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

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Hi Debbie, Right you are about acceptance. Students need to know they are welcome in the class and that they will be treated with respect and consistency. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivating Learners

Hi Tom, I am glad to hear that you are having a positive experience by using the life experiences of your students to the benefit of yourself and your students. I have been in the same situation many times and have had the same results as you. The class benefits from the extensive experience of the students and I have never had any negative results from letting the class know that I am going to depend on the expertise that is available in the class. It is a win win for everyone. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Johanna, Good diversity in your instructional planning and delivery. This keeps your students engaged and forward focused on the course because of the ongoing changes you are bringing to the classroom. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Wendy, This is critical so respect and rapport can be developed with students. They have to know you care about them as humans. The care factor is important for student success and class progress. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Johanna, Good question. This is a common issue in career colleges. You can take the college syllabus and talk with the administration about what changes you want to make and why. Often they will allow you to make the changes you want. Another way is to have a course addendum. On this sheet you can outline what you want the students to do or complete in addition to what is outlined in the syllabus. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Wendy, You are right about the guideline part. A well prepared syllabus really helps to reduce student frustration and anxiety. It lays out the expectations, polices and requirements of the course so the students know what to expect throughout the course. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Tom, Good idea. Hope it works for you and your students. Sometimes these types of groups really help to motivate students as well as help them with social interaction with other students. This lets them really zero in on their interest area. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Wendy, Good planning and preparation really helps to get the course off in a good way. A easy going opening of class the first day with some ice breakers and a discussion of the course requirements, polices and expectations as outlined in the syllabus really helps to set the stage for success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Developing Clear Goals and Objectives

Hi Herb, This is a good point. How do you go about aligning the course to student needs? What are some of your strategies that you can share with us? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Developing Clear Goals and Objectives

Hi Sara, I call this vision sharing. We (instructor and students) need to have the same vision for where we are going in the course. If we do then the journey of learning is going to be much smoother and the challenges smaller. This is what makes teaching and learning enjoyable for all involved. Gary

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