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.

Activity

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Albert, What a great professional development plan you outlined. Thanks for sharing it. The key is to continually be in a growth mode. The more we can learn the more we have to share in terms of both content and expertise. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Kimberly, So true. It is so much easier to move forward with a positive first impression rather than spend time digging out from under a negative one. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Blog

Lesson Plan Followup

A strategy that can be of great help to you as you strive to improve your instructional delivery expertise is to take notes after you complete a class session. Many instructors have their lesson plans in notbook binders so they can easily pull out the lesson plans for that session and have them available to work through during class. When you teach a class be it lecture, demonstration or a combination of the two you have a feeling for how it went. You know the success points and the areas where you need to make some improvements, add materials or… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Nancy, I agree. The students need this type of support and encouragement so they will stay focused on success throughout the course. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Developing Student Rapport

Hi Darlisa, Nerves can do a real job on the minds and success of students. So the more they can be made comfortable and understand the expectations the more settled they will be in the course. Good point. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi Nancy, The students will never rise above the level of excitement of the instructor. We need always remember this as we enter the classroom each session. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi April, Good point. Instructors need to be aware of and plan for the different learning preferences they will encounter with their students. This will enable them to more accurately target their instructional planning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Hi Nancy, Segments of support are powerful motivators for our students. We need to give them whenever we can which will lead to higher motivation levels for our students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Joseph, As a former military person I am sure seeing fellow instructors that are not organized and prepared presents some frustration. I have on a number of occasions been in the copy room when an instructor will run in to make copies for a class that was suppose to have started five minutes ago. The instructor is sweating and flushed and in a panic. For me is just isn't worth it. By planning ahead I can go down to my classroom and greet the students as they come in and then start the class on time with all my… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Hi Elaine, I agree with your approach. You need to create an understanding and connection between you and your students. Once that has been accomplished you can start developing respect and rapport with them which leads to enhanced retention. Gary

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