Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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

Hi Tiffany, Well said concerning how to approach the classroom in terms of making learning personal and supportive. You mention two key items, realistic assignments and relating your personal experiences from the field. As you know students really like both approaches because this way they are helped with connecting the dots between their studies and their career goals. Gary
Hi Ken, You make good points in relation to critical elements of learning success - support materials and faculty concern. If students know clearly what they are to do and have the materials to back them up as well as caring faculty then their chances of success are going to be much higher. Gary
Discussion Comment
Hi Ken, The informal ongoing student feedback is very important for keeping the students engaged and focused on the course. If they don't have the opportunity to have input they can withdraw and the instructor may be missing something that can be changed and bring the students back into the learning circle. Gary
Hi Jeremy, So true. This kind of support and interaction is what keeps the students in the program. We need to keep this always in the front of our minds as we work with the students. Gary
Hi Richele, Appreciate the kind words about our course. It is exciting when we instructors learn new strategies so we can be more effective and efficient in our teaching. Keep up the continued growth and great instruction. Yours in Learning. Gary
Hi Gina, Good to hear about your planning for evening students. I teach from 4 until 10 pm so I understand the challenges you face with tired students. I have to do a lot of planning to make sure I keep them engaged and focused. It is easy for them to slip away in their minds after a hard days work. Gary
Hi Rebekah, Great to hear this teaching success story. You are to be commended for your extra effort in helping your students not only learn the content but also develop social skills that will help them in their careers. Keep up the good work because you are making a difference. Gary
Hi Richele, You are right about needing to feel accepted. We all seek that kind of support when we enter a new situation. The more we can get the students settled into the class and focused on the content the more effective we will be. Gary
Hi Sadie, What do you think are the most effective ways of relating to the lives of your students? How to you connect with them and establish rapport? Thank you for your input on this. I know it will be of help to other instructors. Gary
Hi Theresa, Good way to help set the students at ease as well as help them to understand course expectations. Knowing that they have your support is very important especially if they students are first generation college students. You are impacting their future in many ways as a result of your efforts. Gary

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