The Value of Virtual Guest Speaking

I started SpeakerPost during COVID, when classrooms around the world were forced online. For professors, the transition was not easy. Teaching to a grid of muted microphones and blank screens was a daily challenge. Even the most carefully prepared slides could not compete with the distractions of a student’s home environment.

What made a difference—for both students and educators—was the introduction of guest speakers. Virtual guest speaking created possibilities that were once difficult to imagine. Suddenly, a professional working in New York or London could speak to students in Los Angeles without leaving their office / home.

The Value of Virtual Guest Speaking

In my own classes, this shift was transformative. Students who had grown restless with the routine of online lectures responded to the change in rhythm. A new voice, a different perspective, and stories from outside the syllabus gave them reason to turn their cameras on, ask questions, and stay present. For me as an educator, it broke the isolation of teaching to a silent screen.

The benefits extended beyond engagement. Virtual guest speaking allowed for shorter, more focused sessions. Professionals who might not have been able to visit campus in person were able to share half an hour from their workday. These conversations added a texture to teaching that no textbook and no single lecturer could provide.

At SpeakerPost, this experience confirmed what many of us suspected: guest speaking was not just a stopgap during a crisis. It became a sustainable practice, one that educators and professionals could continue well beyond the pandemic.

Today, virtual guest speaking is less about necessity and more about opportunity. It gives educators another tool to keep courses relevant and dynamic. It gives students direct exposure to the realities of work.

And it reminds us that education can adapt—and even improve—when it opens its doors to new voices in new ways.