…Needing a more efficient approach, he started experimenting with shorter interactions, limiting them to just 1 to 3 minutes, and tried to see how many students he could realistically and genuinely connect with in a day. It ended up working really well, allowing him to make many more students “feel valued, known, respected, and safe.”

Source: Episode 152: Creating Moments of Genuine Connection Online | Cult of Pedagogy

This podcast explores the personal connections between teacher and student, and explains it’s important to maintain these connections regularly in virtual classrooms. Dave Stuart Jr., a West Michigan high school teacher describes some of the features of holistic education as he explains that students need to feel valued and safe with their teacher to succeed. By engaging students in “moments of genuine connection (MGC)”, problems like a lack of belonging or stereotyping are shut down early.

Stuart offers some practical advice to achieve MGC’s, and my favourite is using the waiting room feature of Zoom to just visit with early comers. Further, he recommends teachers keep a simple written log (or check sheet) of which students you have connected with, so you don’t miss any.