Teach What You Want to Learn

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One of the best pieces of advice I can give any museum educator is this: teach what you want to learn.

Yes, we all know the importance of aligning our work with the museum’s mission, themes, and objectives. That’s a given. But somewhere along the way, I nearly burned out from teaching topics that checked all the right boxes—except one: my own interest.

Out of curiosity and, honestly, desperation, I created one program that still fit our institutional mission—but it also tapped into a personal passion of mine. The result? It was a hit. Not just because it was fresh or different, but because I cared deeply about the topic. And when you care, it shows.

Because I was passionate, I brought random bits of trivia, side stories, and spontaneous tangents to the program—things you can’t plan for but that make a learning experience memorable. Each time I led the program, it evolved slightly. It wasn’t static or routine. My audience felt that energy, and they stayed fully engaged.

Now, if you’re joining a museum team as an educator, chances are you’ll inherit a set of established programs. Some of them may not resonate with you—and that’s okay. Rather than reinventing the wheel, take stock. Identify which programs are underperforming or feel outdated, and propose replacing them with content rooted in your own curiosity or the unique interests of your team or volunteers.

Passion-based teaching centers the educator, not just the audience. When an educator is deeply engaged, the learning environment becomes richer for everyone involved. So, don’t just ask what your visitors want to learn—ask yourself the same question.

You might just create your next great program, and the Passionate Programming Mini-Toolkit may help you discover how your personal interests can inspire engaging, mission-aligned educational programs at your museum. If you would like to explore ideas, please reach out in the comments or contact me directly.

Alt Text: Vibrant watercolor illustration of a central heart shape formed by a gradient of rainbow colors, surrounded by whimsical swirling flourishes in shades of purple, blue, red, orange, and yellow.

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Next Sunday’s feature is, Making Sense of Spaghetti, and the Museum Leadership Mapping Mini-Toolkit.