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.

Activity

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi William, It is easy to to get sucked into the vortex of negativism. By redirecting your students when they start down that path you are giving them alternatives to such thoughts and as a result they can see how by being positive they will have increased opportunities to have success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Sara, Congratulations on having a professional development plan for yourself. As you say online instruction is a different animal than on-site teaching so the steps you are following are helping you to grow as an instructor and professional educator. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Increasing Student Retention

Hi Jason, You raise a very good point concerning those students that find themselves in a setting that is not for them. We instructors along with other college officials need to provide support and encouragement to students so they make career choices that are meaningful and realistic for them. This can include having them go into another career field. This is a service we are providing students because if there is a career mismatch then the students are not going to be happy working in a field that they don't want to be in. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Matthew, I commend you for this effort. As you say by helping the students to help each other in a supportive situation like carpooling they learn to be more cooperative in other areas as well. This will really help them in the work situation because that is essential if they are going to be successful. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Kathleen, This is a good point to remember. We need to have balance and flow in our courses or we won't do justice to the entire course not to mention how we have shorted the education of our students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Hi Jill, With the more senior students where you already know them I would have them share their career goals, etc. They are getting to the point in their education that they need to be able to vocalize them and this is a good place to practice talking about where they see themselves in five years. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi David, This is a great idea for generating excitement. I am sure the students enjoy giving and hearing explanations about the shirts that are worn to class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi All, Excitement about teaching really helps to engage the students. Enthusiasm is contagious and makes teaching a lot easier because the students can see how the course content is going to be of value to them. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Hi Desiree, Good point. We make mistakes, we learn from them and grow as a result. This is what life is all about. The key is to profit from the mistakes not let them overcome us. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Nicole, With this understanding you will have I know a very well developed syllabus which will serve both your students and you well. Gary

End of Content