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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The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Claudia, Yes the learning environment is important to the total learning process. As you mention what appears to be simple such lighting, seating, etc. can make a major difference to the students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Michelle, Great outline of a professional development plan. By observing other educators and reading books on teaching you will continue to improve your teaching skills along with the experiences that will help you grow as well. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Clarifying Your Expectations To Students

Hi Michelle, Good points all. Your last point about going over the day's activities is a must. The students need to know what is going to be covered so they can settle into the day. They can see how things are going to unfold throughout the day and line up their thinking with those activities. They also can at the end of the day see the progress that has been made. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Glenn, You hit on a key point, that being understanding student needs. If you have an understanding of their needs you then can adjust your instruction to make sure you are on target. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Ernest, Good observation. Different classes and differ students require different approaches. It is good that you see this and as a result you can adapt your instruction to the needs of the current students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Sarah, The environment does have a lot to do with setting the tone for learning. Glad you have a great setting with a lot of color to get your class off to a good start. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Sarah, You are taking a good approach to the class. Use the resources that you have and those are the students. Through group work and discussions you can use their experiences the further the course content plus they will feel involved in the process as well. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Hi Renee, You are right about having to know yourself so you can project that personality and professionalism to your students. What are some steps you have taken to explore the different teaching styles and then decide on which style you are going to use? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Michelle, You make a number of excellent points about how to stay on top of your game as an educator. The need for improvement has to be a constant if we are going to continue to grow and expand our abilities to reach students. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Dan, Listening carefully to students is a key part of being a good instructor. In your experience what are some ways of being an effective listener to your students and how can you use what you hear to be a better instructor? Gary

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