The program sounds great, however, in starting the program, many volunteers
feel they are already trained and have spent years committed to doing a
good job>  Do you require all (old and new0 to attend or be "retrained"?


At 03:50 PM 7/29/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Gary,
>
>Let me tell you how our docent training works at the Seattle Art Museum.
>
>Our candidate training is two years.  The first year is courses in Art
>History coordinated with one of the community colleges in subject areas
>which encompass our collection (European, Modern, Northwest Coast,
>Mesoamerican, Asian, and African art).  These classes are once a week and
>are regular college courses, complete with assignments, tests, and grades.
>
>At the end of the first year we ask people to formally apply as docents.
>The selected candidates then have an additional year of training.  This
>focuses mostly on touring techniques and the interactive touring method.
>This second year trainees will be gathering research information and
>practicing touring with their peers. They will also observe numerous
>docent tours that are given by experienced docents.  The classes meet once
>a week for two hours, from September  through May.  There is lots of
>outside research work on the specific objects that candidates need to do
>as well in preparation.
>
>The docent training is done by our docent educator, someone with a solid
>background in education and training.  There is also an active docent who
>assists, participating in all the classes, being a model, and answering
>the "inside scoop" questions as needed. This year there will also be a
>mentor situation added whereby each docent trainee will have an individual
>active docent as her (this year we have only women) mentor.
>
>There is also continuous ongoing training for all SAM docents.  Twice a
>month there is Docent Day, a two hour educational forum.  One session a
>month focuses on content, (art history, a new exhibit, etc) and may have a
>special speaker or curator .  One session a  month concentrates on
>improving touring techniques (transitions, working with teenagers, etc).
>For those docents who tour any special exhibit which comes to the museum,
>there is concentrated specialized training for that show.
>
>I'm an active docent at SAM and the person who  will assist in training
>the 1996-1997 new class.  If there is any way I can be of help, please let
>me know.  I'd be more than happy to do whatever I can.
>
>Best of luck,
>
>Christine Cave
>Docent, Seattle Art Museum
>
>
John Martinson
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Work: Fort Walla Walla Museum
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