5 Ways to Connect With Your Online High School or College Students
Teaching online can feel daunting, especially at first. Here are some tips based on notes I took throughout my first year of distance teaching. Whether you teach synchronously, asynchronously or somewhere in between, these tips should help you to improve your classroom community and engagement.
1. Introduction Videos.
Set up your class in a way that allows for positive interactions with students right away! Start the semester with a personal touch by asking students to record brief introduction videos of themselves on the first day of class. Many instructors use learning management systems such as Blackboard or Canvas to communicate with students. Oftentimes, these platforms offer discussion forums. These can be wonderful tools to help students connect with you and with one other through text. But if your LMS permits, why not have students record videos on the first day to introduce themselves? You might design prompts that get them talking, and get them to share information about what drives them. An added bonus is that you will have the chance to hear your students pronounce their names, so you make sure you get them right. Students need to feel heard in order to thrive, so this is good starting point. Also, be sure to record your own introduction for the class.
2. Whole Group and Individual Check-Ins.
In between classes, send check-in videos to the whole group, showing your face and letting them know you are still there. Sometimes we can forget that there is a real person on the other side of the screen, especially if your class only meets once a week. Let your students know you care by checking in with them, even if it is with a silly meme or a quick video you record while you are cooking dinner, or to show them how you are using skills taught in the class for real-world applications. For example, for a drawing class, I might make a quick video check-in to show students how I am making walnut ink in my kitchen to use during our next session.
Individual check-ins will also make a noticeable difference. During live sessions, or when looking at student work, keep a notepad handy and write the names of any students who are showing considerable effort or making good progress. Look at your list, then take a few minutes to write a short note to a student or two. Be sure to include references to specific praiseworthy actions or insights, and a note or two about why they are being recognized.
Similarly, consider reaching out to struggling students who are trying their best and still not achieving their fullest potential. Offer them specific, actionable feedback and tips, or ask them what would help.
You may even have students who are totally disengaged. They are still your students, and it is your responsibility to connect with them, so make the effort to reach out if you have not heard from them.
3. Learn and Use Students’ Names (Right Away). It can be challenging, especially in a university setting or K-12 specialty classroom where you see many students, but it is an absolute must to immediately start using the names of the people who spend time in your classroom, as soon as you meet them! If your memory isn’t great, keep a seating chart and ask students to inform you if they wish to change their seat. Learning someone’s name is the first step towards getting to know them, and your students deserve your respect and effort.
4. Social Media. Some art instructors like to use social media to post examples from Contemporary Art and Art History, to host live demonstrations, or to take students on a ‘virtual tour’ of a museum or gallery. Social media can offer a less formal setting where students may be more comfortable asking questions. Also remember that your students are likely checking social media more often each day than their emails!
5. Show Your Work. This step requires that you are, yourself, maintaining an active practice in your field, which for Art Teachers means making your own art in your studio. When assigning any hands-on projects, especially art, we might lose sight of how challenging our assignments can be for beginners. In addition to any demonstration videos, handouts or lectures you might provide for students, try repeating the project along with them when you have a few free moments. Record your process, and be candid—-when you run into problems, let your students watch you solve them creatively. You might consider offering this on a social media live feed at a scheduled ‘open lab’ time, or you may record it in advance.
If you need to brush up on the fundamentals of Design, Art History, or Drawing, check out the following resources:
Design Basics: Dynamic Compositions Lesson Plan + Slideshow
Design Basics: How Shapes Interact Lesson Plan + Slideshow
2D Design and Abstraction - My online course for Teens and Adults
Engagement is a concern for those of us who teach online, and taking these simple steps may boost the level of involvement and buy-in. Staying in touch with your students shows that you respect and care about them. These extra efforts will make for a better experience for your students, and for you!