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.

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Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor Enthusiasm

Hi Kou, Good approach. I wish I had had you as an instructor when I took accounting. It was very dry and boring and the instructor worked very hard to make sure that it remained dry and boring throughout the course. What a loooooooong semester that was. Even though the material may not be the most exciting the instructor can bring much life to the classroom which will make the material much more interesting. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Elizabeth, Thank you for sharing this personal example of student interaction. It is so important for us all to be aware of how easily this form of support can get away from us. We need to constantly "read" our students so we can make sure we are there to support, encourage and motivate our students as needed. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Dolores, You are on the right track with learning the names of your students. Try to chat with each student and gain a significant fact from that student so you can connect that fact with the name. If not connect a physical feature such a long hair, brown hair, height, etc. to each student's name. Then use their names over and over in relation to the fact or feature to the point it becomes automatic when you see the student their name pops up in your memory. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Earl, This is so true. One of my first classes as a college freshman had over 300 students in it. I came from a small rural high school with 63 kids in it. Talk about shock! I made it through but it sure wasn't because of the individual attention I received from the instructor. I vowed never to teach in a setting like that in my life and I haven't. I want to be able to know and interact with my students and to build rapport with them. If I can't I don't want to teach. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Motivating Learners

Hi Carla, Great ideas! Thanks for sharing them with us. Students, no matter their age like to be rewarded for doing something well. Your methods are great motivators for students to be successful and make learning progress. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Ulises, You have offered some very good advice for all of us. The more we know about our students the more accurately we can target our instruction. We can customize our approach in a way that keeps the students focused on learning and career development. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi All, By listening to your students and asking questions about their life experiences you are creating a connection with them. This starts the development of rapport and respect which leads to increased student engagement. The more we learn about our students the more effective we can be with our instruction. Keep up the good work. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reasons for Enrolling

Hi Kim, This is so important to planning your instruction. By knowing the reason for enrolling you can customize your approach to support their reasons. This will help to build their confidence and self esteem to the point they believe they can be successful by putting forth the effort. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Increasing Student Retention

Hi Angel, Good ideas for increasing student retention. Thanks for sharing them with us. Your points revolve around the central theme of showing the students you care and this needs to be where all of us instructors operate. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Valuing Student Opinions

Hi Aaron, I say a great quote on a plaque that reads "When you are talking you are not learning.". This is so true so your statement about needing to listen to students is right on. We need to listen so we know how to respond. Gary

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