Interviewing Tips for
Students Who Interview Senior Citizens
1. Initiate small talk while waiting for the actual taping to begin. A good strategy is to ask the guest to give their full name and spell it for the record. DO NOT TALK ABOUT WWII UNTIL THE TAPING BEGINS. Many great anecdotes have evaporated into the air while mikes were being set up. Such stories, when told for a second time, lack detail, freshness and emotion.
2.
ASK QUESTIONS LOUDLY, CLEARLY, SLOWLY. Never ask a question which can
be answered with a one word answer.
"Tell me about..." works great if you are seeking stories not just
answers.
3.
KEEP GOOD EYE CONTACT. Nod
occasionally to encourage your guest. Smile if it is going well. Use body
language to show you are interested in the history being shared (nod, smile, eye
contact...NO RUSTLING THROUGH NOTEBOOKS,
or glances at friends ) .
4.
LET YOUR GUEST TALK! The more
she/he talks, the better the interview is going. The more the student says, the worse
it's going.
5.
IF A SENIOR GUEST PAUSES OR STOPS, DO NOT RUSH INTO THE SILENCE WITH A NEW
QUESTION. OLDER PEOPLE SOMETIMES
NEED A MOMENT TO REMEMBER, OR A MOMENT TO RECOMPOSE THEMSELVES AFTER A TEARDROP
FORMS. BE PATIENT DURING A
PAUSE. COUNT SILENTLY TO 4
Mississippi SLOWLY BEFORE GOING TO
A NEW QUESTION OR TO A FOLLOW UP QUESTION. (You'd be amazed
at the great stories which seniors related to student interviewers who remained
silent, were patient, and kept eye contact.
6.
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS. IF, DURING AN ANSWER, YOU ARE CONFUSED BY THE ANSWER OR
YOU THINK THE ANSWER IS INCOMPLETE, ASK A FOLLOW UP QUESTION. IF YOU THINK THE ANSWER IS NOT COMPLETE,
OTHERS WILL, TOO. Have confidence
in yourself during an interview. Ask questions which pop into your mind while
you are LISTENING to your guests answers.
Get the story before you move on to another topic or question. Rephrase questions if necessary. Never give up on a question after only
one try. Some guests simply are
hard of hearing.
7.
Say THANK YOU at the end of the interview.
The Winnie the Welder
Oral History Project
SAMPLE ORAL HISTORY
QUESTIONS FOR USE BY 7TH GRADERS
AT
BROAD MEADOWS MIDDLE
SCHOOL IN QUINCY, MA
(for use when interviewing
a female shipbuilder of WWII)
I.
TEST ALL MICROPHONES, CAMCORDERS for sound. Use earpiece if possible to monitor
sound during an oral history interview.
II. THE INTERVIEW (the tape rolls
...then...)
1. Which shipyard hired you
during WWII ?
a. In what year ?
b. How long did you stay
?
c. How did you hear that
the Yard was hiring women ?
d. Tell us why you decided
to work in the yard.
e. Were you married
then? If so, what was your
husband's reaction to your decision to work at a shipyard ? What did your
friends and family think of you becoming a Rosie the Riveter
?
f. What was your first day
on the job like ?
g. Were you paid the same
as the men ?
h. What jobs did you do at
the yard ?
i. Can you give me a
demonstration on (welding, chipping, crane operation, electrical j.
installation, etc.)
?
k. Take us through a
typical shift.
2. Personal
Reactions
a. How did the men treat
you ?
b. What were the working
conditions like ?
i. midnight
shift
ii.
asbestos
iii.
winter/summer
iv. seven days a
week?
v. who minded your children
(if a mother) ?
vi. accidents, harrassment,
favoritism
vii. Did anyone help you
during tough times on the job?
C.
REFLECTIONS
1.What was your proudest
moment at the Yard ?
2. What was the biggest
sacrifice you made during WWII?
3. What were some of the
things you did after your shipyard shift ended?
4. Did you save any photos
or artifacts ? Did you bring them
?
5. Do you feel more like a
pioneer for women's rights or more like a patriot ?
6. How did you feel when
the war was winding down and women and men were being laid off
?
7. Did you work outside the
home after the Yard let you go ?
8. How did that job's wages
compare to the Yard's wages ? Were
you satisfied with that pay? Why ?
or Why not ?
9. How did working in the
shipyard change you ?
10. If you had a daughter
or granddaughter who wanted to work in a shipyard, what would you say to her
?
11. How did you feel when
we asked you to do this interview ?
12. Besides me, have you
told anyone else about your Winnie
the Welder experiences ? Who ? Why ?
13. Is there anything else
you'd like to tell me about being a female shipbuilder ?
"I'd like to thank you
___________ , for teaching me
women's history that is not found in my history book. I learned a lot today.
Thank you ."
III. Follow up the interview with a hand written
note thanking her for taking the time to teach another generation about the
sacrifices and accomplishments of the first female shipbuilders at our
shipyard.
-end of sample questions
------------------------------------
I. The blending of Television and
history has backboned my project.
II. My goals for this
"Winnie the Welder" lesson are twofold.
Goal One is to share with
you an ongoing project from my classroom which has
focused on some women's
history made during WWII in the once world famous
Fore River Shipyard in
Quincy, Massachusetts. I teach 7th grade L.A. in
Quincy. The project is
called "The Winnie the Welder Project."
Goal Two is to tempt you
into taking on a similar project in your school
district or community by
providing you with advice, tips from experience, and
samples which may be
classroom ready or at least adaptable for your classroom
or
community use . There was a great
deal of women's history made by the
women in our communities.
Not only was history made during WWII, but how
about the women and men who
forged The Civil rights Movement.
Have their
stories been collected,
preserved. Those who marched,
resisted, registered
voters and more in the 50's
and 60's are living in our towns. My fear is some
of
that history may be forgotten. What about The Women's Revolution of the
70's ? I hope some of you
are able to connect your students firsthand to that
history. Then I hope your
students share with the Massachusetts Studies
Project and their own
community what they learned from interviewing their
elders. My community,
Quincy, needed to be reminded.