Notes for teachers

​Residential camps at Tinaroo Environmental Education Centre (TEEC)

Both you and your students need to be aware of the nature of the experience you have chosen for your class. We are a school and we are teachers and as such we are committed to your students gaining the most out of this experience. This is not a holiday camp! Your students need to be aware that they are going to be working very hard for the duration of their camp.

Black Gully Campus

Students and teachers camp in tents at this campus. There are modern toilet facilities, a fully equipped kitchen, an undercover play area and classroom. 

Barron River Campus

Students and adults are accommodated in dormitories at this campus. Meals are fully catered.

The program

The activities that you have chosen will ensure that your class will remain busy for most of the daylight hours. The activities that your class is involved with require a considerable amount of preparation and setting up. Free Time is limited. Our years of experience in this area have taught us that students need to be kept pretty busy.

Our expectations

We have very high expectations. As an Education Queensland establishment we do not apologise for trying to get the most out of your students in the short time you are here with us. We would hope that by coming to our establishment your students will learn to stand on their own two feet. They are required to act responsibly and to perform daily tasks with a minimum of adult input. 

Of students

1. That they understand that this is a school and like any other school we have rules that they need to follow for their safety and enjoyment.
2. That they are polite and well mannered towards the staff and other students
3. That they listen to and follow instructions implicitly
4. That they look after their personal gear
5. That they gather quickly when required
6. That they use their initiative and do their allocated tasks without being asked
7. That they look for ways to assist staff members and their peers with the various tasks required of the group. It is not satisfactory for them to sit back and watch others struggle with a job
8. That they give their total effort to all the activities that you have chosen for their camp
9. That they understand that as their camp goes on we will be relying on them to do more and more by themselves. They need to be independent and make decisions that they know are the correct ones.

Of teachers

1. That you prepare your students for their experience.
2. That you inspire/motivate/challenge your students to do the best they can giving them details of how they can achieve the best on camp: eg. when completing a selected/specialized activity participate with enthusiasm and as much energy as you can - don't be influenced by the fact that your friend is not doing the activity - save the general talking to friends until after the activity is completed - force yourself to accept every challenge. The better your students are prepared, the more effectively they will perform on camp.
3. That you involve yourself in the activities and model the commitment we so desire in the students.
4. That you are prepared to occupy the students during the evenings.
5. Please be aware that Education Queensland has a total ban on smoking in all educational facilities. Teachers, supervisors of staff, other employees and volunteers must not smoke in the presence of students, be it on school grounds, excursions, camps or other school activities.
6. That you understand that with your duty of care requirements it is not appropriate for alcohol to be consumed by any adult whilst on camp. 

Camping away from the Centre

Camping away from the Centre requires everyone to step up another gear. It involves students and teachers:

• building their own shelters
• sleeping under these shelters - a sheet of plastic (bivouac / bivvy ) - no walls or floor
• packing and waterproofing a backpack
  
• hiking up to 5 kilometres a day carrying a full backpack
• no showers
• using bush toilets
• preparing and cooking own meals on an open fire and on a trangia stove and completing "heaps" of washing up
• completing all the above with a minimum impact on the natural environment.