Lynne,

We have seen this too!  It is amazing but some teachers see it as time off 
for them!  

One thing we have done is incorporate the teacher into the presentation.  
Make them responsible for passing objects.  Find times to refer to them.  If 
students give great answers, comment that they must have a great teacher.  
When all the kids start to look at the teacher, they will most certainly 
want to be actively involved.

Our outreach teachers also provide a post activtity.  They mention this at 
the beginning of the program and let them know that their teacher will 
facilitate the activity and can answer any questions.  This also will 
require the teacher's attendance.

Some of it, you just have to accept.  While I agree that you should not have 
to be the disciplinarian, sometimes you are.  Just as we don't always see 
perfect students, we don't always see perfect teachers!

Look for creative solutions.  One child came in with gum (not allowed in our 
museum) and an educator (giving a program as the "Ba" of our mummy 
downstairs) saw them and asked about the substance in their mouth and 
incorporated into the program.  But, this also gave the teacher a heads up 
and she became much more active in the remainder of their learning 
experience.

Know it is not just you and continue to find new ways to engage them.  But 
also know that some will continue to act in a less than perfect manner.  
Best of luck to you!

Christina M. Myatt
Theatrical Programming Coordinator
Putnam Museum
1717 West 12th Street
Davenport IA 52804
563.324.1054 ext. 207 (phone)
[log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: Lynne <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 13:31:12 -0500
Subject: Tough audience

>    If I had not had this happen twice before I would have ignored it
> but I 
> am a little concerned about what seems to be a rather usual occurence
> during 
> our tiny historical society's outreach programs and I would like to
> ask for 
> suggestions ... including "ignore it" if that is deemed to be the
> better 
> solution.
>    I have been repeatedly asked to talk to elementary school students
> in our 
> communty and I bring artifacts and overhead transparencies to the
> classroom 
> for a ca. 45 min. presentation to one or more classes in a single
> classroom. 
> This morning I had two back-to-back presentations and I was a little 
> dismayed to find that the two teachers in the second session sat in
> the back 
> of the room and one worked on her laptop while the other apparently 
> corrected papers as I talked. Two years ago two teachers in another
> school 
> sat and whispered to each other in the back of the room the entire
> time I 
> talked.
>     This does not happen when the students and teachers visit our
> tiny 
> museum, but I am now expecting it every time I go to a school. My
> concern is 
> that it is a bit disruptive and it means that keeping everyone quiet
> often 
> requires my intervention, rather than the teacher's intervention,
> because he 
> or she is not paying attention. I am loathe to send a reminder of
> good 
> manners for *teachers* though, so I would appreciate thoughts on what
> I 
> might do about this, if anything.
>  Lynne 
> 
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