I am always happy any time I get to spend time in a museum, particularly one as beautiful and diverse as the VMFA. I thought that the women leading the tours and the activities did a wonderful job of leading us through the activities as if we were students, and also explaining important elements to know as teachers. It always is so striking to me to learn about resources that are free and available for students to access, they simply need their teachers to be aware of them! This was impressed upon me in Elem Science when we went to the galleries on U of R campus and learned about their version of tours and distance learning. An important part of being an effective teacher is knowing about resources, knowing how to find resources, and then following through with actually taking advantage of them. If every teacher planned even a few enriching activities a year, that would add so much to the student’s experience. We are so lucky to live in a city like Richmond which has a wealth of all kinds of interesting and educational valuable sites. This got me thinking of what else might be out there, so I did some quick research and found the Three Lakes Nature Center which has a free aquarium, Henricus Historical Park which would be perfect for teaching about colonization and Jamestown, and the Black History Museum which would be valuable for almost any subject or grade level. There are so many possibilities!
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Deborah, I am very glad you found value in our visit to the VMFA. You are correct that field trips such as this really add value to a child’s education. Henricus is a great location for a field trip. I am on the education Board there and they are always striving to make the experience the best it can be for students. Of course, Jamestown is a staple in the fourth grade! Virginia if rich with resources.