BEFORE THE TOUR
- Telephone teachers 10-14 days before the scheduled tour.
• Be sure to contact ALL teachers with a personal phone call to review the touring guidelines.
• Check to see if he/she has received the email with the UTG teacher packet sent by the Scheduler.
• Find out if there are any students with disabilities or any requiring wheelchairs.
• Request that children with behavior or attention issues be assigned to an appropriate adult.
• Confirm the drop off and pick up points for the school bus.
• Give each teacher your home phone and cell phone numbers so they can contact you if there are schedule changes or cancellations. For emergency purposes, ask for the teacher/s cell phone number.
• Encourage the teacher/s to bring along basic First Aid supplies. • Remind the teacher/s to return the UTG Tour Evaluation form. - Confirm the teacher’s duties.
• TEACHERS MUST ASSIGN ONE CHAPERONE FOR EACH SCHEDULED GUIDE AND HAVE THE CLASS DIVIDED INTO GROUPS IN ADVANCE.
Aides for students with special needs do not count as chaperones. Remind teachers that we are unable to accommodate additional adults on the tour.
• At the beginning of the tour, guides will explain the expectations to the students and the chaperones. To ensure a successful tour, please explain to chaperones that they are key partners in enforcing these expectations.
• Make it very clear that the chaperones need to assist the guide in keeping the group together and maintaining the attention of the students.
• Chaperones may not bring other children or pets with them.
• Chaperones may carry pagers and cell phones BUT they MUST be turned off during the tour. In special circumstances, and providing the chaperone discusses this with the guide before the start of the tour, a chaperone’s phone may be left on Vibrate.
• No weapons of any kind are allowed to be carried on the tour, even those with permits.
• The teacher must leave his/her cell phone on in case of an emergency.
• All adults must carry photo identification.
• Each student should wear a nametag, unless the school does not allow it.
• Students should be warmly dressed in anticipation of the downtown breezes. Tours are conducted rain or shine.
• As a courtesy to our host buildings, eating is not permitted on the tour. Teachers may want to have the students eat a snack on the bus. Lunches should be left on the bus or placed in backpacks.
• Students should use the restroom before leaving school, as bathroom breaks are extremely limited.
• Umbrellas are not allowed on the tour.
• Teachers are responsible for the decision regarding taking photos on the tour. Can all students be photographed? If not, teachers are responsible for informing the chaperones that no photos may be taken. - Find out the teacher’s goals for the tour and the amount of preparation the students have been given. Is there anything specific to see or do on the tour?
- Make any necessary phone calls to sites requiring pre-tour clearance.
- Contact all guides at least one week prior to the scheduled tour. Give them any pertinent information regarding the tour, including cell phone numbers of teacher and Head Guide, as well as whether or not photos may be taken. Emphasize that SAFETY is the top priority on every tour. Ask guides to confirm that they received the message.
- Remind guides that if they need a replacement, it is their responsibility to find a substitute and to notify Head Guides as needed. Finding subs is not the responsibility of the scheduler or head guide.
- If a tour is cancelled, call all the guides AND the scheduler.
TOUR DAY - Carry a cell phone, photo ID, and a copy of the emergency procedures for your specific tour.
- Distribute cards to all guides with the telephone numbers of the school and the teacher/s’ cell phone numbers.
AT THE END OF THE TOUR: - Give each teacher a UTG Tour Evaluation card with all the guides’ names on it.
- Head guides wait until all the guides arrive at completion point and take a debriefing of the tours. It is the head guide’s responsibility to talk with each guide after the tour to evaluate the tour.
- Email (or send) the Head Guide Tour Feedback form to the President and the Scheduler.
- If there are specific problems, the Liaison and/or the President must be notified immediately by telephone or email. Follow up with an Incident Report form, if relevant.
Updated June 2022