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There’s one thing that makes our classrooms feel alive: the relationship we make with our students. Although online classes gives us the opportunity to engage with our students, it is sometimes hard to do so with tour seal strategies. So, here are some ideas that can help you out to build back the relationships with your students online.
Start with you
You are the engine and personality of the class. Your whole online strength lies with what you bring to the table. Start with the right mindset. If you don’t give out a positive attitude, it may not translate to your students. Look at the past and think about what you did at the start of each class period and bring those things to the screen. If one thing doesn’t work, you can always try another one the next day.
Make it personal
One of the things I normally do during online classes is to insert tidbits of past student interactions. That is, forum answers, and even homework assignments. I make sure to ask questions in forums before class, so I can incorporate them into my lesson of the day. by asking students what they do on a normal day, as a means to introduce a lesson about routines go a long way. Add these responses to some of your slides’ nd even quote them if necessary. A few slides where your students need to guess who is the quote from are great ice breakers for any lesson.
Be accessible
Be present for your students as much as possible. It sounds counterintuitive, but remember how you felt the first few months? Students still feel that way. Make time for you students, especially when it comes to technical stuff or the difficulties of your school’s platform.
Use the human element and much as you can
Don’t forget there is an important factor in human communication: face-to-face interactions. Be sure to make a healthy balance between slides and face-to-face activities. It is nice that once in a while some things haven’t changed, and it’s the humanity that we bring to the classroom.
Let your students’ interests spark through your lessons
Remember how I use forums and assignments to spice up my lessons? You can use these to know your students a little better. Simple answers such as their favorite sports or favorite dish can bring up a good number of talking topics to your lessons. You can even ask them directly. Make time in your lessons to let them talk and share the things they like, live and love.
Splash Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash
Story Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
