Guest Speakers in the Classroom

Having guest speakers in the classroom can be a great motivator for students! There's nothing quite like having a guest speaker talk about what life is like in a "real world job."

Guest speakers can add a great deal of perceived value to the class as your students don't know what's waiting for them in future careers, and the guest speaker can provide them with insights as to how to prepare for a given field.

For the instructor, hosting a guest speaker requires extra planning. Approach hosting a guest speaker like you would managing any project. Logistically, here are the basics of hosting a guest speaker:

1. Contact the speaker and establish a date and time for the speaker's presentation.
2. Inform the speaker of your classroom's technology availability (type of computer system, version of Windows, etc).
3. Make sure the speaker knows the location of your classroom, and where to park on campus (along with directions to the campus). Check the university's website for directions to various campuses.
4. Confirm with the speaker the date a few days prior to the class.
5. Stop by the department offices and ask the administrative assistant for any small gifts that we may have to show the guest speaker's our gratitude for taking the time out of their busy schedule to come talk to our classes.
6. Prepare your students for the guest speaker. Tell them about the speaker and his/herexperience and why you have chosen this particular person to speak to your class. Also work with your students and brainstorm some questions that could be asked in the Q & A section after the speaker has finished. Having a robust Q & A session will help your speaker feel valued. (Don't forget to give the speaker the gift).
7. After the speaker is done, put your class on break and be sure to "host" your speaker and walk them to the door of the building or to the outside.
8. Follow up by having either you, the class, or a student from the class, send the speaker a thank you note.

Follow up with your students and discuss what they learned from the speaker. Was this helpful? How will they act on what they have learned?

Just a bit of planning can help hosting a guest speaker go more smoothly.