Characteristics of Teacher-Student Relationships

• Teacher empathy--understanding

• Unconditional positive regard--warmth

• Genuineness--the teacher's self-awareness

• Nondirectivity--student-initiated and student-regulated activities

• Encouragement of critical thinking as opposed to traditional memory emphasis

Note to Self Activity on p. 51 of the Distance Learning Playbook offers a list within each of the above characteristics to get you started and asks the question "How will you establish (or reestablish) relationships with students in a distance learning environment?

Increase your touchpoints with all students

"Given the increased challenge that distance learning poses, it is crucial that you develop tools and systems so that you can actively monitor the number and quality of touchpoint interactions with each student on your roster." DLP, p.59

• Have a system for calling on students and noticing who hasn't participated.

• Make sure every live session includes whole group and small group discussions.

• If you assign discussion boards, actively participate in them.

• Use "pop-up pedagogy" to increase touchpoints across the week. Your virtual sessions are limited, but students should still be engaging with your content throughout the week. Increase the number of touchpoints outside of live virtual sessions using an approach Fitzpatrick (2016) calls pop-up pedagogy. Think of pop-ups as ways for students to think about your class even when you're not in front of them.

Note to Self Activity on p. 62 of the Distance Learning Playbook offers a way to plan by answering the question "How will you increase touchpoints for all of your students?"