Who are interpretive guides?

National Association for Interpretation | Certified Interpretive Guide Training Workbook 5

Interpretive skills are life skills that can be used in many fields, including:

Museum docentsBrewery tour guidesPark rangersTour bus/snowcoach driversLiving history guidesAquarium docentsRiver guidesNaturalistsVolunteers

Who are interpretive guides?

The term interpreter can be used to describe a wide variety of people involved in the profession. They may work in or provide services in settings such as breweries, zoos, cruise ships, museums, nature centers, botanical gardens, theme parks, historic sites, tour companies, corporate offices, or anywhere else that people are interested in hearing a good story. Interpretive guides are the ones who provide tours or facilitate discussion with visitors and guests in those settings.

I Am an Interpreter“I am Sayaka Ota, Interpretation Project Manager at Nature & Interpretation Peru. I train local people and design interpretive exhibits to inspire people to conserve the natural and cultural legacy of Peru. “

“I am Jenny Dyer, Education Coordinator at the Hermann-Grima/Gallier Historic House Museums in New Orleans’ French Quarter. Interpretation allows me to serve my community by teaching local children their own unique history.”

“I am John Shafer, Park Manager at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Fairfax County, Virginia. I am passionate about coaching, mentoring, and encouraging the next leaders in this field.”

“My name is Kate Manrodt and I am a seasonal interpretive park guide at El Morro National Monument. I interpret to inspire. My guiding principle is this anonymous quote: ‘If you don’t go in you can’t find out.’”

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6 National Association for Interpretation | Certified Interpretive Guide Training Workbook

Interpretation Timeline

534 BCInauguration of the of the city dionysia festival in Athens

There are many events throughout history, in different cultures and traditions, that have influenced the art of heritage interpretation. Here are some for consideration. What are some others that you see as important?

350 BCAristotle writes On Interpretation

1050First movable type system developed in china

1450Johannes Gutenberg creates his movable

type printing press

1660The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural knowledge is

founded

1821 The first professional

guide organization, France’s Chamonix

Guides’ Company, is organized

1836 Ralph Waldo

emerson publishes his

essay “Nature”

1872The first National Park in the u.S.,

Yellowstone, is created

1891 The first living history museum, Skansen, is created in Sweden


1998NAI develops a professional certification program for interpreters

1906 enos Mills begins the first nature guide school

1911 Anna Botsford comstock publishes Handbook of Nature Study

1920 enos Mills publishes Adventures of a Nature Guide

1954 The Association of Interpretive Naturalists (AIN) is formed

1957 Interpreting Our Heritage by Freeman Tilden is published

1969 The Western Interpreters Association (WIA) is created

1988 AIN & WIA merge to become the National Association for Interpretation (NAI)

How will you impact the future of interpretation?

1931 herma Baggley is hired

as the first permanent female naturalist in Yellowstone by the

National Park Service.


“Teaching in a student’s preferred learning style will not improve learning or retention. Research evidence in this area suggests a multisensory approach improves student learning and retention.”

—David A. Sousa, EdD, How the Brain Learns

Thinking about the senses, how many ways can we receive information? How can we best use multiple senses to communicate with our audiences?

If my topic were __________________________________ how could I employ a multisensory approach for my interpretation?

How could I—

Use visual images?

Incorporate sound?

Use touch or physical interact with my topic?

Use scent or have my audience recall a scent or smell?

Use taste, or ask my audience recall or compare the taste of something?

Putting the Senses to Work

Created by Roger Riolo and Fran McReynolds

There are many ways of describing how people learn and current research recommends a multisensory approach as a way to help maximize the learning and retention by the visitor/guest.


I currently work as a guide at Big Spanish Ranch east of Taos, New Mexico. It is a Mexican land grant ranch which was family run for three generations. I am 27 years old and grew up in the area. I graduated from college a few years ago with a degree in history and archaeology. I was not sure what I wanted to do next so I came home to get some sort of job and figure out my next steps. A couple of years ago I saw an ad for guides being needed to give tours at Big Spanish Ranch. Remembering how much I liked my field trip to the ranch when I was in seventh grade, I decided to apply. I have been a guide now for a little over two years. I get to use some of my college schooling as I share the history of the ranch and area with visitors and locals alike. I have been told I am a good guide and when I heard about the cIG course coming to the Taos, I decided to see if I could get certified. I am a little nervous about all the work and whether I will be good enough, but I am excited as well.

Our first assignment is to come up with a topic for our 10 minute presentation. I don’t really know where to start. As I was thinking about this, I started thinking about how all the visitors to the ranch think that all the work was done by men. That just is not true. Women had to run the home aspects of the ranch while the men were out tending to fencing and cattle. Sometimes the men were gone for several days which meant the women had to do everything from basic routine chores to handling emergencies. Maybe I could design a program on the ranch life of women. I hope it is a good enough topic for the instructors. I think it would be a fun program and the visitors would get an entirely different perspective on ranch life.

My name is Angelina Muñoz.


Your name: _____________________________________________________________

Program title: (fill this in last) _________________________________________________

Theme: ________________________________________________________________

Audience: ______________________________________________________________

Goal(s): (why you are doing the program)

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Objective(s): (what you want the audience to think, feel, or do)What is the objective? How will you measure it?

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

Resources/materials needed: _____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Program Outline

Introduction: ____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Body (subthemes, written as complete sentences):

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion: _____________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Mission: ________________________________________________________________

Angelina Muñoz

Unsung Heroes of the Ranch

A successful ranch rested on the shoulders of women who demonstrated a stiff backbone, an adventurous spirit, and a sense of humor.

tour bus from Albuquerque with 32, English speaking adult German tourists

1) To increase our visitors’ understanding of women’s role in ranch life.

2) To share the rigors of ranch life with our visitors.

60% can name two expectations of women running a ranch. Observing how many people take part in discussion questions.

photos of early daily life on ranch, main ranch house artifacts

Welcome to Big Spanish Ranch. My name is Angelina Muñoz. My family has lived in this valley for three

generations. My Grandmother was a cook at Big Spanish Ranch. For the next 10 minutes, we are going to (Maslow’s needs). As we go

through the ranch buildings, we will discover that a successful ranch rested on the shoulders of women who demonstrated a stiff backbone,

an adventurous spirit, and a sense of humor. Please ask questions as we go along. Ready? Let’s begin.

1. Women were the true backbone that assured the success of the ranch.

2. Ranch survival depended on women embracing adventure and challenge.

3. Humor lightens the load of work.

I will be around after the program if you have any further questions. As you leave Big Spanish

Ranch and go back to your daily lives, I hope you think about the life of my grandmother and those women who

went before her. Reflect on how their stiff back bone, adventurous spirit, and sense of humor help assure that a ranch

survived the challenges that faced it.

90% of visitors can name three hardships of ranch life. Activity in which participants name these hardships.

Big Spanish Ranch provides an experience that offers fun, wholesome activities while sharing with our guests the stories and hardships of early ranch life in New Mexico.


As a Practicing Interpreter I Shall:

Seek to serve visitors; to be an ambassador for the place I work; to instill in visitors the ability and desire to sense beauty in their surroundings.

Seek to respect all the visitors I come in contact with and welcome them as I would welcome guests in my home; and to share equally my knowledge and passion regardless of the visitor’s age, gender, interests, physical abilities, or cultural differences.

Seek to be agreeable, look good, have a polished presence, speak in a well-modulated voice, and be genuinely friendly.

Seek to see the good, or the humor, in any situation and answer repetitious questions with enthusiasm, as if they were asked for the first time.

Seek to convey only well-documented, accurate information.

Seek to be an exemplary role model for environmentally responsible behavior by word and example.

Seek to structure interpretive design and programming in such a way as to minimize the impact on cultural and environmental resources.

Seek to improve my mind, continue learning about the resource, and expand my learning about the principles and processes of interpretation which will ultimately benefit visitors to the site.

Seek to help other interpreters achieve their interpretive goals, particularly assisting new interpreters to develop confidence and abilities.

Believe in myself; give my best to the world and expect that the world will give its best to me.

The Interpreter’s Creed

From Interpretation for the 21st Century by Cable and Beck, page 196

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Mission Based Dialogue

As visitors to our agencies and sites are coming with a range of emotions, it is important as interpreters that we look at a variety of techniques to engage our visitors and guests, one such tool is dialogue. Guests, for example, might come to your zoo/aquarium having conflicted feelings about animals in captivity or a visitor might come to a Civil War battlefield, knowing their distant relative was a deserter. Understanding the philosophies and techniques of dialogue will benefit you by providing you with skills to participate in compassionate, mission based conversations.

The Principles of Mission Based Dialogue There are four principles that make up the foundation of dialogue and Mission Based Dialogue:• Trust:Respectingdifferentopinionsandhavingcompassionforothers’

feelings.• Openness:Beingopenandtruthfulaboutwhatyourepresentandbeing

open to understand and respect the viewpoints of others.• Honesty:Transparencyabouttheorganization’smission,vision,

philosophies, and standpoints. Authenticity, being you.• Equality:Everyonehassomethingtosayandeveryone’sopinionmatters

during the dialogue. Everyone joins in the conversation equally and there are no biases.

The approach to conducting Mission Based Dialogue.

Goal/Purpose • Thedialogueshouldbemissionbasedandthereforethegoalshouldbeto

support your organization’s viewpoint. However, this doesn’t mean trying to force anyone to leave with the same beliefs (this also connects to Ham’s zone of tolerance idea).

• Forexample:ifyourorganization’smissionisfocusedonanimalcareand welfare, the goal of your dialogue may be to help participants realize your organization is committed to providing a high quality of life for the animals living there.

Trust should be established during your introduction & visitor orientation • Welcomepeopletoparticipate.• Reassuretheywillberespectednotjudged.• Useclarifyingquestionstoensureyouunderstandpeoples’perspectives.

Mission based dialogue is an interpretive technique in which participants gain mutual perception and understanding through active engagement in the communication process.


Be Open during your connection assessment• Trytounderstandtheotherperson’sframeofreferenceandpointofview• Respondtotheotherperson’simplicitthoughtsandfeelings,notyour

assumptions about them• Useprobingquestionstofurtherexplorepeoples’pointsofview

Be Honest during content delivery• Betruthfulabouttheorganization’smission,vision,philosophies,

standpoints related to the conversation’s topic• PresentBalancedInformation• PresentInformationThematically• Beyou

Welcome and encourage Equal participation from participants as they adjust to the content and during the final articulation of content (the dialogue’s summation).• Everyonehassomethingtosayandtheirstatementsaretreatedwith

compassion and respect• Everyoneisinvitedtojoinintheconversationequally and is given equal

time to speak• Therearenobiases,noone’scommentsorviewpointsarefavoredoverthe

rest• Everyone’sopinionmattersandthereforevalued

This approach to interpretation involves having more of a conversation with your guest vs. you presenting a talk. What are some of your thoughts on dialogue? How might you design a mission based dialogue at your site?

courtesy André copeland & Jamie Zite-Stumbris, chicago Zoological Society

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Guided toursSometimes it’s appropriate to take your program from place to place, such as during a historic house tour or along a nature trail. You can structure the guided tour much like a regular program, but be sure that you:

1. Start on time and return to the starting point when promised.

2. Take charge. You are the leader of the group, and the visitors depend on you to get them from start to finish safely.

3. Even if you’ve met everyone informally while the group was forming prior to the tour, take the time to greet them as a group, and structure the experience.

4. If you have people who may not be physically up to the challenge of your tour, try to take them aside before you start and explain the physical demands of the tour. Make them feel welcome, but help them make the right choice for their comfort.

5. Establish a staging area where people can gather prior to the tour. This is your chance to meet the group and establish rapport before beginning your presentation. Your presence will indicate the location of the staging area, so be sure to arrive at least ten to fifteen minutes prior to your scheduled program.

6. After your introductory statements (usually delivered at the staging area), move out briskly for the first stop, and then set a moderate pace to the remaining stops. If possible, make your first stop within sight of your starting point so that latecomers can join you.

7. Stay ahead of your group between stops.

8. Make sure everyone is focused on you before you begin speaking at every stop.

9. Be conversational—but be heard.

10. Repeat questions so all can hear.

11. Share discoveries and take advantage of teachable moments.

12. Have a definite dismissal point. Avoid abrupt endings, but make it clear that you’re done.

13. Thankeveryoneandoffertostayaftertoansweranyquestions.Invitethemto join you again.

Roving Interpretation

Not all interpretation takes place during a structured, scheduled program. Roving interpretation provides a way to reach visitors who do not have the time or desire to attend a formal interpretive program. While many of the same techniques can be used in informal settings (questioning, demonstrations, etc.), roving interpretation requires some additional things to consider:

1. Be ready to answer non-interpretive questions related to your site, such as facility hours, fees, seasonal changes, and points of interest.

2. Be approachable, which includes being in uniform or costume, stand with an open posture, and look friendly.

3. choose a location that has a natural flow of foot traffic where visitors might be interested in stopping to talk. Avoid the path to the restroom!

4. use your interactions to encourage visitors to further explore your site, attend a program, or deepen their appreciation of the resource in some other way.

5. Learn. You won’t know the answer to every question. keep a notebook to write down the questions you need to research further in order to provide a more complete answer in the future.

Courtesy Jessica Goodrich Watts & Rob Bixler


Your Voice

A good speaking voice is: Expressive Natural Pleasant Vital

Tohelpdevelopyourmosteffectivespeakingvoice,workontheseskills:

Breathing Use short sentences to allow natural breathing space.

Pitch Vary the tone to avoid monotones or annoying patterns.

Vocal Climax Plan a dramatic crescendo or whisper for emphasis.

Pronunciation If you don’t know it, look it up and practice.

Enunciation Keep your words clear so everyone can hear.

Rate Vary the rate according to the material.

Quality Strive for mellow tones—avoid harsh, nasal, or quavery voice.

Pause Use dramatic pauses for emphasis.

Volume and Force Avoid shouting at your audience or using explosive force.

Your voice is a powerful tool that can engage the audience!How can you include one

of these points/things for

your program?


Courtesy of Denise Berkshire

Post-Program Evaluation

There are many ways to reflect and self evaluate your program. Below are some other, quick checklist type activities you can do to become a better interpreter.

Self checklist:

q Objectives:• Didmyprogramhavemeasurableobjectives?• Weretheymetandmeasuredduringtheprogram?

q Were the goals of my program met?

q Audience and presenter feedback:• Whatworked?• Whatquestionswereasked?• Basedonhowmyaudienceresponded,whatneedsimprovement?

q Other things to consider to continue building your skills as an interpreter:• Whatarethelatesttrends/technologytoconsider?• Howcanyoustrengthentheprogram’s“E”,“R”,“Y”?• Keepanideabook–interpretationisEVERYWHERE!!

Peer/Video Evaluation

q Ask a peer to observe your program and give you some feedback using the POETRY model. What do they think you might do to improve?

q Or, self-critique by asking someone to video your presentation, and then watch and evaluate with them or by yourself, selecting specific areas to enhance as a presenter/interpreter.

Other ideas?

q What are other thoughts you have on how you might improve?

Documents

Who are interpretive guides?