Gary Meers, Ed.D.

About me

I am an Education Advisor/Consultant for MaxKnowledge. I write courses that assist in the professional development of career college instructors. These courses range in content from the introductory level to advanced instructional development. I started my teaching career as an instructional technology teacher on the high school level, completed graduate school and then moved into higher education. I spent many years in the area of teacher training at the University of Nebraska. While at the University of Nebraska I stared working with career college instructors to improve their instructional delivery skills. As a result of these experiences I have been a consultant to career colleges throughout the United States and a number of foreign countries.

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Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Hi Stephanie, Thank you for these comments about how instructors can be supportive of students. You are right about many of the students that we serve needing someone in their corner. Well said and good advice for all of us. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Hi Mark, I understand where you are coming from. You have to be who you are and that is fine. The terms "cheerleader" can be used in many different ways. You don't have to be an over the top rah-rah person. A cheerleader is a fan of the team and wants to encourage the team in any way he/she can. So if students know you are there to support their efforts, want them to succeed and will serve a resource for them then you are being a cheerleader for them. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Hi Imran, I like the way you outlined the circle of learning for adults. You are right about the rich experiences they bring to class and then how they share these experiences as they gain the technical knowledge needed for the career field. This is one of the reasons I enjoy teaching adults so much. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Hi All, A number of you have made good comments about how to realize the need to REFOCUS yourself and then offered strategies for making it happen. Thank you for sharing these ideas with us. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Role Models

Hi Michael, Being on time is critical for career success and the sooner students realize this the better their career will progress. By seeing you modeling the behavior of being on time the students will start to associate being on time with success and make it a part of their behavior. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Hi Stephanie, I agree. Professional development needs to be an ongoing process throughout our careers if we are going to keep at the top of our game. Also, more satisfaction of with our teaching will come as a result of knowing that we are keeping our knowledge and skills up to date. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Sharing Comprehensive and Clear Course Requirements

Hi Vickie, Right you are. The expectations need to be clear and consistent with the requirements of the field. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Joseph, Yes, they do. The get very excited when they get to hear a former student talk about his/her challenges and successes both in the classroom as well as out in the work world. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Brian, Yes, it is. That is what keeps us coming back to the classroom. When students have "ah-ha" moments then our own excitement gets even higher. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi Andrew, Right you are. Passion sells the course. By being excited about what you are teaching you are letting the students know that you value your field and want to help them prepare to enter it. Gary

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