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

Preparing and Delivering Effective Lectures

Hi Lawrence, Exactly! Students need to start developing the skills that are needed to separate them from the herd. By being prepared and ready to respond they show they have the confidence and desire to take leadership in answering questions or responding to problem situations. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Increasing Student Retention

Hi Roy, That is to bad because it takes out a great opportunity for follow up when students are about to drop out. I am sure their retention rates are much higher than those colleges that follow up with their students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Valuing Student Opinions

Hi Tony, Good point about creative thinking by students. It is from this type of thinking that solutions to problems come that normally would have taken much longer to arrive at. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Dave, There are many good informational DVDs available on coaching but there aren't many on teaching. The ones that I am familiar with are for elementary and secondary teachers. These are available through many different online teacher supply stores. There are several books that are available for college instructors that you might want to check out as well. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Hi Anne, So do I. I just wish my students came equipped with them. It would save me so much time and them effort because they are still trying to learn how to write even though they are in college. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Hi James, You are right about leading by example and excitement. It does rub off on the students and the class becomes more motivated by what is going on in the classroom/lab. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Dennis, You are correct about heading off "end of course" disputes. A well developed syllabus lays out the course expectations, requirements and policies. So when a dispute comes up you can refer to the syllabus section that deals with the question. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Hi Antoinette, Good points about what it takes to be successful in college. By providing support to these students you are showing them that you care about them and their success. With their effort and your support they will be successful and they need to grasp this early in their college careers or they will not make it through to graduation. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Hi Amy, Good point about the need for hard work if one is going to be successful. Sometimes I think the students think we instructors were just born with our skills and knowledge of the field. By letting them know how hard we worked to get where we are they can appreciate that what they are going through is worth it. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Steven, What are some way you would mentally change the outlook on the current course? Gary

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