Tour Techniques

This is a collection of teaching tips collected from many sources.

Guiding Premises for Tour Development

Engaging Teaching Techniques for Adults and Children

Some of these are very obvious, some are old favorites you may have forgotten, while others might be new things to try out or just think about! Experiment, have fun, and keep on all the things that you know keep your tour wonderful.

Docent Rubric - use this document to assess how you are doing as a docent!

Opening questions

4 Seconds to look

Back to back description

Before and After

Be flexible

Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) NDS 2019

ODIC

Differences Activity

Creative story telling

Games to Promote Long Looking

Turn and Talk

Pair and Share

Compare and Contrast

Wrap-up or Conclusion

Be spontaneous

Creative questioning

Thought bubble

Dramatize a work of art

Adjectives

Title making

Headlines

Quietly and independently looking followed by discussion

Invite visitors to select works of art to discuss

Name the Object

Noisy Art

Transitions

Invite visitors to create their own interpretations of works of art

Share personal connections and stories

Be flexible

Ask open-ended questions

Handle artwork

2-D illustrations

Sketching activities

Artful Thinking

The links below take you to the Harvard Project Zero website

"WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT?"

CLAIM / SUPPORT / QUESTION

PERCEIVE/KNOW/CARE ABOUT

I SEE / I THINK / I WONDER

THINK / PUZZLE / EXPLORE

CREATIVE QUESTIONS

ELABORATION GAME

BEGINNING/MIDDLE/END

LISTENING: TEN TIMES TWO

LOOKING: TEN TIMES TWO

COLORS, SHAPES, LINES

HEADLINES

CONNECT / EXTEND / CHALLENGE

CREATIVE COMPARISONS

Be flexible!