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

Sharing Comprehensive and Clear Course Requirements

Hi James, Good way to connect the dots for the students as they are working through their course sequence. This way they can start to see the value of the courses they are taking and how their career goals can be achieved. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation

Hi Tessie, Great strategies plus they sound like they are fun to learn. Once the students have these terms drilled into their minds they won't forget them. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Students as Class Members

Hi Wanda, Good way to start a class. I am sure you get into some very good discussion right at the beginning due to the experiences they have had during their clinicals. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Using a Well-prepared Syllabus

Hi Tessie, You are right about the accountability part of the syllabus for students. By having it in print you can avoid a lot of discussion about requirements and deadlines. It is up to them to meet those deadlines as outlined in the syllabus. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Cheryl, I like your attitude, honesty and enthusiasm about teaching. You are right some of our topics are not as exciting as others. By doing what you are doing, making them personally interesting you are bringing your personality to the classroom which helps to sell the content. I know your students are enjoying your classes. I wish you much teaching success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Mary, So true about the need for the environment to be supportive to the learning that is occurring. If the environment is not supportive then the learning will be greatly reduced to the disadvantage of the students. We need to always survey our classroom and labs prior to class so we can make any needed adjustments. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Charisma, Yes it is a good method. Students like to hear about how you approached different situations. These examples help them to see the relevancy of what they are studying. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Teaching to Multiple Intelligences

Hi Kay, You are right about some of the challenges of teaching online. I personally prefer teaching in a classroom setting but currently do much of my teaching online. As a result of have had to develop a number of different engagement strategies like you mentioned so I can get the students focused and learning in this environment. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Blog

Rapport with Students

Rapport is defined in a number of different ways depending on the setting and relationship being developed. In teaching you want to earn the respect of your students as quickly as possible. Once you have earned their respect you have set the stage for the next step and that is rapport. As the students come into your class they are at some point in their career development, some will be just starting and others completing their last courses. As a result of where you are in the teaching sequence you will develop different levels of rapport with your students. If… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Chavelle, Thank you for sharing this example of how instructors adapt their instructional delivery to meet the profile of their students. You are right in your understanding of how this needs to be done. I have found that I do things differently based upon the time of day I teach as well. My evening classes require a much different approach than do my mid-morning classes. So we need to "read" our students and then plan accordingly. Gary

End of Content