Open Forum

Hi everyone - Our education team is using this downtime to refine our tour guide training program. We primarily tour 3rd and 8th graders with occasional high school classes and retirement groups. Does anyone have resources on managing students/crowd control? We would like to give our guides some tips on maintaining control of their groups without having to raise their voices or rely too much on the teachers. Thank you!!

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Stephanie Mahan
Senior Administrator
Arizona Capitol Museum
Phoenix AZ
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Do you have a policy on group size? Because we are a historic home and art gallery, we do not allow more than 12 in the historic home. In the larger galleries we have limit of about 25. This helps crows control. 

Older elementary and middle school students are at the age where their desired to be seen cool to their friends outweigh their desire to participate actively. We create reflection activities where they can respond to questions or prompts more internally than vocally in front of the group. They can share if they would like to. This keep them engaged.

If you are losing the group's attention I would send them on a looking activity and then have them re group in five minutes. They need breaks from the lectures. For students I will have them sit no matter what age if I want their full attention. If you are having problems with behaviors I would go through the museum rules in the beginning very clearly asking for responses and  also throughout the tour. "And remember students their is no touching in this gallery" as you transition from spaces. 

Is your spaces an active space with people who are not on your tour? I have seen some museum use wireless head phones with a tour guide who has a mic. This helps with sound and not interfering with the non touring guest. 


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Keri Dudek
Museum Educator
The Hyde Collection
Glens Falls NY
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2020 04:17 PM
From: Stephanie Mahan
Subject: Managing Tour Groups

Hi everyone - Our education team is using this downtime to refine our tour guide training program. We primarily tour 3rd and 8th graders with occasional high school classes and retirement groups. Does anyone have resources on managing students/crowd control? We would like to give our guides some tips on maintaining control of their groups without having to raise their voices or rely too much on the teachers. Thank you!!

------------------------------
Stephanie Mahan
Senior Administrator
Arizona Capitol Museum
Phoenix AZ
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Hi Stephanie,

Have you seen the Tour Toolkit the Minneapolis Institute of Art has online? It has a lot of great tips for managing groups (and other things). I had our educators read it and everyone found it useful. You can find it here: https://artsmia.github.io/tour-toolkit/

Best regards,
Mary

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Mary Ladrick
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
Winchester VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2020 04:17 PM
From: Stephanie Mahan
Subject: Managing Tour Groups

Hi everyone - Our education team is using this downtime to refine our tour guide training program. We primarily tour 3rd and 8th graders with occasional high school classes and retirement groups. Does anyone have resources on managing students/crowd control? We would like to give our guides some tips on maintaining control of their groups without having to raise their voices or rely too much on the teachers. Thank you!!

------------------------------
Stephanie Mahan
Senior Administrator
Arizona Capitol Museum
Phoenix AZ
------------------------------

Quick tips on managing student groups:
1. Name tags (readable from 6 feet away) for all.  This includes teachers and chaperones. 

2. Introduce yourself and have each person say their name. 

3. State the "rules" and keep the list short and simple. 

4. Thank the chaperones (by names) and say what you are thanking them for: mainly, seeing that the group stays together. (They need to know they have a specific role.)

5. Have an overarching theme, and hopefully an Essential Question, to frame the tour. Example: Why is democracy important to you, and to your family? Lead with this at the start and say you will come back to this question to discuss at the end of the tour. Use "pair share" strategy- see #6.

6. Don't do all the talking. Ask questions and have them turn and talk to a classmate to discuss. Briefly share out the "pair shares." 

7. Put those name tags to use! People respond more attentively when you use their names.

Good luck! 

​

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Susan Hogan
Museum Educator
Hawaii State Art Museum
Honolulu HI
[susan.m.hogan@hawaii.gov]susan.m.hogan@hawaii.govsusan.m.hogan@hawaii.govsusan.m.hogan@hawaii.gov
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2020 04:17 PM
From: Stephanie Mahan
Subject: Managing Tour Groups

Hi everyone - Our education team is using this downtime to refine our tour guide training program. We primarily tour 3rd and 8th graders with occasional high school classes and retirement groups. Does anyone have resources on managing students/crowd control? We would like to give our guides some tips on maintaining control of their groups without having to raise their voices or rely too much on the teachers. Thank you!!

------------------------------
Stephanie Mahan
Senior Administrator
Arizona Capitol Museum
Phoenix AZ
------------------------------