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

Motivation techniques...

Hi Shannon, Right you are. If students can see application and relevancy they will start to see the bridge between their career area and the liberal arts. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

REFOCUS...

Hi Gretchen, Good point. Instructors need to take some time for themselves to recharge and refocus their minds. A bit of a walk about can really help and if more time is available then getting off sight will help. Another refocus strategy is to try something new for a class. The planning and then implementation helps to get you excited again about what you are teaching. Plus, it is fun to see if your new method will work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

REFOCUS...

Hi Shannon, It is fun to do things differently. As instructors we get to be creative which helps us to get REFOCUSED. The students then benefit from out excitement as well as their own. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Mariela, Good observations about assessing students. It is not a single source of assessing but needs to come from a variety of input sources. Like the difference between a snapshot and an album. By using the different methods you get a more accurate measurement of the what the students have learned and how they are going to apply their new skills. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

REFOCUS...

Hi Christopher, Being an instructor is much like the saying "if it was easy everyone would do it." Teaching does involve a number of different roles throughout the class as well as the course phase. We need to know when those roles need to be played so the students are supported and encouraged to continue with their work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

REFOCUS...

Hi Luis, The list of questions to be asked by an instructor as the class is progressing is a good one. By following the items on the list an instructor will be able to keep his/her finger on the pulse of the class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Hi Sharon, I commend you for your professional attitude and dress. You are showing that you are a professional educator even though your field is not that of culinary arts but is just as necessary. Keep up your modeling behavior and professionalism. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Kevin, Sounds both exciting and motivational. Talk about current, the content you are using is as current as it can get. This really helps with the students realizing that they can make application of the information you are sharing to their lives. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Meggan, Thank you for sharing this example of how different students require difference kinds of support in order to be successful. Their learning support needs is what we instructors need to be on the lookout for as we start a new class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Shannon, You make a very good point about knowing your students. This is critical to teaching success. Thank you for sharing these comments. Gary

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