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.

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Instructors as Role Models

Paula, So important to the development of students. They get to observe a professional modeling the standard for their field. Having this information helps them with their career growth. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Expanding Your Instructional Abilities

Ann, A list can be help to keep you focused on getting everything together and ready for the class session. With my list I get everything together and then scan it one more time to make sure I have everything I need and knowing this helps me approach the classroom with more confidence. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Creating Personal Support Systems

Saroj, Good ways to start off a class. Showing respect and earning student respect is very important to student success. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making a Positive First Impression

Jay, One thing is to just stop and say "We got off to a poor start and I am sorry for that. What I would like to do is try again. This is how I would like the class to operate. I respect you and in turn I will work to earn your respect over the class." Then be consistent with the changes that are being made and an instructor should be able to dig out of the hole though it is tough. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Accommodating Learner Preferences

Jeff, What a great project. I can only imagine that you have many stories to tell about how this assignment has worked for you. This gets the students right into the middle of a very challenging assignment. Thanks for sharing it with us. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Making Your Expectations Clear

Beth, This is so important to do. This gets everyone on the same page from the beginning of the course because as you know students need to be reminded over and over again about due dates and projects. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Learning from Instructor and Student Introductions

Antoinette, With this approach you are bringing the human factor into the beginning of the class. As you say this sets the tone for rapport development and student engagement. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Learning Environment Effect

Jay, I do think the size of the class makes a difference in the learning environment. I prefer smaller classes but in reality my university loads up my classes because they make more money. I enjoy my classes and my students so I teach with the numbers I have but I really prefer to have a class about 24 in number. With this number I get a diverse student group with varied life experiences. As a result I get great discussion and they can work together in learning groups that are just the right size. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Your Instructional Style

Toni, One of the fun parts of being a teacher is you get to set the climate for your class. It loud works for you and your students then go with it. In my class room I have a lot of color and displays. I like graphics and I incorporate them in my room decor. Our style needs to be based upon learning by our students, from there it is personal choice. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Motivating Learners

Audrey, Good strategy for involving students in the learning process. Unfortunately we all have that unmotivated student that challenges us. I do the best I can with that student but if he/she chooses not to become involved then it is that person's loss. I won't carry the blame for their lack of dedication and effort. I have too many dedicated and hard working students to concentrate on. Gary Dr. Gary Meers

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