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 Janet, I think this is a great idea. Give it a try and see how the students respond. I think you are going to have success with their input as well as helping them with their writing skills. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Hi Anna, Good way to start the class and get the students comfortable with each. This way they start developing connections between each other that will help them throughout the course and beyond. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Clayton, You use a key phrase that does say it all for students. "I would hire them." This shows a high level of confidence in their knowledge and skills to hear an instructor say he would hire them. This is A quality reinforcement. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Shannon, I like this method to get your students thinking like the professionals they are training to be. Plus, it lets them bring their experiences, in this case a meal, into the classroom so this helps them see relevancy in relation to life. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Hi Christopher, Good comments about illustrating the need for and results from developing rapport with students. This relationship helps to make the course go smoother and enables you to provide input as needed to students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Hi Pamela, I would approach my Division Chair/Dean of Education or who ever might be able to tell you more about how to get set up with a mentor. This way you can get a clear understanding of the role of your mentor and the ways you can ask for input without being concerned with your questions being seen as a weakness. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Instruction Relevant

Hi David, This is a great way to "connect the dots" for students. They can hear about relevancy and then see it reinforced through the stories you share from you own experience. This really helps to tie the material all together for the students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Being Successful in College

Hi Laurie, Right you are about the 3M model. It needs to be implemented in each class so the students can experience the different aspects of career preparation throughout their educational journey. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Retention Strategies

Hi Debbie, So true and so important. The students need to see a human being in front of the class as well as a professional educator. A majority of career success is based upon the ability to get along with other workers. By using real world examples and showing your students you are there to support them you are serving as a career successful model. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Robert, The development of critical thinking skills is important and with the method you are using you are giving your students a chance to develop those skills. By starting with simple responses you are building their confidence so they will be willing to attack the more difficult issues as they arise. Well done. Gary

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