As we all settle into the 2020-21 academic year, more and more colleges have had to take a range of action to safeguard staff and students. In following government guidance, and acting to stop any spread of the coronavirus, this has often meant asking students (and bubbles) to work from home, where possible. As effective as this is, what about the inevitable impact on teaching and learning?

More than any other sector in education, further education relies upon and thrives as a result of high-quality relationships. Whether between senior and middle leaders, leaders and teachers or teachers and students, good relationships are a vital part of helping students achieve. At the start of the year, many colleges had hoped for a blended approach comprising a mix of face-to-face delivery and online sessions, but with regional lockdowns, local outbreaks and more positive tests, this isn’t always possible.

We know strong relationships support positive behaviour and improved attendance, and we know that this in turn encourages student achievement. More than this, good relationships help students to feel safe, something which has become more important than ever with recent events. With more lessons being delivered entirely remotely as a result of the above, how can we build and maintain strong, high-quality relationships?

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Take advantage

Yes, online learning creates unique challenges, but it also creates unique opportunities. For years, practitioners have been pushing online resources and materials - we are now able to utilise them.

Self-marking quizzes, online videos/ tutorials and much more effective and efficient collaboration can now be easily and quickly integrated into lessons with consistency of approach. With instant chat facilities on the majority of online learning (Zoom, Microsoft Teams etc) students also have the potential to communicate more effectively. Let’s use these advantages.

It’s new, but keep it normal

So much has changed, but there is a lot about teaching that remains the same. To build relationships, do the unthinkable: use the webcam! Students don’t build relationships with PPT or blank screens, they build them with people. Be visible and this will start to happen.

As in any September, it is also important to establish rules for lessons - though we may be online, this is still true. Establish the rules for online learning as well as face-to-face lessons, agree these rules and share them widely. It may seem a trivial point, but just saying students’ names during sessions will have a big impact - students will realise the time that has been put into a bespoke lesson and relationships will develop.

More than anything, be yourself. Don’t be what you think students or line managers want to see - we all mistakes and we will keep making them because all of this is so new. Try your best, but always be yourself.

Round and round again

Engagement is a massive part of building relationships. To maintain engagement, try and organise a carousel of activities that change from week to week. Deliver sessions live (don’t forget the webcam), record sessions/use video, swap recorded sessions with colleagues, share resources and ask students to complete them independently, facilitate group work/ projects, share self-marking assignments and anything else that will support students.

It is also important that you are available to support (remotely, via instant chat etc) when you are not presenting live. In creating this dialogue, students never know what the session will contain (like normal) and this will hopefully encourage them to come back for more. This also helps to create a dialogue, and this is vital to developing relationships.

Outside contact and support

More than ever, we must make sure that we are supporting student mental health and wellbeing. Let them know, discreetly, that we are still available to support, however and whenever it is needed. Communication with tutors and lecturers in other areas is more important than ever.

As above, it is also vital to continue the elements that remain and that the follow-up is still present. If you say you are going to do something, do it. If you are giving a reward/ sanction, make sure you do. Now more than ever, a lack of consistency is a challenge to high-quality relationships and we still have a majority of control over our actions.

It’s hard to think of a more important time for relationships in education. Students are relying on us as an anchor point in many cases - let’s be that anchor point.

Jonny Kay is head of English and maths at a college in the North East