Why I Believe Self-Paced, Online Education Offers an Opportunity for Stronger Student-Teacher Connection
By Kelley Robertson
I taught for eleven years in a traditional, brick-and-mortar setting. I took great care to design my classroom to be inviting, and above all, I prioritized getting to know my students.
The bell would ring, and students for the next class would wait outside my classroom door as students walked out of my room, rushing in the five or so minutes they had to arrive on time to their next class. Incoming students would file into my classroom, and I would greet them all by name as they came in the door.
Sometimes, however, that greeting at the door was the only interaction I would have with an individual student that entire class period. I planned intentionally to build in time for writing conferences with my ELA students at least once per quarter, but this meant each student received just a ten-minute conference with me. This time was golden, though, and I knew that those ten minutes were perhaps more beneficial to the student’s learning than many whole-class lectures.
I began to question the model entirely: how could I build more one-on-one time into my instruction? It felt like I was swimming upstream.
More Time for Lesson Design and Personalized Feedback
Too often, traditional school is not built to foster a robust student-teacher relationship.
Of course, good teachers always foster rapport with their students, but in a traditional school setting, it can sometimes feel like this happens against all odds. Bell schedules are ultimately constructed to meet the needs of school operations, not the students or teachers. Additionally, the delivery of course content is completely dictated by the teacher, who is also under pressure to fit all of the standards and content in the allotted time. Because of this, students must typically all work at the same pace, and inevitably, some get left behind, while others are bored.
Making the shift to teaching in a self-paced, online environment was a revelation for me.
I began to see that this format allows teachers to front-load lessons (think engaging slideshows, pre-recorded video lessons, interactive notes). This frees the teacher to focus her time and creative energy on providing meaningful feedback and meeting one-on-one with students for individualized support. All that time spent delivering content can now be redirected toward providing personalized feedback and fostering rapport.
The Benefits of 1:1 Support
In my self-paced, online English classes, for example, I love to leave video feedback where I share my screen and highlight specific strengths and areas for improvement.
This is something I never would have had the time to do during my 50-minute planning period in a brick-and-mortar setting.
As evidence of the impact: students have reflected in my class surveys that seeing these feedback videos makes me more approachable, and that after they watch a teacher-created video, they’re more likely to reach out and schedule a meeting with me for further learning and support.
Optimized Time and Learning Environment
This drives home another point: in a self-paced, online environment, teachers’ schedules are open, available for students to book meetings with teachers at a time that works for them.
This turns the whole idea of bell schedules and timetables upside-down: by empowering the student to choose the meeting time, the student will be more at ease and focused, not there to just check a box for attendance or worried about whether they’ll still have the energy to engage in the activities they love after spending 8+ hours sitting in classrooms all day.
Students with accommodations for “frequent breaks” or “preferential seating” now find that they can structure their days to fit what their mind and body need to thrive.
Individual meetings mean that a student has 15-30 minutes of uninterrupted time for the teacher to re-teach a concept, model a specific skill, review feedback, or discuss a topic.
Kelley Robertson, Head of Faculty & ELA Teacher
Human Connection in the Online Space
Further, these meetings are not purely academic. I’ve had students log on just to show me their pet bearded dragons.
I know a Learning Coach who helped a student traveling for his sport who needed to clean his Airbnb change out a vacuum cleaner bag.
I even had a graduating senior this past year log on one last time from a canoe slalom competition tent just to say a final thank you and goodbye.
Why I Believe Self-Paced, Online Education Offers an Opportunity for Stronger Student-Teacher Connection
I think we all can agree that one educational model to fit every student’s needs does not exist. The online, self-paced format is not for everyone. However, for those students and families who seek more flexibility, more one-on-one time with teachers and educational mentors, and more time to engage in activities outside of the standard curriculum, it can be life-changing.
I am simply here to attest to the real relationships that form across diverse time zones, country borders, and life experiences, made possible by online education. Self-paced, online learning offers an opportunity for teachers and students to focus on growth and well-being, removing the limitations imposed by more traditional school models.
