was still enthusiastic at this point. I'm walking by myself down the street trying to make my way to Lolita's Burritos, when four ALC students hailed me down to eat pupusas with them at the corner taco shop. I felt popular. I ate with them. Half way through my really cheesy quesadilla, I realized that roller coasters were to follow.

During dinner, I chatted with the four students are in my small learning community but in grades that I don't teach. Therefore, they were open with their profanity and immaturity. I was amused throughout. Then, one of my 9th grade students appeared. She's a really brilliant student but has a huge chip on her shoulder. We don't get along too well in the classroom. She was shocked (and appalled) that her friends were having dinner with Ms. Goswamy. “You, Miss?! what the hell are you doing here? Oh... haha, we're not at school, you can't yell at me for cussing. Ha ha!”

I was suddenly aware that I was going to spend two hours on a school bus in Friday rush-hour traffic with 50 9th graders. What the hell was I doing there?

I fell asleep on the bus ride so I only gritted my teeth through 35 conscious minutes of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" and "This is the song that never ends…". Once at the park, I had a solidly good time. I hung out with three fellow teachers. I chatted with students and
laughed at their animated expressions on the rides. Two of my 12^th grade students along with my lead teacher physically dragged me onto a ride. I went kicking and screaming. I threatened them with fails. Somehow, they overpowered me and I ended up on the Rip Tide – one of those small rides that twirl too many times. Remember cheesy quesadilla? Luckily it stayed with me. My sanity, though, left.

We left the park at 1:00 AM. I, along with most others, fell asleep on the ride home from pure exhaustion. When we arrived back at the school at 1:45 AM, the weather was noticeably chillier. We waited almost an hour outside the school to make sure everyone got picked up by a family member. Walking home at 2 AM is not an option even when they live only a few blocks away. A couple of Escalades sped by with the windows rolled down as gang members made ugly faces at us. “Kids, stay together, don’t wander off!” In the end, we ended up driving some students home.

I arrived home at 3 AM with “never, ever” sentiments. On December 7^th, I am chaperoning the Winter Dance. I signed up for the manageable (and early!) 6-9 PM time slot.