Dear Master Interpreter – Winter/Spring 2025

Feb 13, 2025

Your questions answered!

Illustration of a bear waving while wearing an Interpreter's Stetson hat with text reading, "Dear Master Interpreter"

Dear Master Interpreter: 

I appreciated your guidance about finding ways to do evaluations for docent groups (peers, audience, self RAPPORTS) in the previous issue however I need help dealing with the actual one-on-one coaching of a volunteer docent. One of my docents has been with the park longer than I and knows the history after statehood very well.

However, this docent does not seem to want to provide stories of indigenous lifeways, in place since time immemorial, to their program. I’ve shared the outline of content developed in agreement with our local tribal community through the efforts of our Tribal Liaison with all docents and yet I can’t seem to get this one docent to do their part.

What can I do?

—Spreading Respect for Tribal Communities

Dear Spreading Respect:

It can be one of the most challenging parts of your job as a docent coordinator when you need to sit down with a docent and coach them on their programs suggesting improvement and changes.

First, you should sit down with the docent to understand their reasons for not wanting to share the outlined content. The answer may determine your next action. I suggest you refer this docent to the many resources and training opportunities about indigenous people. You may want to reach out to your district Tribal Liaison or the Tribal Affairs Office and ask for a guest presenter to discuss the importance of respecting indigenous contributions and world views that were in place long before California State Parks at your next docent meeting.

My hunch is that once this docent receives the appropriate training and really understands the significance of this content, they will begin to include it. Yet, it will be key to understand any reasons behind their resistance in the first place to best determine how to handle the situation.

Thanks for spreading respect!

—Master Interpreter

Dear Master Interpreter:

I am new to interpretation and will conduct my first guided walk in just two weeks. Yikes! Where do I start? I see others struggling with this too. I have so much information, but I don’t know how to create my presentation.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide,

—Just Getting Started

Dear Just Getting Started:

Welcome to the wide and wonderful world of state parks interpretation! Anything you do for the first time can feel daunting but once you get your first program under your belt, your confidence will soar, and you will continuously improve with time. Here are suggested steps for developing your first program.

  1. Research and learn the material. You mention you have a lot of information so I’m guessing you already have this covered.
  2. Observe a few other guided walks to ascertain the response from different audiences and learn what is working for others though DO create your own guided walk and not a carbon copy of another one.
  3. Determine your topic and theme. That all important theme (the answer to “So what?”) is the basis for your program. Your introduction, body and conclusion should support your theme.
  4. Once you’ve developed the above components – determine your route and stops. Develop transitions that take you from one main point to the next and/or one area to the next area.
  5. Practice, practice, practice! Seek input from staff, friends and anyone willing to tag along and give their feedback.
  6. Conduct your guided walk!
  7. Complete a self-evaluation using the RAPPORT form DPR461d. Remember to observe and connect with your audience. How did they respond? Keep this in mind as you continue your quest to Interpretation GREATNESS.

Yours,

—Master Interpreter

Send your questions for the Master Interpreter to interpretation.staff@parks.ca.gov