Field Trip Reflections - Badass Teachers Association

Badass Teachers Association:

Field Trip Reflections

by Becca Ritchie, BAT Leadership Team and Washington State BAT

The year was 1978. I went to school at McNeil Island Elementary School. It was a remote necessary school in Steilacoom that was a two room school house. In the picture is Mrs. Harris, the k-2 teacher and Marta the only other 4th grader (Picture was taking our fifth grade year). 

One of the fond memories I have of my fourth grade year was a field trip we took. You have to understand, there were 70 houses on the island. They were inhabited by the families of the guards and lieutenants that lived on the island and worked with the federal prisoners who were incarcerated there. For the children who lived on the island, getting off the island and seeing the world was a huge dream. 

When we were told that we were going to take a field trip to Seattle to go to the Seattle Center we were all beyond the moon excited. We got up early, caught the foot ferry and then got on a bus that awaited us on the "other side." We sang songs on the bus ride to Seattle. Most every girl who was age eligible was a Girl Scout so we knew songs. (Our parents can attest to the hours of songs after camp that were graciously shared with them over, and over and over again.) There were no boys in our fourth grade just Marta and me. 

It was so exciting going to the "city". We got there and I remember my first time looking at the Badass Teachers Association: