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

Your Instructional Style

Stanley, A great list for an instructor to have as he or she prepares to get ready to go into class. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Developing Student Rapport

Quetittia, Well said. When you have rapport with your students you and they get to enjoy a higher level of engagement and joy in terms of learning and the resulting benefits. Respect and rapport are the rewards of being a learning leader. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Discipline in Critical Thinking

Denise, Well said. I talk about personal discipline a lot with my students but at times I wonder if it is sinking in. Personal discipline requires effort and many students don't want to invest the time and effort to acquire the skills required to have personal discipline. I bring in former students to talk about the need for self/personal discipline so my current students will see that this form of discipline is an integral part of their career growth and success. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Student Motivation Factors

Tim, The first and most immediate step is to start communication with the student. Call, text, email, whatever will establish contact with the student. Then try to get a face to face with the student and explain that you are very concerned for the student and the developing pattern of skipping. Try to find out why the student is not attending class and see if you can find a mutual solution to the problem. This personal interest goes a long way in helping to get such a student back to attending class. If the reason(s) is so large that the… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructors as Motivators

Jessica, Real life scenarios and case studies let students use their newly acquired knowledge and problem solving skills. Plus, they get them all excited about what they are learning. They are a great learning tool so keep up the sharing of them and enjoy the benefits of watching your students grow in their learning and understanding. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Student Feedback

Jessica, This is such a valuable time for students. You can really have an impact on their development if you carefully consider the feedback you give them and shape it so they see the value of what you are telling them. Some amazing growth comes out of sessions like this. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Re: Effective Retention Strategies

Jessica, You are hitting on all of the key elements needed to motivate students. Guest speakers and field trips increase the value of the content being taught because they get to see it in action. Through application they see relevancy and through relevancy they gain personal motivation and the results are engaged students, which are a joy to teach. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Reasons for Enrolling

Jessica, I think this is such valuable information to have for the reason you state. It is the foundation upon which you can build your relationship with students. This is how rapport is developed and student learning expands. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Feeling Accepted Helps with Success

Linda, It is a great feeling when you know you are part of something, in this case a learning community. The more at ease we can make our students the better so they will settle in and get excited about what is being taught and the career growth they are experiencing. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making Your Expectations Clear

Evan, This extra effort is the human factor in teaching and you living it with your students so they see that they have a caring and supportive instructor. Gary Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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