I have learned that many of the kinds of engagement activities I already use in my courses work to promote better student-to-student and student-to-instructor relationships. I also now have specific terminology to explain my process and kinds of philosophies I use in my classroom. 

I already give personalized and encouraging feedback as I believe in specific kinds of feedback. Since I grade English assignments, when I receive a paper, I make sure the student knows what they did well. If something is incorrect or has issues, I always word it as though the paper needs to be addressed. Pulling the negativity away from the student themselves to focus on their work makes them less likely to feel targeted or rejected by feedback when it's really there to help them improve!

I teach classes that heavily involve technology, from the in-class activities to the assignments at home. Technology failing has been the biggest hindrance as students are using a variety of devices to access course materials.

Active learning calls on student direction and engagement. The instructor's job is to guide students through materials rather than lecture them on content. I implement this in my classroom by including interactable slides and discussion sections.