Building Relationships with Students and Caregivers to Enhance Learning Through Virtual Instruction

Timothy Knoster, Danielle Empson

• Publisher: Brookes Publishing
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781681256061
• eBook ISBN: 9781681256184
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Behavioural Management

Enrollment in virtual and blended schools is on the rise—introducing new challenges with student engagement, social–emotional wellness, and behavior management. Help is here with this laminated quick–guide, one of four concise Teacher Survival Guides on Engagement of Students in Virtual Instruction. Designed to help teachers meet their students' needs, this guide unlocks one of the keys to success in online learning environments: establishing trusting relationships. Tim Knoster and Danielle Empson show teachers how to create healthy relationships in a virtual classroom, build connections and rapport with both students and caregivers, and identify and connect with students at greater risk for social-emotional and/or academic difficulty. Teachers will gain useful insights from sample scenarios and student behavioral profiles, real–world teaching tips, and strategy adaptations for virtual classrooms. GET THE COMPLETE SERIES: The four Teacher Survival Guides on Engagement of Students in Virtual Instruction are filled with the ready–to–use guidance K–12 teachers need to boost engagement, student wellbeing, and positive behavior in virtual settings. Packed with bite–sized nuggets of insight—including keys to engagement, teaching tips, proven strategies, and FAQs—these laminated, six–panel guides will help any teacher take immediate action to support their students' academic, social–emotional, and behavioral success. Learn more about the other quick-guides in the series: Enhancing Student Engagement by Virtually Establishing, Teaching, and Reinforcing Desired Behavior
Engaging Students in Virtual Instruction Through Opportunities to Respond
Addressing Undesired Student Behavior During Virtual Instruction

Connecting With Students Who Appear to Be Vulnerable

Why Is It Important to Connect?

Personal connection is particularly important with any student who may be struggling with course content or your established behavioral expectations and/or who is experiencing stressors that are becoming overwhelming. It can also make all the difference with students who struggle with interpersonal relationships, self-regulation of their actions when feeling upset, and social problem solving. Students who struggle with interpersonal interactions are more vulnerable for feeling marginalized by their peers and others; look to proactively increase rapport building with these students. Related to this, having a connection with at least one caring adult has long been acknowledged as a major protective factor for children at risk for developing mental health challenges, including suicidal ideation. This is particularly important given increased depression and anxiety among young children and adolescents.

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PROFILE: Student Who Appears Withdrawn

ALEX is a 9-year-old in your virtual fourth-grade classroom. Alex is not one of the kids who immediately comes to mind when you are thinking about students of concern. In fact, Alex appears very compliant…almost to a fault. You can’t recall the last time you had to redirect Alex for overt misbehavior during virtual instruction.

WARNING SIGNS: You have noticed that Alex has started to not respond to questions you pose during synchronous instruction. To the best of your recollection, Alex does not appear comfortable sharing anything about experiences outside of school—interests, hobbies, or even dislikes. Although you have always known Alex to be relatively quiet, Alex has appeared more sullen and withdrawn during the past few weeks. You don’t know what is exacerbating this withdrawal, but your gut instinct tells you to explore ways to help Alex become more comfortable with interacting with classmates. After doing a little investigative work, you discover that Alex is interested in photography.

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STRATEGIES - 1 2 3

STRATEGY 1

Talk with colleagues and indirectly explore with classmates thro ugh observation to learn more about Alex’s interests.

WHY IT WORKS: This helps you to get a fuller picture of who Alex is and identify possible avenues for connection—in this case, Alex’s interest in photography.

HOW TO ADAPT IT: Reach out to others who know Alex, including Alex’s parents. Consider using a formal interest inventory to gain greater insight concerning all your students, with particular focus on Alex.

STRATEGY 2

Once you know more about stu...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Why Is Building Relationships Important?
• Connecting With Students Who Appear to Be Vulnerable
• Connecting With Caregivers
• BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS: What It Looks Like
• ABOUT THE AUTHORS
• Copyright