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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Defining Instructional Professionalism

Hi Larry, Good examples all of what instructional professional can be when a dedicated instructor focuses on how to best meet the needs of students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Laurie, You do have a major challenge with the current structure you are working in. I don't have a good answer for your question since you are already doing the things that I would suggest to get the students motivated. I would talk with the administration about possible revisions in the grading scheme. There needs to be a "pay off" for the students if they work hard. This pay off should be an A if it is earned rather than pass/fail. Is it possible to have a contest of some kind for the development and writing of a creative… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Frank, Right you are. This way you can customize your instruction to reflect the needs of the current group of students. This will result in higher retention and greater student satisfaction. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivation techniques...

Hi Heather, This is a great way to make it "real" for students. They get to hear from someone already in the field which reinforces what you are telling them in class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Cheryl, Great way to start a class. You are showing them that you not only care but will do anything you can to support their efforts. By getting to know more about the students you know how to customize your instruction more accurately. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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REFOCUS...

Hi Mark, Good for you. By being current in your field plus excited about teaching it your students will see a model for themselves in the future. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivation techniques...

Hi Carroll, Relevancy is critical for students to be motivated. By showing how you and others have been successful students can see how they can create a future for themselves through hard work and study. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Sharing Comprehensive and Clear Course Requirements

Hi Mike, Right you are. So it is critical that instructors have well developed syllabi and course requirements. This will help the students to see what are the expectations, requirements and policies that they will be working with. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Eric, Student centered instruction is where it is at. You have that by the methods you are using to reach your students and their learning needs. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Defining Instructional Professionalism

Hi Abdalla, This is a great list of ways to illustrate one's professionalism. The more one can plan and share the greater the level of engagement by the learners. Gary

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