Guest Speaker
Since I teach mainly at night it is very difficult to plan and execute many field trips, therefore, I use guest speakers in the business world to come to class to give insight as to what to expect in the real business world. I try to have about three speakers during a quarter maybe more from insurance, banking, manufacturing, mail-order, legal, law-enforcement, retailing, distribution, sales, and customer service. We also set up an activity where we sell food items and the students must please their cliental. This really has been fun because we have several cliental who are asked to be difficult.
Mary Jane,
Do you provide the guest speakers with an overview of what they should discuss or do you allow them to be more informal with their approach?
Tremayne Simpson
I also use graduates that have been through this course and are now in the field. It gives the students encouragement through their success stories.
Nice and at my culinary school we do these special demoes called "Get Rad with Chef Ochi" we open it to all students and the chef will show off a dish off of the curriculum to show them what cooking is all about once you understand the cooking methodology and theory. We then allow students to come up for a pictures and tastings. Then we open up with questions. Students are so inspired and so engaged to see that there is something more to a particular food item. I need to check with my boss and do another one soon with live lobsters with laminated pasta and champagne vanilla bean sauce ^_^
I teach in a medical field program and have found that adding guest speakers generate more interest from the students. For example: A physician discussing a disease process that is pertinent to what they have been learning about in class tend to bring that learning to life. It brings a fresh and exciting perspective for the students as well.
Thanks for the feedback Mary Jane! I greatly appreciate it!
I truly have found value in guest speakers- whether on field trips or in the classroom.
Fortunately, being a business management instructor, I have been able to find field trip opportunities both during the day and the night.
In summary, field trips and/or guest speakers are a great way to open the eyes of students to their potential future career.
Guest speakers that are graduates of your program lend credence to the subjects being taught. Their feedback, from a successful graduates perspective, tends to spark additional interest in the topic. In addition, they often help a teacher in remaining current in his/her field.
Gary Schlomer
Gary,
I agree. Also, the students want to hear from the individuals that lived their experience and completed the requirements of the programs.
Tremayne Simpson
Hey Tremayne,
This is so true! I always see a big difference in the attention from the students when their is a speaker verses myself talking to them. I think it is mostly because of the individuals life experience in the related field they are getting ready to enter.
Kareem,
Exactly. The information provided from the instructor is important, however the analogies provided from a guest speaker can be timely and serve as examples for students.
Tremayne Simpson
Kareem,
Exactly. The information provided from the instructor is important, however the analogies provided from a guest speaker can be timely and serve as examples for students.
Tremayne Simpson
Kareem,
Exactly. The information provided from the instructor is important, however the analogies provided from a guest speaker can be timely and serve as examples for students.
Tremayne Simpson
