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.

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Valuing Student Opinions

Hi George, Good suggestions for how to keep students engaged in the learning process and their attention focused on you. They need to know you are a student centered instructor and you do that by following the suggestions you listed. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Andrea, Thank you for sharing these strategies with us. These are great ways to involve students in the application of their newly acquired knowledge and refine the development of their skill sets. Good support for the students as they complete this phase of their educational journey. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi Aimee, Having a cheerleader as a part of your team is a powerful motivator. Many of our students don't have a support system that involves family or friends so an instructor is very important to them and their success. They do work hard to please an instructor if they have rapport with and respect for that person. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Pietro, This is so very true in terms of being models for out students. What are some areas you focus on to ensure that you are serving as a model for your students? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Reasons for Enrolling

Hi Michael, I like the way you tie your area (bread baking) into global preparation in the culinary arts. By showing the students how different areas within the field can benefit them you are giving them additional knowledge and skill sets that will assist them with their career development and growth. This is extremely valuable to them in the long run. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Jacqueline, You make a very important point about lesson plans. They need to be used to guide the content of the course but they need to be flexible or they won't be of value and cause frustration. By being flexible they enable instructors to modify and rearrange topics and formats as needed to reflect the dynamics of the class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Hi Jacqueline, I really appreciate and understand your comments about employee entitlement. They can't seem to understand that life is based around competition. We compete for throughout out our lives. To set ourselves apart we need to meet those deadlines and complete those projects. When we do we get the promotions and career advancements. Many students miss that part of the career development process. I spend a class session on personal branding. This session is devoted to how you can set yourself apart from every other applicant and employer. It involves effort and motivation but the returns are great. I… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Developing Student Rapport

Hi Debi, This approach also encourages students to contribute to the class discussions. By knowing that they will be respected for their input does a lot to keep them engaged in the discussions. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Students as Class Members

Hi James, This is a great ice breaker for starting a new class. You are right about some of the stuff that is written down and ends up being true. Makes you wonder how the course is going to go with some of the experiences these students have had. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructor REFOCUS

Hi James, You are right abut up and down classes as well as wearing down during the course phase. This is when it is time to recapture the energy as well as try something a bit different so the students can get ramped back up and finish out the course in good order. With the restaurant situation letting down really isn't an option so I can appreciate how you have to keep the students at the top of their game throughout the course or the guests will let them know quickly. Gary

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