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

The Human Factor in Retention

Christopher, The human factor in teaching is very important. You are practicing it very well. Through your engagement and conversation with students you are keeping them focused on school while feeling good about the fact that they had a good visit with one of their instructors about sports, weather, kids, pets, etc.. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Strategies for Keeping Students Engaged in Learning

Jennifer, This is why teachers often joke about Plan B. Plan A never seems to work for some reason or another and so it is off to Plan B, then something come up and before long you are on Plan M or N. The point is instructors need to have a variety of backup activities planned and ready to go when something occurs to throw the schedule off. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Preparing and Delivering Effective Lectures

Regina, You have to adjust and adapt to the subject you are teaching and the students that are enrolled. Sounds like you have been able to do this very well. You are engaging your students while keeping the course moving forward. I really like the way you are showing them how they can immediately use their newly acquired knowledge. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

Eloise, How do you connect your course content to the application process for your students? Thanks for your input on this. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Eloise, It is easy to overlook the environment at times. We need to remember to see the classroom/lab through the eyes of our students. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Re: Effective Retention Strategies

Ed, Good question and one that does not have a clear answer. My strategy is to use a variety of reinforces and/or rewards for my students. This way my supports will encourage the students and during the process I try to find what they do appreciate. One student may not like awards or pins but really appreciates having the opportunity to interact with the instructor and discuss with him/her a certain topic. This discussion time is a reward for having accomplished so task. The key is to offer variety in terms of rewards and encouragements and hopefully you will find… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Accommodating Learner Preferences

William, Real world problems translate into practical and experienced students once they solve the real world problems. I am a big user of case studies for this reason. The students need to be able to think and problem solve because they are in a service industry and their work is based upon problem solving. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Sharing Comprehensive and Clear Course Requirements

Regina, Like your example as well as how you explain the value of clear goals and objectives. They are a must if your students are going to be engaged and focused on being successful. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Nazanin, Good strategy for keeping your students up to date in terms of where they should be in the course as well as bringing reality to the students that are not keeping up. They, the slackers get a real picture of where they need to be and then they have to decide if they are going to be successful or not. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

William, Your last sentence really sets the tone for the professional stance you are taking with your students. You are setting the bar high for them in all areas, one of which is dress so they know what kind of model they need to be in the field. This is the part of career preparation that I see missing in a lot of programs. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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