In this episode, Rob and Jared discuss instructional management and the importance of building mutual respect in your course. Contact us at [email protected] with any questions. You can also visit our blog at cedarville.edu/focusblog for additional resources. We would love to get your feedback! Please fill out our survey to help improve our podcast and serve you better.

Instructional management involves all of the variables that make up a learning environment. A foundational principle is that instructors and students need to treat one another with respect. Instructors can demonstrate that respect by setting and maintaining clear expectations early. This can be done through setting the foundation (policies and procedures of your class) and adhering to that. The responsibility of the student is to honor those expectations.

Another important aspect of instructional management is student engagement. Learn about your students—a simple survey can reveal who they are as well as their strengths and weaknesses. Create an environment where your students are willing to share without fear of failure or embarrassment. You can do this by making personal connections and through encouraging feedback.

Finally, effective instructional management may require elements of your course to change based on modality. For example, some face-to-face course policies and procedures (such as late policies) may not work in an online or hybrid environment.

Resources 

Small Teaching 

Crucial Conversations 

Servant Teaching: Practices for Renewing Christian Higher Education