Students learn in different ways, some of these students are able to learn through text books and others find it harder to work with. The use of excursions enables students to connect their learnings to context, to be able to link their learning content to real life examples and situations.
When students are exposed to the community surrounding them, their interest and curiosity increases and if prepared correctly by teachers, the information attained from the excursions lingers on for longer as they will have a lasting memory of insights gained while working outside of the school but still within the community.
Both students and teachers benefit from finding new communities of practice to weave into their everyday lessons. As I myself remember as a student counting the days before an excursion, I also experienced the same excitement as a pre-service teacher going on an excursion with my students. The ability to learn in a new community is something that should be taken advantage of when possible, it refreshes the mind from the constant classroom lesson and can also bring a boost to the future classroom lessons.
A memory I have from a previous teaching round was when my grade 5/6 class went on an excursion to a literature workshop, the students were able to create their own imaginative piece with the help of the hosts. I remember my mentor teaching speaking to be after the excursion saying how this excursion was planned and executed so well by the hosts that it had resparked her excitement to teach writing again.
It is easy to stick to one routine if you are constantly teaching in the same work space, but mixing it up a little in terms of communities of practice can bring out new insights and the enthusiasm to teach and learn from students and teachers.
My, Your and Our Learning Space 