Supervision of Students

• Contents Safety & Quality Guide
• Part of Safety & Quality - Part 1: Policies & Procedures
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Outdoor organizations must have strict guidelines for student supervision that are designed to protect both students and staff. The most important rule is:

Remember Never, ever be alone with a student. Ever.

We don’t care how urgent it seems or how well-meaning you are. Always follow this rule and enforce it with fellow staff.

Constant Witness

A Constant Witness is someone who is keeping eyes and ears on participants at all times during the program. We can never know everything, but a Constant Witness seeks to eliminate all unknowns. This is the key to proper, safe supervision. It helps verify the facts of student- to-student, staff-to-staff, or staff-to-student interactions. It also helps in tracking group dynamics.

Level of Supervision

Adapt to Circumstances

The level of direct supervision (where the student is in eyesight) needed varies based on many factors. The Coordinator establishes the parameters of supervision after assessing participants, activity, and area. Different individuals also have different levels of experience. Take into account the following features when assessing level of supervision:

• Age of students What is an accepted level of supervision at their age? For example, a 6-year-old needs almost constant supervision, while adults are more capable of caring for themselves (usually).
• Activity Different activities require different levels of direct supervision. For example when a student is carving for the first time the teacher should watch carefully and remind them of safety practices for that activity. If a student is drawing or journaling, there is less risk and less need for direction and supervision.
• Experience level of students Students come from different backgrounds, leading to varied levels of capability and experience. In shorter-term programs it’s best to organize the team to create one standard for all, starting at the level of your most basic student.
• Public or private areas Private areas can be more predictable regarding public interactions. Public areas may be less predictable and pose a higher risk of unplanned interactions with the public. But never take anything for granted. For example, even on a private wilderness property you may have hunters wander into its boundaries. A private wilderness site may connect to larger tracts of land where a student could disappear or wander onto a road with high traffic.

In the presence of even minor doubt, begin with the most intensive level of direct supervision. This is where students never do anything or go anywhere without at least one staff person and a second witness.

Baseline Supervision During Camp

In a typical youth day camp setting, we always provide a Constant Witness, the highest level of direct supervision. This only changes with the approval of your Coordinator. Staff must always be aware of the exact location and activity of all participants.

• When traveling, participants may not leave the group. This will vary with age. See Adapt to Circumstances If supervising adults, give them clear return time.
• Guide never cede supervision to staff-in-training (assitants, youth leaders-in-training, etc.) for primary activities or for longer than 3 minutes.
• Students should take bathroom breaks with a Truddy and a staff member.

Head Counts

Head Counts should be performed often with all groups, especially youth (and even adults). Here are some tips for effective head counts:

• Take care to not miscount a staff member as a student. This could result in falsely assuming you have all your campers.
• To avoid this possibility, include staff in your total tally.
• Give each student a number. When needed, ask them to “count off,” with each student calling out their number in order. This can even be a game to see how clearly and quickly they can count off. Make sure you know you know where all your participants are: Be creatively relevant—once they master the count down you can vary things (e.g. count off backwards, time the count down and try to improve the time each count down).
• Remind students that they are part of a team and everyone is responsible for head counts.

Times to perform Head Counts include:

• In your gathering space or camp.
• Before a vehicle leaves any site.
• After bathroom breaks.
• During transitions.
• Anytime you’re not 100% certain of the number of people with you.
• Anytime you pass through a crowds and public areas (see page 74).

If a student is missing in a Head Count follow the Missing Student Protocol.

Open Versus Closed Areas

On occasion you may need to interact with a student directly, such as discussing behavioral concerns. To keep you and the organization safe, at these times you wan to optimize open areas.

Open Areas

Areas which are fully accessible at all times, both visually and audibly, by other students and staff due to windows, open doors or thin barriers. Examples include: pavilions, dining halls, fields, and classrooms.

Closed Areas

Areas that have limited accessibility, visually or audibly, by other students and staff due to closed windows or doors. Examples include: bathrooms, showers, closed classrooms, and sleeping quarters. In wilderness areas, these could be areas behind rocks, outcroppings, bushes, or trees.

Using These Spaces

It is most important to never let an adult be alone with a student in a Closed Area. Staff can be in an Open Area with a single student as long as other staff and students have visual access to the adult and student. The ideal situation is that you always have another witness to hear what you’re saying and see what you’re doing with an individual student. This is not always practical, however, especially when you need to have a confidential conversation for the sake of a student. If that’s the case, make sure you are in visual range of other witnesses in an Open Area.

Examples include:

• Standing outside of bathroom together waiting for other students to exit.
• Standing outside of yurt or tipi, discussing a challenging situation, while other students are engaged in an activity nearby.
• Working with a student in the medical area, with windows and doors open so students or staff have visual contact.

If All Else Fails

If by unavoidable circumstance you find yourself alone with a student in a Closed Area or without witnesses, protect yourself by doing the following:

• Call for assistance. Get more staff or students present.
• Leave the Closed Area immediately and bring students with you.
• If neither of these options are possible, turn on your phone’s camera so the audio/video is recording. Tend to the emergency and contact your Coordinator.

Overnight Programs and Gender Balance

On overnight programs, ideally staff genders should reflect student genders. This is especially important given the vulnerability of sleeping quarters. All sleeping quarters will have staff assigned that allows students to feel respected and protected. Unless they are responding to an emergency, staff and students should not enter sleeping areas other than where they are assigned.

Staff-to-Student Ratios

The following ratios are optimal for outdoor education, but a classroom may differ depending on the topic. In general, the younger the student, the smaller the ratio. Also, remember to consult local regulations and standards. The following numbers apply to camp only.

Student Age	Number of Staff *	Day Participants	Overnight Participants
4-5 years	1	7	4
6-8 years	1	8	6
9-10 years	1	9	7
11-13 years	1	10	10
14-18 years	1	14	10

• Youth leaders-in-training are not considered staff.

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