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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Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Vicki, Experience will show you that the daily greeting is critical to keep your finger on the pulse of the class. A brief exchange with each student will give you the read on the mood and attitude of the students that day. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Hi Jacqueline, Great to hear! This is how professional and personal growth is made. Keep building that confidence and challenging yourself to try new instructional strategies. You are well on your way to becoming an excellent instructional delivery specialist. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Jeremy, Great ideas of how to develop as a professional educator. Constant growth is a must so keep your growth going. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Diana, This is why good planning and a stable teaching environment is essential. Students notice a torn window shade or peeling walls no matter how small they are. They are indications that the classroom and laboratories are not of the highest level. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Hi Matthew, This is why as you indicated in your comments that the first day is so very important. It is so much easier to build on a positive base than correct a negative first impression. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Melissa, When I have a class where my students are uncertain about their abilities to be successful the activities I use are very basic. Example, I have students interview each other using a set of questions I have created that cover the basics of the field on an entry level. The students take turns interviewing each other so that the students get to share their life experiences in the context of the course. This really helps to boost their self confidence from the very first class meeting. I put the students into groups or pairs depending on how many… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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REFOCUS...

Hi David, I like the way you express the need for recharging our batteries at times as instructors. The "food" is better when seasoned with effort and preparation plus excitement. This results in more engagement on the part of students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Elizabeth, Great way to customize the class based upon the needs of students. Through feedback you know how to change as you need to in order to better reflect the learning of your students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Tara, Well said. The first impression sets the tone and instructors need that tone to be a positive one. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivating Learners

Hi Ann, This is a good way to make it "real" for the students. Thanks to all of the reality shows on TV today every field looks exciting and rewarding financially. Which may or may not be the case but before they get their own show they will have to put in some real effort in developing their skills. They need to be able to see the application of their art so they can see how they might be able to shape their future. Gary

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