Maintaining Relationships through Distance Learning

Here are 5 simple tips that will help you maintain positive relationships with your students and parents.

1. Effort- By this time of the year, you and your students probably feel more like a family than a class and trying to maintain that same relationship without seeing one another face to face is HARD. However, it can be done! It just takes a lot of effort. Luckily, we have a little extra time these days so putting in little more effort won’t be too strenuous

2. Make it personal! Make sure to keep in touch with your students and their families as much as you can. You can do this by Zoom calls, telephone calls, Facetime, or even letters in the mail.

3. Focus More on the Relationships- Without a doubt, students learning is extremely important during this time. However, we all know that not every one of our students are being monitored and encouraged by their parent or guardian to complete all of their work. Just let it be. Take a break from learning and have fun with your students. See how they’re doing and if they need anything. Allow them to talk about whatever they want to during your class zoom meeting. Let them laugh and giggle, be silly, and hang out together.

4. Be Positive and Encouraging- We will never know the hardships our students face on a daily basis at home. School was their place to do their work without interruption. If they didn’t have a pencil, you had one to give them. If they weren’t exactly sure how to do a worksheet, you were there to give the help they need. So, if your students only complete half of their work, give them the credit they deserve! You don’t know how hard it was for them to complete that little bit of work. Be positive and encouraging. Don’t pay so much attention to the negatives.

"Our job isn’t about our classrooms, our school, our building, our districts! It’s about the students and families" – Craig Rapinchuk.

-Mallory Beach