Museums and You: Student Tours

Many educators know that bringing their students on a field trip to an art museum can help develop students’ ability to think critically about the world around them, open their minds to new ideas and perspectives, and even make connections between works of art and topics in other curricular areas like language arts, math, and science. But did you know that studies have shown that individuals’ positive experiences at art museums while they are children is the greatest predictor of whether they will attend museums as an adult, regardless of their ethnicity, economic condition, geographic proximity to art museums, or parents’ museum visitation habits? With this knowledge, it becomes more important than ever for museums to examine their tour programs, ensuring they are engaging and relevant to the students and teachers who participate, so that all have a positive experience.

But it’s important to remember that students’ experiences with museum tours not only encompass everything that happens within the museum’s walls, but also surrounding the entire field trip—from the first mention in the classroom to the bus ride to the museum to the culminating conversations after the tour is over. Here are just a few ideas on how to partner with museum educators in your area to achieve positive museum experiences for everyone on your next field trip.

Don’t be afraid to ask. When scheduling a guided student tour, talk to the museum educator about your needs and those of your students. Do you know that your students will connect with a certain artwork? Ask for it to be included on the tour. Do you have a student who is in a wheelchair or who is new to hearing the English language? Museum educators will be happy to make sure that all students are able to actively participate. Do you plan to eat lunch after your tour? Ask about available options. The more information museum educators know about you and your students prior to the visit, the better the tour will be!

Prepare students for their museum visit. Many museums have Teaching Resource Centers (TRCs) that make classroom resources like books, audio-visual materials, and reproductions of artworks available for teachers to borrow at no cost. These resources familiarize students with a museum’s collection and make them feel comfortable viewing and discussing artworks before they enter the museum. And, if you don’t have a TRC in your area, you can still prepare students by talking about the importance of museum manners and defining key museum vocabulary like gallery, collection, and gallery teacher.

Continue engaging students with the collection after their tour. Ask museums about classroom activities they may have to reinforce what students learned during their visit back in the classroom, or come up with your own! Students often remember field trips when they are not simply one-shot experiences but, instead, are integrated into their school curriculum. Make sure that students know about upcoming museum activities for families and that they are welcome to visit the museum anytime.

Thanks to each of you who bring your students on guided tours each year…you truly are molding the museum patrons of the future!

-Stacy Fuller