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

Your Instructional Style

Hi Thomas, You are going to do fine as an instructor. Your taking of the advice of your previous instructor is a way to get yourself grounded as an instructor. He gave you a good quote from which to operate. Each time you teach a course it will get better in terms of flow. In addition, your comfort level will go up and you will be able to really enjoy the exchange you have with your students. This is why we all became teachers in the first place. We love working with students. Welcome to the profession. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Meghan, Good plan. You hit upon all of the critical elements of instructional development. By being organized, planning carefully and providing dynamic relevant content you are giving your students what they have to enrolled to get, professional instruction. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Mark, Good plan. Both you and your students will benefit from all your efforts. I wish you the best in your graduate program. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Kathleen, Thank you for sharing this example of your dedication to instruction. By making your teaching above the conditions you reflected your professionalism. I commend you for this. It is sad we have to work in such conditions but that is often the case so in we do it "in spite of not because of" and continue to impact the lives of our students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Laura, Right you are. This is why I have a simple exercise that I have my students do the first class meeting where they can be successful just to show them how they can be successful in the upcoming course. A little success is the cornerstone of great success if they believe they can achieve. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Nancy, You are going to get great feedback from this exercise plus the benefit of seeing as you mention how the students express themselves through writing. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Nancy, You are right on with your response about retention strategies. The more we know the more effective we can be. All the items you mention are ways of getting better at what we do. Good instructors retain students. A simple statement but one that is true. Students that can relate to an instructor do not drop out as often. They want the approval of that instructor because they respect him/her and the help they are giving to enable that student to achieve the career goal they have set for themselves. This is powerful. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Rachel, Rapport is critical for student and teaching success. The points of contact you mention are all excellent ways of developing rapport. By having a connection with students it is much easier to talk with them when you have concerns about their progress or if they are having problems outside of the classroom that is effecting their success in the classroom. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Shelly, You are doing the right thing by soliciting student feedback throughout the course. This will enable you to make any course changes that are needed to keep the students engaged and reduce the drop out rate. If the students feel they have an investment in their learning they can see the return on their investment of both time and money. ROI is key for adult career students. Combine this form of feedback with the end of course surveys and you have a formula for ongoing course improvement. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Michelle, Students like graphic examples of what is going to come next in the course. Your work in the class does just that. They can see what they will be learning and start to think about how they might design and complete their own work for the course. This is a powerful motivator from the very beginning of the course. Gary

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