Docent Training: Session 1: Tour Basics 101

Arizona Museum for Youth

What is a Docent?

A docent is a tour guide. The word docent comes from the Latin word docere, “to teach.”

No background in art is necessary.

Enthusiasm and a desire to learn new skills and lead groups is necessary.

Why Orientation is Important Orientation is important because it sets the tone for

the tour. Think about going to a new place: you want to know what you are going to do, how long you are going to do it, and where everything is (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs).

Your orientation need not be long to be effective, but it should include several components. Visitors will:

Meet you and be welcomed to the Museum

Know how long the tour lasts, that they’ll look at select works of art and, if a full guided tour, will make art during their tour.

Learn where the restrooms are

Understand that you’ll be asking questions that will have them looking closely at works of art. Explain the focus of the tour.

Be ready by raising their hand to respond to your questions.

Hands on and hands off

Let’s go explore! Smile! Have fun! Enthusiasm is catching!

Tour Types, Zones, Props

There are two types of tours at the Museum: Guided and Self-Guided.

Guided Tours are led by a trained tour guide/docent

Self-Guided Tours are guided by the tour group themselves.

For Guided Tours, there are typically 5 zones to a 90-minute tour:

4 Zones of artwork/activity

1 Zone of art-making time

For each zone in the exhibition, we typically provide a variety of props that can be used on the tour. Demo heart, star, house prop.

VTS: Visual Thinking Strategies

VTS is simple. VTS is 3 questions that can open up any work of art to visual exploration.

1. What is going on in this artwork?

2. What do you see that makes you say that?

3. What other things do you see?

Inquiry Questioning Strategies What is “Inquiry Questioning?”

Use guiding questions to help children develop more sophisticated understandings.

Use sharing and discussion to help children consider their individual ideas in relation to the ideas of others.

Create opportunities for children to gain experiences that will help them think more deeply about their ideas.

Ask questions that are open-ended, to encourage a variety of responses.

Unruly Tour Groups: How to Keep Audiences Engaged

Unruly groups are discouraged when they have a strong “pack leader.” So, how to be a strong “pack leader?”

Set the tone. Let the group know that you are leading them, how they ask questions and what to expect.

Pay attention to any unruly children or stragglers…be sure they stay with the group and stay attentive. Simply moving yourself closer to them will draw their attention.

Tone of voice. Be sure to use a voice that commands their attention but does not distract other tour groups.

Eye contact. Direct eye contact is a powerful tool for connecting to your group.

Demonstrate the behavior you want to see. Encourage more of that behavior through words and actions

Peer Evaluation

Shadow a tour to pick up tour techniques.

Tag-team presentations (2 people) allow you to co-lead a tour to “get your feet wet.”

Evaluate a fellow docent’s tour and discuss your findings with them to learn more about effective ways to lead a tour.

Tour Evaluation Form

Portfolio Project

Elements of Art and Principles of Design—1st Portfolio Project. Bring with you to the next docent training!

What are they, what are their definitions?

Ex. Line: Line is…

Find foremost examples of them in works of art online and add them to your definitions.

Demonstrate 5 ways you can weave into the Pattern Wizardry tour an element of art and/or principle of design.

Close

Summarize what was seen and discussed.

Thank them for their great questions and participation.

Encourage individuals to return with their families, to see other parts of the Museum and parts of the exhibition they didn’t see on the tour.