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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REFOCUS...

Hi Laura, Right you are about needing to keep refreshed and excited about teaching. What are some things you do to keep your excitement up for teaching? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Warren, Well said. Simple but so important. Respect is a two way street that has to be traveled in order to be earned. Both instructors and students need to work on developing respect for each other and this is when the Golden Rule will observed the most. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Dan, A good way to start the class while the students are getting settled in. It takes a bit before the students are ready to concentrate and this is a way of helping them do that. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Defining Instructional Professionalism

Hi Alona, Good point about how instructors should treat students. Respect is a powerful tool for teaching. It goes both ways and as a result both the instructor and the students grow professionally and individually. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Don, "Reading" a class of students is a must. This way you will be able to offer more customized instruction just as you indicated. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Mariela, Thank you for sharing this example of why a well prepared syllabus is so valuable. Your efforts in developing such a syllabus reduced the situation for this student to one where he had to admit that he had not done the required work thus could not receive the credit. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Sharon, I like your approach to teaching a subject that many students dismiss as being unimportant. You are right about feeling like you have done something when a student thanks you for the class you taught and the content you shared. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Louis, Good point about first impressions. This is critical for setting the tone for the upcoming course. By showing yourself balanced between being organized to being supportive and approachable you are setting the student for a positive learning experience. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivation techniques...

Hi Katie, I like the use of the "Cyber High-Five". You are using their field to give them reinforcement. Way to make it relevant. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Role Models

Hi Anthony, Thanks for sharing this list of what should go into being a professional. The key is with this list an instructor will be displaying modeling behavior that the student can use in their careers. Gary

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