Spring Trips by Mike Siekkinen

All teachers and students look forward to spring break. Typically it's a week off to unwind, relax, sleep in and have fun. Over the last 8 years, I've chosen another route to take regarding spring break. I have organized and led a spring trip for students at my school. Believe me, if I wasn’t enjoying this I wouldn’t do it! 

Last spring break, I led 25 students on a trip to the Florida Keys where we snorkeled the coral reefs, swam with dolphins, visited recovering sea turtles and then toured the Everglades, both during the day and at night. We had a blast! There was still some time for relaxing as the trip was a Monday through Friday excursion, so we had a weekend before and a weekend after to recover. 

I use a tour company for organization and then advertise during the school year. The company I use has been Worldstrides and my experience with them has been excellent. I will say they are not the cheapest company out there, but the support given during all aspects of a trip has been outstanding. For example, on my first trip with them, I had a student get very ill as we were about to depart for the bus ride home from Washington DC. I called their tour central office at 6 PM (it is available and manned 24 hours a day) and they had a doctor come to our bus while we were eating dinner. The doctor diagnosed the student, sent his nurse for medicine and called the parents with an update. This was done free of charge for the student. That kind of insurance and support is unprecedented and is worth the few extra dollars when away from home with someone else’s children!

Students and parents sign up and pay the tour company (I touch no money) and I take care of paperwork, advertising and then supervising the trip. A tour guide is provided and all events, meals, attractions and travel are handled by the tour company. 

I've enjoyed doing this and will continue to give up part of my spring break every year I am able to provide this opportunity to students. Next year will be Washington DC! I alternate between different locations year to year so students can come multiple years, not going to the same location twice. Give it a try, you may find like I do that half a spring break is enough!

Dr. Mike Siekkinen, a retired U.S. Navy submariner, became a teacher as a second career. He teaches history at St Marys Middle School as well as Adult and Career Education at Valdosta State in Georgia.

Spring Trip! by Mike Siekkinen

What do you do with your Spring Break? For years I spent mine with my children but as they have gotten older and moved on, I was left with an empty nest and a wife who worked. So several years ago, another teacher asked me if I would consider doing a Spring Trip for students. I was skeptical at first but agreed and we got with a company called Worldstrides and planned a trip to Washington D.C.

Advertising for the trip was not hard and we ended up having 57 students who signed up for the trip. We had to get several other teachers to come with us for that crowd! It ended up being a wonderful (and tiring) experience. Students were well behaved and the trip set up by the company was excellent. We visited so many places and even with a few snags (a broken tour bus in South Carolina, a couple sick kids, etc.) it was still an enjoyable experience.

We all committed to doing it again as long as we were all still enjoying the kids and the trips. I am doing my 5^th Spring Trip this March. This year is snorkeling in the Keys and visiting the Everglades. I am still enjoying the kids, the trips and it is a wonderful way to spend my Spring Break! Worldstrides has been a great company to work with and has made it very easy with regards to planning the trips, providing needed materials for advertising and the people they have as guides and drivers have been nothing short of excellent! I highly recommend the company.

Dr. Mike Siekkinen, a retired U.S. Navy submariner, became a teacher as a second career. He teaches history at St Marys Middle School as well as Adult and Career Education at Valdosta State in Georgia.