Docents Brush Up Their Guiding Techniques

On Monday afternoon Emilie Parker led a group of docents in a discussion of two new guiding techniques. To help entertain young visitors who are brought along on tours by a parent, Emilie has prepared a visual search game for parents to do with children while others attend to the docent's tour.  This new interactive will be available in the Orientation Gallery.  Emilie also suggested that one way to take the pulse of the group without directly asking what individuals are interested in, might be to pause in the hall for a few minutes and let visitors look around without guidance.  This will give you the opportunity to observe what objects individual visitors are drawn to and approach them individually to help them make a personal connection to the collection.  For instance, if you see a visitor closely examine the carving on one of the gaming tables in the hall, you might mention the decorative work they will find through out the house....You get the point.  The idea is to slow down and give the visitors a chance to reveal their interests to you.