I was a docent at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for the summer of 2005. I devoted my first month to studying the archaeological artifacts, history, art, and science presented in 30 of the museum's halls. By working closely with curators and the Education Department staff, I learned about everything from cave paintings to Aztec jewelry to the photographic technology in spaceships. Over the course of my training I developed three themed tours designed for children, and I spent the next two months conducting them with visiting camp groups of children ages 5-17. The tours were free so that they were accessible to all camp groups, and there was a consistent demand for them.
The tours were more educational than some camp groups expected. I did not merely point out artifacts of interest, but I conducted short lessons on the museum's material. In order to keep the tours both verbally and physically interactive, I also took the groups to touch-carts where they could hold African textiles, for example, while I explained the fabric's history and significance.
The touch-carts were interactive displays of artifacts relevant to the halls in which they were located, and I worked as an "explainer" at them when I was not conducting tours. I researched the carts' objects so that I could teach any museum visitor about their significance and maintain lively conversation about the material. This gave me the opportunity to work closely with visitors of all ages, and I learned to adapt my explanations to my ever-changing audience. In order to connect with the visitors' varying interests, I also learned to draw connections between the various artifacts on the carts, the larger halls, and the other departments of the museum. This experience showed me the significance of curatorial work, for I was able to witness the web of connections across material throughout the museum. I was also inspired by the Education Department's dedication to access visitors of all ages and interests, and I hope to return soon to an equally engaging museum setting.
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