Are you looking for a way to make keep your students engaged in STEM? Inviting guest speakers can do just that, transforming the traditional teaching experience into something interactive, inspiring, and memorable. Whether it’s a geologist sharing hands-on insights into the Earth’s layers or eunterpreneur talking about the logistics of running a small business, guest speakers bring expertise, excitement, and authentic engagement that’s hard to replicate in a textbook.
But why are they so impactful? Let’s explore the key benefits of incorporating guest speakers into your classroom and how you can make the most out of these collaborations.
Why Are Guest Speakers Beneficial?
Research and educator experiences suggest that guest speakers provide enriching opportunities for both students and teachers. Here’s why they’re worth including in your education strategy:
1. Expertise That Fills Gaps
While teachers are masters of their craft, some topics require deeper, field-specific expertise and experiences. Inviting professionals like environmental scientists or microbiologists ensures that students access current, real-world knowledge. According to a study shared by Lauren Hudson on BCTF, guest speakers not only educate students but also improve teachers’ own understanding of niche subject areas.
2. Career Exposure
Guest speakers are a window into various career paths. For instance, a discussion led by an engineer or a software developer not only enhances content knowledge but shows students real-world applications of the subject matter. Articles from Edutopia emphasize how such exposure can ignite career aspirations and broaden students’ awareness, offering them role models in fields they might have never considered.
3. Engagement Through Authentic Experiences
“Students pay attention to someone new,” shared an educator on Better Leaders Better Schools. Guest speakers, with their unique perspectives and dynamic storytelling, can cut through the monotony of routine lessons. They provide relatable, real-world examples that students find fascinating. Adding hands-on activities can leave a lasting impression.
4. Memorable Connections
Guest speakers create moments that stick. Whether a geologist shows off mini fossils or a mathematician explains the mysteries of algorithms, these things become stories students tell their friends and family. Lauren Hudson notes that even virtual guest talks have demonstrated strong empathetic connections with students.
5. Reduce Cost and Planning by Bringing an Immersive Experience into The Classroom
With rising cost and logistical challenge of coordinating field trips, bring a field trip to your classroom with a hands-on guest presentation or virtual field trip.
6. Fill in time after exams with Engaging content
Educatopia points out the use of guest presenters as a useful way to keep students learning after the pressure of preparing students for exams is done at the end of a term.
How to Make Guest Speaker Sessions Impactful
If you’re ready to invite professionals into your classroom, a little preparation will ensure that both the speaker and students have the best experience possible. Here are some steps to consider, as shared by Edutopia and Better Leaders Better Schools:
Before the Visit
- Research and Outreach: Look for local experts. Reach out to parents, museums, local businesses, or universities for potential speakers.
- Align the Curriculum: Clearly communicate the topics you’re covering, so the speaker can tailor their message.
- Prepare Your Students: Share background information about the speaker and ask students to brainstorm questions in advance.
During the Visit
- Provide Structure: Ensure the speaker knows how much time they have and how to handle questions.
- Support with Context: If needed, guide the conversation to keep it aligned with your lesson goals. Help keep students on task during hands-on activities.
After the Visit
- Reflect and Extend: Encourage students to reflect on what they learned. This could be through a thank-you letter, a summary of key takeaways, or even a class discussion..
- Follow Up: Where possible, maintain a connection with the speaker for potential future collaborations.
Bring the World to Your Classroom
Hosting guest speakers isn’t just about knowledge transfer; it’s about sparking curiosity, inspiring careers, and building connections to the wider world. From a worm wrangler turning soil science into an adventure to a financial expert making algebra relevant, the possibilities are endless.
Worm Wrangler specializes in bringing soil, sustainability and worms to your classroom across Waterloo Region and Southern Ontario. This fits well into soils, life cycle, nutrient cycle and
