- “Break the ice” by helping students get to know you. A brief introductory video, welcome letters, postcards, emails, and “live chats” are some examples.
- Give students opportunities to introduce themselves in a safe and informal context. Phone calls, short surveys, brief autobiographies, and short student-made videos can be good places to start. The information gleaned through these activities can be great conversation starters, content for future examples, and connection builders.
- Focus on building relationships during the first few weeks of class. Online games, fun technology tool explorations, and online team building activities can build relationships while also helping students become comfortable with technology tools. They also create shared experiences and grow bonds. Once relationships are in place, everything else becomes easier.
- Create time for regular one-on-one check-ins. Students report that these times are particularly valuable because they often occur more frequently than one-on-one conversations in brick and mortar schools.
- Always assume the best in student intentions and behavior. The inability to see a student’s nonverbal behavior can lead to confusion about intent and result in negative judgments about behaviors, such as lack of responsiveness. A consistently positive approach can avoid the damage of misunderstandings and negative assumptions.
- Schedule frequent, consistent office hours when students can reach you with questions, reach out for guidance, and engage in informal conversation. Be sure to keep these times safe and free from judgment and criticism so students will utilize the opportunities.
- When relationships with particular students are slow to develop, do not give up. Persistence and flexibility in approach often pay off handsomely.
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In Your Corner, Relationships and Connections
Tips for Teachers to Develop Student Relationships Online
One of the most significant struggles teachers reported from their experience with remote learning in the spring was the perception that they were not able to maintain strong relationships with many of their students, which is at the heart and soul of what they do. When teachers have good relationships with students, they feel they can teach them well. When relationships are poor, they fear students will falter.
As school opens, many teachers are carrying forward their feelings from the spring and are worried that they will not be able to form strong relationships online. Many also worry that they won’t have enough time with students at the beginning of the year before schools are shut down again and they will be forced to teach online without the necessary knowledge about their students as individuals.
These are understandable concerns. Certainly, the abrupt shift to remote instruction came without time to prepare and engage in activities that might have made the transition less stressful and more successful. However, fears that remote instruction or online learning means that strong, positive relationships between teachers and students are not possible are not well-founded. Teachers who have practiced in this space for years have found ways to develop and maintain supportive, influential relationships with their students. In fact, many students with experience in online learning report that they feel they know their teachers better and their teachers know them better than what they experienced in brick and mortar schools.
The basics of relationship development are the same whether teachers are working with students in a face-to-face environment or virtually. Getting to know each other matters. Showing interest and developing personal connections make interactions more intimate. Showing respect and concern makes engagement in risk-taking and sharing struggles safer. However, some steps and activities vary between the two contexts.
Here are several relationship-building secrets and strategies from veterans of distance learning that you can pass along to your staff:
In Your Corner, Leadership and Change Management
Reconnecting with Staff
Welcoming staff back after the summer break is always an important part of the process of renewing relationships and positioning the organization for success in the new year. This year, the process is even more important. Not only is this the start of a new school term, it represents the first time many staff members may have been physically present in school since face-to-face instruction was interrupted in the spring.
Many staff members will likely be returning with “unfinished business” from the spring. For some, the spring was a bewildering, stress-filled experience that undermined their confidence and left them feeling as though no matter how hard they tried, they were unable to find their professional stride. They found themselves unable to reach students in the ways to which they were accustomed. For others, the spring was a time of loneliness and separation that left them longing for connections and mutual support. Still others may have learned new skills and discovered new tools to support learning. Now they want to find ways to integrate what they have learned within the teaching and learning context they will experience as school opens. With this reality in mind, we can employ a three-step process for welcoming staff regardless of the experience they may have had during the final months of the spring term.
First, staff members need to hear that we understand the experience, challenges, and difficulties they faced. They need to know that we appreciate their flexibility, conscientiousness, and commitment despite the circumstances. Further, they want to be reassured of our confidence in their ability to meet the challenges that lie ahead. Of course, they need to hear these sentiments in our words, but they also need to feel it in the tone of our messages. Their assurance of our empathy, confidence in them, and commitment to support their success can have a powerful influence on how they will begin the year.
Second, staff members need to see and feel these messages in our actions. We can start by adopting the phrase “tell me” as we engage with employees. As examples:
- Tell me what you need.
- Tell me how I can help.
- Tell me how you are feeling.
- Tell me what questions you have.
In Your Corner, Relationships and Connections
In Your Corner, Leadership and Change Management
In Your Corner, Teacher Learning
In Your Corner, Supporting Families
Share Your Tips & Stories
Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.
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We can attempt to shut down disruptive student behavior with quick admonishments and directives, but this approach is more likely to prolong such behavior than prevent or extinguish it.
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