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 [log in to unmask] Work: Fort Walla Walla Museum 755 Myra Rd Walla Walla, WA 99364 (509) 525-7703 (Work)