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

Instructors as Role Models

Wouter, Well said. I appreciate the examples you shared as well. This shows the students how they need to set standards high for themselves just as their instructors have if they are going to rise to the top of their career areas. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Mark, All good ways to demonstrate to your students what a professional is. The more you give them opportunities to model such behavior the stronger their soft skills are going to be when they are in the workplace. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reinforcement as Motivation

Krista, Right you are about reinforcement. It is powerful in increasing student motivation. Success generates success so the more we can help student achieve success the greater their engagement is going to be. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Krista, You have to bring excitement to the classroom. If you don't it is gong to be a long class session. One of the fun parts of teaching is being able to use creativity to generate student enthusiasm. When this happens it is a win win for everyone. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Daisy, The more you can learn about the learning preferences of your students the better. I like the way you approach gaining this information and then using it for your instructional planning. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Application of New Knowledge

Barbara, Good way to show your students the course requirements through the syllabus in concert with the flow of the course content. This way they can refer to the syllabus for information and feel comfortable knowing they are on target for completion. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged in Learning

Mary, I teach a 6 hour class from 4 until 10 pm so I know exactly what you are talking about. It takes a lot of effort and planning to keep them engaged but it is worth it when you see them progressing toward their career goals. Plus, coming up with new ideas and strategies helps me to stay fresh and excited about teaching each evening. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Offering Varied Instructional Delivery

Rudayna, Students like variety in instructional delivery and you are offering that. Changing the flow and pace of the class helps the students to "reset" their minds. Having the students teach a topic is a good way to build their confidence and help them to buy into what is being offered as content in the course since they have to learn it well enough to teach it. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Scott, I like your approach using the case study and/or problem solving approach. You are showing relevance to your students and they get to then apply their newly acquired knowledge. This is a win win for both the students and your teaching efforts. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Trinity, Something that will help you with this effort is to have a list of questions to have the students respond to as they introduce themselves. While they are giving this information make a note beside their name on the roster that captures the essence of what they are saying. Review the note on each student before the next class so you can attach a significant fact and the students face to that name. This will help you get the names committed to memory much quicker. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

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