Hi Michael,
Guest speakers can truly make a difference, and you are a witness to this. This can be such a motivating story for you to share with your students. One person can sometimes make all the difference in the world.
Patricia
I think this is a great "tool" to get students refocused. Especially after a holiday break, having a guest speaker will really help the students think about what type of career path they want to take. The only challenge to this is that the speaker has to "entertain" the students. This cannot be a dry lecture by any means.
From my own experience, as a young professional I was frustrated with the mountain of training material, endless lectures, and exams. I had a difficult time seeing the finish line in my lifetime. One day, the instructor invited a quest speaker. The speaker was younger than anyone in the class was and recounted many times when she also had doubts about her capability to complete a training program. In addition, she did not receive positive support or feedback from her father who told her she was too stupid to make it through such a program. Perseverance and determination were her best allies and she finished the Veterinarian program despite all the roadblocks. This was an inspiration and pushed me forward to the finish line.
Hi Bruce,
Envisioning is a big part of being successful. I like the idea of bringing in the paralegal so that students can pick their brain and see themselves serving as a practicing paralegal.
Patricia
I like to bring in practicing paralegals when I feel that my students are not grasping the importance of a subject to their career. This way, the student can see themselves in the future.
Hi Joseph,
I am sure it would be just as effective online, but I have no idea as to how to make it work. Perhaps, you can get the guest speaker to put their presentation on YouTube and utlize the guest speaker this way.
Patricia
Patricia,
I have participated in classes as a student when guest speakers from my field were made available. Their presence and presentation did exactly what the program suggests and I am wondering how that same effect might be accomplihed in the rather more rigid online teaching model. Anyone have any experience trying to acapt this type of presentation for your online students? Thank you, Joe
Hi Lauraine,
Guest speakers really add to the curriculum. Students enjoy having guest speakers. Guest speakers can speak from experience. There is nothing like speaking for your experiences.
Patricia
The value of having a guest speaker helps the student to refocus on their commitment to achieve a goal. A lot of times students have given up and given in to negative thoughts and other negative talk. A guess speaker can redirect those thoughts and possibly give them a better out look of the outcome the are willing to work for.
Hi Athena,
Guest speakers certainly can add a lot of spark to the course. Students enjoy having guest speakers.
Patricia
When I taught a career-focused class, I found that guest speakers were helpful since they validated much of what I told students about workplace professionalism and etiquette. Sometimes, the students need to hear something from multiple people before they will believe the information you give them.
I feel as though guest speakers are an excellent resource for drawing students into learning. I teach Criminal Justice courses and I am very enthused about my career as a parole officer. I use my experiences and my knowledge to help retain students. I also bring in guest speakers from various ares of the CJ field, especially ones where many of my students plan to go on as a career, such as police officers.
Hi Alice,
My students do too! Guest speakers are so inspiring and motivating for students. It is good for our students to hear another professional say the same things as we have told them.
Patricia
Hi Geraldine,
I concur! Graduate guest speakers are the absolute best! They have great testamonies to share.
Patricia
I think guest speakers play a major role in encouraging students who are discouraged or about to quit school. Sometimes students become discourgaged or overwhelmed with many responsibilites when they enter school, and when a guest speaker comes, especially one of a former student certainly inspires them to continue.
Thank You.
My students love guest speakers. I try to use people that are working in the topic we are discussing.
It is a great value, not only for bringing their placement or work placing experience , but at the same time they share with new student their class experience.It is kind of tradition in our school that most of students come frequently in class and they talk about their progress.Some of them keep coming even when they find a job and continue to talk with new students.In my opinion,this play an important role to encourage students that are ready to quit.
I think having guest speakers that can relate their life experiences with your students helps the students know that they can achieve their goals.
Know your speaker--you want someone who is interesting and a good speaker. They should be a good example for your class.
Having a guest speaker shows the students that there is the reality of what they are learning is not going to be pointless. It encourages them to finish so they can get in the work fireld and capture that thrill of being a part of what you studied for
