Good evening!
This is in response to the inquiry as to whether it's better for a museum educator to have a background in classroom education or in informal education.
Coming from a recent college grad who has been geared towards a museum education career since high school--
I will say that, while a few of my former museum education supervisors/mentors have had classroom ed. backgrounds, none of them ever suggested that having certification or classroom teaching experience is vital to being a qualified museum educator.  And some of the supervisors I've admired most have had no classroom background whatsoever.  What they HAVE all stressed is the importance of getting as much quality experience as possible in as many different museum environments as possible... basically, in diversifying your skills.  Museum educators work closely with museum professionals in many fields, so the broader and more diverse your skills are, the better.  The advice I've received is to accumulate broad understandings of the museum environment, rather than overspecializing early on.  Of course, it IS important to have a focus! :)  And based on current museum ed. job postings, I'd say that employers are looking for substantial prior museum experience.
That said, however, I do think classroom experience can be a big help in terms of developing teaching skills, learning how to handle large groups with authority, and feeling comfortable with educational theory... all absolutely essential for museum education!  But those skills can all be learned without being a classroom teacher.
Other thoughts?

--
Brigitte Dubois
Education Assistant

Reynolda House, Museum of American Art
Winston-Salem, NC 27116
www.reynoldahouse.org
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