I wasn’t going to include my trips to D.C. in this blog because they didn’t include my son. But after connecting with some of my favorite students on Instagram who I had the privilege of taking to D.C. over the years, I was inspired to write about our experiences! And let’s face it…my students were, and always will be, my first children!
One of my greatest joys and accomplishments during my 10 years teaching middle school was having the opportunity to take students to Washington, D.C. annually. It was such an honor to offer these students a lifetime learning experience that they (and I) will never forget. For some students, it was their first time on an airplane, so no pressure, right?!
I’ve been to Washington, D.C. (and Philadelphia) every year for the past 8 years, so I’m pretty confident I could give the tours myself at this point! But while I’m clearly a seasoned vet, every year I was fortunate enough to bring groups of kids who were seeing everything for the first time. Each trip was different for me because of what my students brought to the experience. But enough with the sappiness! Let’s get to the trips!
Let me tell you–you haven’t lived until you’ve taken 20-50 8th graders on a plane! And not just ON the plane. Getting everyone through the airport is a special kind of chaos all to itself! I would get the craziest looks from people in the airport, and looks of complete fear and dread from other passengers on our flights when they would see us coming! I secretly loved it though! My students were always well-behaved and courteous to everyone. And they would chill out if I had to say anything.
There is SO much to see in D.C.! We saw all the memorials and monuments, and tried to get to a handful of the most “fun” museums while we were there. Luckily, we travel with a tour company that has a full daily itinerary to keep the kids busy. Breakfast by 7:30am and not back to the hotel until 8 or 9pm! So busy that they would be beyond exhausted by the time they got home from their 5-day trip!
Every site is notable, so it’s impossible to choose just a few. We always went to the Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, and the Capitol Building first. Then a quick trip to the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. Then it was off to the war memorials: Vietnam and Korea. And the Lincoln Monument too. And that was just the first day! The highlight of the day for students though? Dinner at the Pentagon City Mall! A mall?!? How exciting! You would think they’d never been to a mall before! (And boy were they disappointed when they realized the National Mall wasn’t a real mall…!)
Day two would take us to the World War II Memorial, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery. (And I’m sure there was a museum stop thrown in there somewhere too!) Arlington is an absolutely beautiful cemetery and students were always amazed by the number of people buried there (more than 400,000!). And the changing of the guard at the Tomb at the Unknown is a chilling display that all should see.
Day three would bring pure exhaustion! Being on-the-go for the past several days, combined with staying up as late as they could in their hotel rooms, would make for some very tired kids by this point in the trip! But we would persevere! We would see the Washington Monument, the White House, the Marine Corp Memorial, and some more museums!
Day four brought slight reprieve from the exhaustion as we would take a two-hour bus ride to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to see our country’s governmental birthplace. Lot’s of snoring kids on this bus! Lots to do with my bleary-eyed students once they awoke! The National Constitution Center, Independence Hall, Congress Hall to start. Then the Liberty Bell and over to Washington Square Park to see the Tomb of the Unknown from the American Revolution. Then back to D.C. we went! The four-hours of travel made for such a long day. But then students realized it was their last full day on the trip and they would get a little depressed.
Our final day always started at the National Archives so students could get a firsthand look at original documents such as the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Then we would end with a trip to one of the many Smithsonian’s. Our favorites have always been the Air and Space Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the American History Museum. I often tried to take students to the Holocaust Memorial Museum on my own. We would find the time and make the trek over there as it is such an important part of history for my students to learn about and understand more fully. And a special highlight for me on the trip last year was getting to visit the newly-opened National Museum of African American History and Culture. Such an amazing space with so much to see! I didn’t have nearly enough time to explore everything though!
I could literally write a book about my 8 years traveling to D.C. with my students, but I don’t think anyone wants to read that! I could tell you how fun it is to get 47 students on and off the Metro at the same time and in the same car! Or what it’s like when our flight is delayed and then we miss a connecting flight and are stuck in some random city for an extra night! And how hard it was for me last year when I had to leave my 5 month old son for 5 days because I promised my students I would be there for them. (And I hope they know that I am a woman of my word–no matter the circumstances!) We all survived, and learned a little along the way.
But honestly, the behind the scenes work was exhausting and not very glamorous at all. Fundraising, organizing student meetings, collecting payments, meeting with parents, and reassuring everyone (students, parents, administration!) that everything would be fine for the 9 months leading up to the trip, was my least favorite part of this experience. But then I got to take the kids ON the trip. That was the best part. That’s what was so special. And I get to carry those memories with me forever. I hope my students will too.