Last week we looked at classroom management in online classrooms and in particular, establishing a routine, keeping learners engaged, building a sense of community, and praising students but I think all of these things are dependent on one thing and that’s building a good rapport with your students.
What does this mean exactly?
Rapport means the way you interact and connect with your students. Building good rapport is building positive relationships and ensuring there are trust and respect between teacher and student. This is definitely more challenging in an online classroom but below are some simple suggestions to help you foster those connections.
Make eye contact
Try to look straight into the camera when you are speaking. This is not as simple as it sounds! In an online lesson, the natural reaction is to look at the students’ images on the screen, but of course, when you do this, you are not actually looking at them. Additionally, if you are using a laptop, you are more than likely looking down on your students as you look at the screen so think about putting your laptop on a stack of books so your eyes are level with the camera.
Learn about your students’ lives
Take a genuine interest in your students’ lives outside of the online classroom. You can start by using the first 5 minutes of class to have a chat about the students’ weekend, their evening, their family, or even their dinner. It’s a good idea to note down any useful information your students tell you so you can come back to it in future lessons or you can use that information to help shape personalized tasks.
Whilst on the topic of sharing, I have always found that students want to know about you, their teacher, but are often too shy to ask. Share a personal anecdote or two, show them photos of where you live, and encourage them to ask questions. It’s good to show that you are a real human with a real-life with hobbies and families and that you’re not just their English teacher.
Add fun activities
Take a break from the book/courseware every now and then and add some fun and interesting activities to your online lesson. These can range from a fun speaking activity such as “two truths and a lie” to online activities using, for example, Kahoot, Wordwall or Bamboozle. However, do not assume that “one size fits all”, one student’s / class’s idea of fun may be another student’s / class’s idea of misery. Communicate with your students and take the time to find out what kind of activities your individual students/classes enjoy.
Smile, smile, smile
You know what they say, “first impressions last” so it’s important that the first thing your students see when they log onto their online lesson is your smiling face. A cheery welcome will help relax your students and create a positive learning environment. Remember, your students’ moods are likely to be a reflection of the way they perceive your mood so it’s important to be engaging and motivating.
Building and maintaining rapport should be a priority in every online lesson as it creates a positive learning environment for the students in which they are more likely to thrive!
Sacha Smallwood
Online English Teacher - Top Up Learning