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

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Shari, It is so much easier to build on positive isn't it. Through preparation and effort instructors can create a positive first impression and then build from there rather than trying to dig out of a negative situation. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Hi Patricia, This is a good way to give the students the big picture of the course requirements and how the course is going to be conducted. By knowing this the students can plan their efforts accordingly. Also, it gives you observation points along the way so you know when to have the private conversations you mentioned to keep the students engaged. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Hi Dara, This is so true so you need to "read" your students so you will know what to select as a delivery format. This will increase the comprehension and retention factor for students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Hi Traci, Thanks for sharing this comprehensive approach to instruction. You are giving the students many different opportunities to acquire the course content and develop the needed skills. These blend together to create an effective and efficient learning environment. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Retention Strategies

Hi JoAnn, Good to hear about the new strategies you have learned and will be incorporating into your classes. This is going to help take you to the next level in your professional development. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Larry, Good way to explain learning to your students. It is practical and understandable so the students can make application of their content from there. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Hi Heather, Thank you for sharing this great success story. This shows how much impact we instructors have on the lives of our students and how much they value our opinions. This is a very important responsibility and we need to always think about the advice we give due to the career shaping we are doing with our students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Blog

Don't Be Too Serious

A quote that offers advice to instructors goes as following:

I take my students seriously.

I take my classes seriously.

I take my content seriously.

I take my preparation seriously.

But, most importantly I make sure not to take myself seriously.

We need to think about this quote as we approach our instructional preparation and delivery. As professionals we need to make sure we are current with our content and well prepared with our delivery. After that we need to think about how we are approaching our students with the "human factor". We may be the first person in the… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Hi Stephan, Glad to hear that you are able to bridge the generational gaps as an instructor. You are so right about the need to help reinforce and support the different generations that can be found in a career college classroom. This can be a challenge for many instructors and it sounds like you have found a way to make it work for everyone. Keep up these great efforts. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Connie, This is an excellent way to encourage your students and for them to remember why they are in school. The family connection gives them motivation and drive for completion. In addition, their families have a better understanding of why the student has time commitments and tasks to complete while at home. Also, helping them with identifying other support systems is a great service to these students as many of them don't know how to create a support system for themselves. Gary

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