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

Veronica, This is such a critical part of getting a course off to a good start. Instructors need to work hard at making the first class session and exciting, informative and engaging session so the students will look forward to coming back to the class the next time and each time thereafter. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Jennifer, All of these elements send signals to students that their instructor is a dedicated, prepared and organized professional that is ready to be their learning leader. By them knowing this the stage is set for launching a successful class. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Veronica, The foundation of respect forms the basis of rapport so it is important that we establish a good relationship with our students right from the beginning of the course. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructors as Role Models

Jennifer, Well put in terms of the role we instructors fill for our students. Yes, we are models for them as we may be the first individuals with whom the students have spent any time from their chosen field. We need to reflect in every way our expectations for our students as they prepare to enter the field. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Ruth, You make a very good point about student motivation. We need to remember that adults are just taller children in many ways so we can use many of the same strategies with them. My students love to play games, get stickers, earn candy, and have pizza and it is all based upon them earning these items through course performance. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Joy, As I teach a gen ed course that is required for state certification I can relate to your comments. Students when they first come into the class see no value in what I am teaching, they just want to gut it out and pass, period. Through the earning of their respect and the development of rapport I am able to gain their confidence and trust to the point that they see what I am teaching can actually be used in their careers. Fun to convince them of the value of the course but it is a lot of work… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Re: Effective Retention Strategies

Ruth, Yes, students to have many support options available to them today. You are so right that the entire school needs to be a part of the retention effort. Each person on the campus has a role to play in keeping students engaged and forward focused. When this is done by the entire staff higher retention will result as evidenced by the results of numerous retention studies. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Ruth, This is how you will keep your students engaged. Offering instruction in different formats lets the students use their different learning preferences and this increases their focus and motivation. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged in Learning

Jodi, This is a very good way to keep students engaged for the duration of the class. Students welcome a change of pace and variety in their learning so the more you can use these approaches the more your students will be focused. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Robert, I enjoy the first class meeting so much for the reasons you mention. Getting to know the students better and learning about their life experiences is always a lot of fun and amazing as well. I can't believe some of the experiences my students have had and hearing about them helps me to understand where they are coming from and what they hope to get out of the course. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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