Museum educators use a variety of pedagogical practices to train and develop the gallery teachers on their team. The literature available on this topic reflects this including the wealth of content on the subject in this issue of the Journal of Museum Education. In “Embracing Individualism and Encouraging Personal Style in Gallery Teaching,” Amy Briggs Kemeza adds to this literature by specifically exploring the power of individuality in teaching and learning and the role personalization can play in creating “more authentic teaching, more confident gallery educators, and enhanced social learning experiences for all involved.” (p. 147).

Kemeza offers readers an example of putting these concepts into practice with her gallery educators with an activity she created called ‘What happens during a museum tour?’ It illustrates how she applies Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to her work as the Tour Programs Manager at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston. This Reader Guide invites us to do this activity together and then reflect on concepts like Universal Design for Learning, individualism, and bias, and ultimately, discuss how we all can empower each other and our colleagues to authentically connect with visitors.

You can download the guide here.

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