Guest Speaker Assignment/Notes
Intro to LPSS
You will be having a guest speaker in class almost every week. Here are some rules and things to think about with our guest
speakers.
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You represent the entire school (and me) with how you act. Act as a positive ambassador. The speaker bases their opinion
of GHS based on YOU and your behavior/questions/attitude.
No sleeping, head down, eyes closed, etc.
You should not be goofing off or being disrespectful in any way.
You may ask the speaker almost any appropriate question. However, do NOT ask them the following:
a. Have you ever shot someone?
b. Have you ever been shot?
c. What kind of gun do you carry?
i. If they volunteer this type of information to you, then you may carefully ask follow up questions.
Do not point out any typos that a speaker may have on his or her PowerPoint.
You are encouraged to introduce yourself to the speaker either before or after class. Shake his or her hand and thank them
for coming. If you are interested in their career, ask them if you can set up a shadow day with them and/or get contact
information from them/me.
Guest speaker assignment/notes:
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Date of Presentation
Name of speaker AND Title/rank (Officer, Detective, Sgt., Lt., Mr., etc.)
Agency/Department (WPD, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, etc.)
Length of service (how many years)
3 possible questions (ahead of time)
10 additional interesting/relevant facts/information that you learned about this career. Be specific. List these out 1-10.
One paragraph explaining your thoughts about this speaker and what you learned/found interesting. How would you rate
this speaker on a scale of 1-10 and why? This should be at least 4-5 complete sentences.
Example:
1/9/15
Sgt. Scott Plummer
Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office – Liaison Unit
18 years in law enforcement
3 questions: (please come up with your own)
1. Why did you get into Law Enforcement?
2. What is the most difficult part of your job?
3. Which jobs in the Sheriff’s Office are the most sought out right now?
10 Facts:
1. Sheriff’s deputy enforces state law.
2. You have to be 14 to apply to the cadet program.
3. Put specific facts down. Don’t put things like “I learned what he does” or “training.”
4. ….
5. ….
…
10. You are welcome to put down more than 10 facts for the speaker if you wish to.
I thought this guest speaker was good. He was really interesting and had some pretty cool stories. The most important things I
learned from him was that the Cadets get to do ride alongs with officers, get handcuffs, and learn to use the radio. I also
thought it was interesting that cadets can observe in the jail. I would rate this guest speaker a 9. The reason I rated him this
way is that he was engaging and interesting. He taught me about the Cadet program, but I wish he would have brought in
some of his gear to show. I would recommend having him back next year.
How to write a Thank You Card
Law Enforcement 1/2/Intro to LPSS
The guest speakers in our classes generously donate their time to speak to us. They have to rearrange their work schedules,
create presentations, and use their own time and money to get to GHS. We want to make sure they feel appreciated and want to
come back again to future classes. Each student will need to write a thank you card to each guest speaker. You will be given a 20
point grade on this. Some of the guidelines are listed below.
1. You must write in complete sentences. Use proper grammar. Spell words correctly. Put periods at end of sentences.
2. Spell the speaker’s name correctly. Include the proper title. I give you this information on the board as well as on my website.
3. You should write at least 4-5 sentences.
4. Include the following:
a. Thanking them for coming
b. 1-2 things interesting that you learned
c. Something that impacted you
d. Anything personal or from the heart
e. Reemphasize how thankful and appreciate you are of their time and knowledge
f. If you thought they did a great job or if you thought they were awesome, tell them that!
g. If you didn’t think they were all that great, you can always thank them for their service to the community.
h. A proper introduction with their title/name and signature of your name. Include your first and last name.
5. You should have an actual Thank You card. They can be the cheapest Thank You card you can find with a blank inside. Dollar
General usually has them 8 for $1. Cards from Walmart or Dillon’s are usually quite a bit more expensive.
6. These should be handwritten and legible. Write in your best penmanship.
7. Remember that the speakers develop on impression of you and of Goddard High School. If you write a sloppy card with lots of
mistakes, they might develop a negative impression of our class and our school.
I am continually getting remarks from guest speakers about how impressed they are that you guys write them thank you notes.
Many of them say it’s the highlight of their day receiving these in the mail. Many of the speakers tell me that they read every
single thank you card. Some have said that they pin them up on a bulletin board or keep them in a place where they can refer
back to them. You can help serve as inspiration to these professionals.
Example:
Sgt. Plummer,
Thank you so much for speaking to my Law Enforcement class at Goddard High School. I really enjoyed learning about
the Cadet program. I had no idea this program even existed! I think it would be very interesting to ride along with officers,
learn how to use the radio, and get to help inside the jail. I also loved all the stories that you told. I particularly liked hearing
about BTK. You seem very knowledgeable and have lots of interesting experiences. Thanks for all that you have done for our
community. Thanks again for speaking to us. You did a great job! I hope you will come back again in the future.
Sincerely,
Jacob Holle
I take off points for misspellings, grammatical errors, not long enough, or a lack of “heart” in your writing.
Once I have sent the cards off in the mail, I will no longer give any late credit for turning in a missing thank you card.