How to Be a Great Field Study Volunteer

Hello Wonderful Grade 3 Parents,

We heard your valuable feedback during interviews that it would be helpful for you to have a more clear understanding of how to support our learners during field study. We are so appreciative of the time you take to volunteer and our field study program could not operate without your support. Thank you!

We hope the following offers some helpful guidance for what it means to be an excellent volunteer while on field study:


Be Curious

• Embrace the wonders and magic of spending a day in nature regardless of the weather. Being excited and noticing small details with help your group engage in their learning!

• Try to experience the location through the lens of your Grade 3 student and their studies. While we revisit sites often, we are helping our students see the variety of ways we might experience a location through a variety of lenses as a scientist. If we're studying rocks and minerals, help them see the wonder of the site from this perspective!

• Share your questions, observations, and wonders aloud with your group. Modelling these skills will help your group feel confident to do so too!

• Ask follow up and clarifying questions as your group shares their thinking. Help each group member feel heard by sharing as a group where everyone is listening to the ideas of others respectfully and has time to share their own ideas. Questions like the ones below will help your group think critically:
• Why do you think that? 
• What evidence do you have that supports your thinking?
• Is there another perspective we might consider?
• Who agrees/disagrees with this thinking? Why or why not?
• What else might we need to know to help us decide?
• Who might be an expert that could help us understand better? 
• Does this connect to any ideas you have discussed in the classroom?
• Does this remind you of anything you've experienced before? How is it the same? How is it different?
• Can you make a prediction - What might happen next? 
• Can you make an inference - What might have happened previously?

• It's ok to not know! You might say, "That's a great question. I don't know the answer to that right now but I bet if we record it, we can investigate or research later." This helps students feel like their idea is valuable and might lead to great discussions or inquiry when we return to the classroom. 

Connect & Be Present

• Adopt our 'away for the day' policy regarding devices. You'll feel refreshed taking a moment to disconnect and be present with your child and our class. 

• Each group will have a camera that you can use to document learning. Please do not take photos on your own device (unless they are just of your own child) as many of our students have restrictions regarding their image being shared. 

• Be an amazing role model by participating in the activities and modelling strong work habits. Actively journalling in the Volunteer Field Study Journals along with students or participating in activities will help encourage students to stay on task too!

• Connect with the students in your group by getting to know them and asking about their lives and experiences. You might already know them well but taking a moment to connect and praise  will help build trust, and keep everyone in your group respectful and committed to doing their best work. 

Be Prepared But Flexible

• Please dress appropriately for field study. It's hard to stay positive and engaged throughout the day if you are cold, wet, hungry, or uncomfortable.

• Please bring the field study backpack provided to you. It is packed with all the tools you will need to support your group with our day's tasks. If you need additional supplies or a first aid kit, please ask!

• Review our itinerary and ask questions if you're unsure. We're here to make you feel comfortable and clear on our day's schedule.

• Our day might change! If something is particularly exciting, students are super curious about a particular area of study, there are circumstances beyond our control, or our groups are having a hard time settling into a task, we might choose to change our plans. Thank you for your understanding and patience - we are continually focused on making sure we can provide a strong, engaging program to our students and are responsive to their needs.

Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

• We all want to ensure our students have a fantastic, memorable day of learning. However, we also value the importance of spending a day in nature and the life-long impact learning to be a steward of the environment will have. Sometimes we don't see the impact of a field study until much later - even if we spend our time practicing routines and expectations for journalling and how to behave on field study, valuable learning is happening!

• Field study is often a springboard for rich discussion, critical thinking, and the deep thinking of our curricula. Much of our learning occurs following field study as we connect our observations and experience to our curricular objectives, explore our inquiry questions, and consolidate our learning. Thank you for supporting the experience of the day so that we can engage in meaningful work in the classroom. 

• We appreciate all your hard work, reminders, and follow up questions that keep your group clear about expectations, focused, and on task. However, we never want you to feel uncomfortable. Please always let us know or call if you need additional support managing your group, getting them started, clarifying expectations, or managing behaviour.

Thank you again for all you do. We could not run Field Study without your continued commitment and support!

- Ms. McCrady & Mrs. Wilpert