Teacher's Guide to School Visits and Programs

• Choose your learning goals for the trip
• If you are coming for a Self-Guided visit, use the Curriculum Links to Galleries at ROM to support your Learning Goal planning
• Book your visit. Be sure to:
  • Check your school’s calendar for conflicts
  • Note special physical or learning requirements
  • Double check your confirmation for the correct lesson, date, number of students
  • Communicate any changes to schoolv@rom.on.ca
• Read the cancellation policy
• Complete required paperwork for your school
• Coordinate transportation. If arriving by bus:
  • Confirm your ROM arrival and departure times with the bus company and make sure they work with your booked visit schedule
  • Provide the bus company with the link to bus parking
• Recruit and prepare your chaperones for the trip. You can use and modify this sample letter. Google / Word
  • Follow your board requirements for the number of adult supervisors for off-site visits
• Sort students into small groups for self-guided time
• Fill in page 1 of the Chaperone Guide
• If you booked a self-guided visit, choose a Gallery Trail that supports your learning goals and print or digitally distribute for students
• Work on pre-visit activities that will help familiarize your students with topics to be covered during your visit
• Discuss the learning objectives with your students and ensure they know how they will be meeting those goals
• If using relevant apps or digital materials such as audio guides, bookmark or pre-download them to mobile devices

• Make sure you have your supplies, including:
  • Reservation letter
  • Payment
  • Gallery Trails or other activities for self-guided time
  • Completed chaperone guide for chaperones
• Have a final count of students, teachers, and chaperones ready for your museum arrival
• Inform students of their groups before arriving at the Museum
• Remind students of their goals for the day
• Remind students and chaperones of the Museum Guidelines

• Give chaperones the daily schedule using the completed Chaperone Guide. After arrival, chaperones should fill in the lunch time assigned to you by the Group Organizers.
• During lessons, supervise your students and assist your chaperones in supporting the Museum Educator.
• All teachers and chaperones should remain with the group during the lesson. This helps to ensure all students are focused and on task, and also ensures that supervisors can help make connections to the lesson during self-guided time.
• When completing assignments or during self-guided time in the galleries, supervise and support the students and be sure they are following the Museum Guidelines.

Gallery Trails are choice-focused, student-centric resources that help structure and record students’ learning in an exhibition or gallery. Activities address key themes of each exhibition or gallery while still allowing students the freedom to focus on and learn about objects or belongings that are of interest to them.

Gallery Trails can be done individually or in small groups, according to students’ needs and preferred learning styles. They can be done by a broad range of ages and grades, scaling in the responses rather than the questions. 

Each Gallery Trail also includes extensions to be done back in the classroom, to reinforce and lock in student learning.

They are available in multiple editable formats so that they can also be customized and remixed to meet the needs of your class.

• ROM Remix – Genera use, all ages
• ROM Reflections – Genera use, older students
• Dinosaur Discoveries - All ages
• Crawford Lake - All ages

On your arrival, your group will be assigned a 1/2 hour lunch period in the Lunch Room on Level 1B (East). School Entrance Organizers will distribute lanyards to teachers and chaperones showing your group’s assigned lunch time. Lunch times are based on scheduled activities and the age level of groups attending.

Space is limited, so please arrive promptly for your scheduled time n the Lunch Room (Level 1B East, President’s Choice School Entrance).

• Make sure your group has completely cleaned their tables before leaving the Lunch Room. 
• The Lunch Room has cash-only vending machines with a variety of drinks and snacks, but not meals.
• The Lunch Room does not have fridges or microwaves.
• Food and drink are not permitted anywhere in the Museum outside of the Lunch Room or cafés. This is for the safety and conservation of Museum objects. 
• Students Grade 8 older may leave the building at lunch to purchase food at nearby restaurants. Wristbands must be worn at all times by students Grade 8+ and are required for re-entry,
• Re-entry must be via the President’s Choice School Entrance. 
• It is strongly recommended that students bring their own lunch. Druxy’s ROM Café (Level 1B West) is available on a first-come, first-served basis, but seating is limited and only food purchased in the Café may be eaten there. 
• Children 13 years old/Grade 8 and younger must be supervised in both food areas.
• In nicer weather, your group may choose to eat outside in Philosopher’s Walk, along the west side of the building.

• On arrival, your group will be issued a pull-out coat rack. Your school name will be written on the rack for the duration of your visit.
• The coat racks are equipped with hooks and storage shelves for all coats, hats, and bags.
• Backpacks are not permitted in the Museum and must be left in the coat racks. Small purses and fanny packs are allowed.
• The coat rack will be pushed in when not in use but will not be closely monitored. Students are strongly encouraged to leave valuables at the school or at home.
• Large backpacks and extra baggage take more time to store and access, affecting your time in the galleries. Consider leaving backpacks at school and bringing only lunch bags, or collecting lunches into a basket or large plastic bag so that they can be quickly accessed at lunch time. 

• ROM Boutique is located on Level 1 in Gloria Chen Court, across from the Crystal elevators. 
• Plan time at the end of your visit for shopping, as it can be frustrating for students to have to carry purchases throughout the Museum, and purchases are often left behind.
• As food and drink cannot be consumed outside of the Lunch Room, students must wait to enjoy any treats they have purchased until after leaving the Museum.

• With the exception of certain special exhibitions, photos and video are allowed in the Museum.
• We recommend that students keep their devices powered off and away during the lesson portion of their visit, as they frequently cause distractions and delays that can impact the 
• quality of your lesson. 
• If you wish to capture images from a guided lesson, we encourage assigning one teacher or chaperone to be the designated photographer and share the images with everyone later.
• Make sure that photographs don’t interfere with the Museum Educator’s lesson. 
• Selfie sticks, tripods, etc. are not permitted in the Museum.
• Ask for permission before taking or sharing any images of ROM staff or volunteers.
• Try to avoid taking photos of any students that are not part of your class.

The wearing of masks is supported for any Museum staff, visiting teachers, or visiting students who wish to do so.

• Washrooms are located on each floor of the Museum except the 4th floor. 
• Washrooms are wheelchair accessible, and family/gender neutral washrooms can also be found throughout the building. Locations are indicated on ROM Maps.
• Other facilities for special needs are available. Please contact schoolv@rom.on.ca to make arrangements.
• Galleries and classrooms can be accessed by elevator.
• For other accessibility issues, please see our accessibility page.