Time Matters: Self-Reliant Students Maximize Instructors’ Teaching Time

time saving tips for online classroom
I recently checked the class rosters for two online courses that I would begin teaching in a couple of weeks and saw that I had 32 students in one and 28 in the other. These numbers may not be considered a lot by some instructors, but the two classes together represented a hefty teaching load for me.

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[dropcap]I[/dropcap] teach for two universities and recently checked the class rosters for two online courses that I would begin teaching in a couple of weeks and saw that I had 32 students in one and 28 in the other. These numbers may not be considered a lot by some instructors, but the two classes together represented a hefty teaching load for me. This led me to reflect on how I could save time on administrative processes by making my students more self-reliant. I needed to eliminate the number of questions asked about assignments and other related tasks to ensure my time was being spent on what mattered most—course content and learning outcomes. I implemented several processes that I found reduced my administrative load considerably. Building self-reliant students saves instructor’s time, allowing a maximization of the effectiveness and efficiency of time teaching. As important as the resources and tools, is resisting becoming the one who supplies all the answers rather than encouraging students to use their own critical thinking, resourcefulness, and available resources to find answers on their own. Joyce Henderson is an instructor of leadership and human resources at the University of Colorado–Boulder.