A guest speaker can bring in new perspectives for the learning student.
I utilize successful practitioners to present their opinions and stories of success. It shows students that they also have an opportunity to be successful in their chosen field.
I distinctly remember a criminal justice guest speaker that I previously worked with who really knew his "stuff"! He was challenged by a student in my class who thought this Police Commander was all show and didn't know the first things about gang violence. Was this student ever put in his place! I was so proud of my friend who was able to impart his wisdom and knowledge to my students and show the class wiseguy how things really are in the real world. I carefully select my invited guests and don't use them to lighten my class responsibilities.
A successful guest speaker can encourage a student to continue and to become successful themselves.
I have had much success using graduates as guest speakers. The students are given some of the graduates background and as a group, compile a list of questions for the speaker. Students love to find out what the grad's background was, what he/she learned from their externship and the trials and tribulations of the industry. Sometimes the speaker will not be a grad, but a successful chef in the area that did go to culinary school. Students get very excited to see what the future can hold for them.
I'm an instructor in the dental assisting program so I asked a Dentist to come and speak to the class. The outcome was great. The students were interested because they respected the opinion of a potential employer.
I especially recommend people from the same demographic because there is a "he/she is just like me" energy that comes out during the presentation.
I recommend this technique to all of my new adjunct faculty.
At another college I taught at having a graduate "peer" student come in to help hammer home the message was very effective. He was a former gang member who got his GED and worked his way up to a PhD. I will never forget how my students thanked him so much for sharing his story. A number of them made comments for a few semesters afterwards so I knew that the speaker had a positive impact on their education.
the guest speaker adds an element to a course, bring in a person who maybe sparks a bit of passion or speaks from experience, my students, really like that, it ties it all together for them.
Hi Jennifer,
What a smart move on your part to try to save your students! Graduate testmonials are awesome, and I am sure you can attest to this. Students love having graduates as guest speakers. Graduates as guest speakers are so inspiring.
Patricia
Inspiration is the goal here. A professional with a job that seems "cool" to the students will keep interest while on the job experiences, stories, and Q&As encourage invlovment in lecture/dicsussion.
I had a couple of students who came to class one night telling all the students that they were wasting their time taking the patient care tech program and that they would never get a job. I called my former student and asked her if she would come in for a motivational talk about her job. She told them that she excelled on her extern, the company paid for her to take an arrhythmia class while still on her extern, and then hired her while still on her extern. They then had an opening for a part-time phlebotomist, so she scored two jobs at the same facility!!! It was so awesome for the students to hear her success story that they continued with the program and are almost done! I have since used her for other classes and it always makes such an impact!
Guests speakers, specialy formal graduated students, they are the evidence that if you realy want to finish school nothing will stop you.
Hi Kimberly,
Yes. It is important to give the guest speaker an agenda, otherwise some guest speakers are all over the place. They will ramble about any and everything.
Patricia
It definitley makes a difference on who the guest speaker is and how effective the speech is. I have found that if you have a pre-meeting with the speaker to discuss the goals and topics that need to be discussed it acheives much more.
Hi Renee,
I hear you! It is motivating to use guest speakers wherever they fit appropriately. Students enjoy guest speakers, and it is definitely a nice change!
Patricia
In a career college, a guest speaker is a valuable tool in a career class. But is of little value in an academic class. Not because there is no relationship but because in the majority of cases the speakers can not discuss how the knowledge of that academic subject relates to the cullinary industry.
In my subject area, guest speakers are of little or no value. For example: a guest chef, restaurant manager, etc can speak about their role in the industry, have minimual knowledge of how college algebra plays an important role in the students educational plan. And more importantly how it also can be a positive tool to know and use in their culinary education and later when they are employed in the industry.
Hi Kelly,
Graduates in the work force can shine light on a lot of things as a guest speaker. Students thoroughly enjoy having graudates as guest speakers. The students generally picks the guest speaker's brain.
Patricia
Patricia
I love having former students or students who are doing their extern come back and speak with the students. The students like this because they can ask about the former students experience. I can tell students what it is like out in the work field but when the hear it from another student it reinforces what I have told them.
Kelly
Guest speakers are beneficial to any student, whether or not they feel like giving up the ghost or are still excited about what they have signed up for. Having someone come in and talk about the field they are about to embark on can be electrifying and just what is needed to reaffirm why they are on the journey they are on and what their goal for the future was when they decided to go back to school.
