Trust. Rapport. Community. Support. As teachers, we all know how important it is to build a positive rapport with our students. These valuable relationships allow us to have a bond of trust, equity, fairness, and compassion that ensures that students feel safe, supported, and valued so that they are able to learn in the classroom. If these basic needs are not met, no learning can take place. However, despite teacher’s best attempts, 2020 threw us all a curveball in more ways than one. Consequently, teachers across the globe had to figure out new ways to connect with their students through screens. This meant that the everyday icebreakers, team building exercises, high fives, and greetings at the classroom door before class suddenly required a makeover to accommodate our digital classroom settings.

Making connections with students in a digital setting doesn’t have to be elaborate or challenging and often thinking about what strategies you used in the classroom can serve as a springboard for adapting these strategies to the digital world. Think about the ways that you used to build community and establish a positive rapport with students. Right away, I can brainstorm a few that come to my mind before any instruction for the class period begins:

1. Greeting students at the classroom door with a verbal greeting and a handshake or high five. (Or perhaps the popular COVID-friendly “elbow bump”)
2. Walking around the classroom during bell work while students are getting settled and asking how their day is going, how their weekend was, etc.
3. Complimenting students on their performance in the band concert last night, their winning goal on the soccer field, etc.

Here’s how these simple gestures can be adapted to online learning:

1. Have a welcome screen projected as students login to your Zoom call or online lecture. This can be a funny picture, meme, or simply text that states, “Welcome! I’m glad you are here!” As students login to your Zoom call or online live lecture, greet them aloud as they login or give them a silent wave and a smile in the webcam while waiting for class to start. These simple gestures show students that you are excited to have them and that they are welcome.
2. As students are logging in, pose a question (not about the curriculum) projected or typed in the chat box. Encourage students to participate by typing in their responses. This allows students to interact and find similarities between themselves, their peers, and their teacher. Start with simple questions like “What is your favorite food?” Or “What is your favorite subject in school? These are easy questions that every one feels comfortable answering. Jot down a few student responses so you can incorporate them later.
3. Take a moment to start the online session by asking students what positives are occurring in their lives. Students may feel comfortable sharing that they mastered a new song on the guitar or learned how to bake a layered cake. Taking a few moments to learn about your students makes them feel valued and comfortable.

Show your students that you care. Use this Done-for-You Google Slide Deck to show what care looks like in your classroom.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1c2IMppWoQEr2GK35_GhHPLx7AJuk0h45fPW8gdSoKp8/edit?usp=sharing