The First Day (And before)

I had technical difficulties and realized my post did not post the Sunday before I started my internship, but here is the post again!

Hi all!

I am Asami Robledo, an Art Education doctoral student (also working towards earning the Art Museum Education Certificate!). I will be starting an internship at the Amon Carter (AC) Museum of American Art in Fort Worth for the next couple of weeks! My internship will be focusing on schools and community outreach. 

I am extremely nervous to start my internship at the AC. I have experience as a classroom teacher and the experience from presenting in classes, but no experience in the museum. So, that is definitely nerve racking. As I go through the internship, I definitely hope to gain experience and become more comfortable with various audiences. I will be working with the community of Fort Worth, schools, teachers, and distant learners. 

There is a lot of new and uncharted territory, but working with schools and students has a feeling of comfort. This is the part of the internship that I was expecting and preparing for, and also, my experience has (I hope!) prepared me for this part. 

I am super excited for every section of the internship. But, out of everything, I am most excited to learn about distant learners. This is something that I don't have any experience in. During my initial meeting, where Karla (an MFA student) and I met all the educators on staff, I met Danielle, who is responsible for distant learning. She uses a program called Zoom and a high-definition camera to connect and teach students across the country! 

***Addition:

My first week has concluded. I felt as if I was a broken record switching between saying "Wow!" and "That is awesome!" as I toured and met people in the museums. 

My first day did not start off as incredible as the rest of the two days. It started off with me waking up with an allergic reaction all over my face! I was in pure panic as I tried to get ready for my first day with swollen lips and an incredible itchy throat. Thankfully, Benadryl kicked in, so my face slowly returned to normal on my drive to the museum. 

I live in Allen, so, normally the drive to Fort Worth is an hour. Of course, during my first day, its going to pour rain. I left my house an hour and half early, but, because of the rain and traffic, I did not arrive until almost two hours of driving! Being late to my first day was my worst nightmare!

But, thankfully everyone was incredibly understanding. And lucky for me, there was no proof of my allergic reaction in my ID picture taken that morning. 

The rest of the day was much more positive! I met the head of education department, the head of community outreach, the head of school programs, and the head of distant learning! Every corner I turned, I met someone. The second day, I spent time with the librarian, which was an incredible experience. It is not everyday that I can say I held the program to the first 1927 Oscars or a book from the 1700's! 

I am already learning so much!

I will be posting every other week about the experiences. I am so excited to share the journey! The AC feels like it will be a turning point in my museum career!