Using Guest Speakers
I think using guest speakers is an ideal way to show students what lays ahead of some of them after college. It's kind of the light at the end of the tunnel strategy. They can see there is a goal waiting for them.
Hi Scot,
Students need to hear from other professionals other than just us as their instructor. Guest speakers act as great reinforcers to what has already been taught.
Patricia
I love to have guest speakers come into class. I love how I will have been telling them the same thing for weeks and they hear it from the guest mouth and it just seems to click!
i like having guest speakers. students often pay more attention to a message coming from someone other than the instructor, someone like a graduate student for example.
And, it is easier to get guest speakers than people think. You can pool on all of your previous graduates. Great way to keep graduated students engaged with school.
I use two different types of guest speakers. The first is a former student who has found work in this field which is highly competetive to begin with. The second is a working professional who is involved with recruitment...usually a project manager. In one instance they see someone that was once in their current situation and made it work. In the second instance they get a real sense of what companies are looking for in a potential candidate.
Hi Kristine,
Students love and need variation. Variation keeps students encouraged, motivated, and excited.
Patricia
I agree. I had a mid-level manager come in and speak to my management class. It was really good for the students to hear what her job was like on a day-to-day basis and have the opportunity to ask her questions. It was also a good way to bring variety into the classroom.
