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

Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Dr. Norton, Good job with setting the tone for your class. There is nothing wrong with showing everyone how they can earn an A in the course. I do the same with my courses. Once the course starts then the students start to drift to the different grade levels due the effort they put forth or the desire they have to be successful in the class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Motivators

Hi Jason, Good point. This is the foundation of rapport development. The students know you care about them and their success and they in return develop a connection between them and you the instructor. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Janice, You are right. Simple concept that works in many different settings. By knowing your audience you know how to better meet their needs. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Reasons for Enrolling

Hi Debbie, Good point. I like to know the "why" as well. It helps you to have insight into how to approach and work with different students. You can be more targeted in your efforts. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Jeannie, You are right about how being prepared helps with your attitude as an instructor. There is something about bringing your A game into the classroom that really helps to build confidence that this day is going to be a great one as a result of the effort that has been expended. You can enjoy being an instructor as a result of knowing you are ready to go. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Julie, You make a number of very good points about how to keep students focused. The key is that you are recognizing that outside issues exist in the lives of your students. By recognizing them you are saying that you know they can impact on the success of the students but that the students need to keep their own progress high on their life's list. If they don't they will start to slide and then fail at being a student. This is also a part of rapport development which creates a connection between you and the students. They often… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Hi Thomas, When I get students like this I try to spend some time with them talking about career options. I encourage them to explore other career choices that may target their interests better. I work with my college students services office to help them with their exploration efforts. I try to encourage them and get them excited about my field if they are going to stay in the class because I want them to do well and I don't want to have to continually deal with their negative attitudes. If they get too bad I will remove them from… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Marife, I agree. I like to establish an understanding of what my students know coming into my classes. I use baseline assessments and then I know how to format the course content based upon the assessment results. This helps me to be more targeted in my instruction. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Hi Nicole, This approach is important because it helps the students to bridge the gap between school and their careers. They start to see application and relevancy to what you are asking them to learn as skill sets. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Kari, Good way to keep on top of the course dynamics and what the needs of the students are. Taking the feedback into consideration for planning is critical so not only can you make any changes needed for the current course but in courses to come. This is how instructional improvement continues. Gary

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