Dawn, Yeah, I have never had a poor field trip experience. Sometime, a guest speaker can be a bit less than dynamic. Sometimes, if I have a new speaker I haven't had before, I'll prep them as to what general topics I want them to speak about, or at least ask that they touch on a certain topic among the many topics they share. This helps me make sure the students get meaningful information from the speaker. Also, I usually ask the students to take notes and some times I'll quiz them about the information. I do this to make sure they listen, are active participators in the discussion, and give the guest the courtesy and respect they deserve for coming in to the class. Barry Westling