How Important Is It For Your Child To Get Along Well With Their Online Teacher?

Most parents have experienced their child complaining about school. It’s just something kids do from time to time – and honestly, who can blame them? From a child’s perspective, school is often just taking time away from more important things, like playing! But as a parent, you understand how important school is to their future, now more than ever.

With many schools still operating online, there are special challenges faced by parents, teachers, and students alike. One problem may be that your child simply doesn’t seem to like their online teacher. So just how important is it for your child to get along well with their online teacher? It’s a good question.

Here’s what you need to know about the importance of your child’s relationship with their teacher, and what you can do when your child doesn’t like their teacher.

What Makes A Successful Online Teacher?
There are a lot of things that make a teacher successful in their classroom and online, too. First is their expertise. After all, they’ve taken years of coursework and exams just to be in the classroom (virtual and otherwise) with your kids. They have the skills needed to communicate ideas to children and make them excited about what they’re learning – probably because they have a passion for it, too.

Online teachers also need some impressive technical skills. They have to be comfortable as well as savvy with online technology and tools. The better they can use them, the better the experience in the virtual classroom will be for everyone. Otherwise, it can be a pretty frustrating experience for students, teachers, and parents.

Creativity and good communication skills are also essential. Especially when it comes to teaching online, a good teacher can think outside the box and find more creative ways to present material to students in order to help them succeed. Students also love teachers who are welcoming and kind. It helps to build trust and make them feel supported, even if they’re having difficulty understanding something. Students want a teacher they feel comfortable going to. This is true whether you’re online or in person.

How Do Teachers Build Strong Relationships With Students?
Building a strong relationship with students online can be a challenge. Your student may not feel as connected with their teacher because it’s a virtual learning environment, and that can lead them to feel as if they simply don’t like their teacher. But it’s important to understand where your child’s apparent dislike is coming from. In other words: is it the teacher or is the situation?

One thing online teachers often do to help build a strong relationship with their students is to make themselves accessible. They have to be available when students need them. Since classes are virtual, teachers should provide ways to contact them through email or even by phone. It’s a way they can stay connected to their students so that kids feel like they matter in the eyes of the teacher.

Teachers can also build strong relationships with online students by making sure they are encouraging, adaptable, and passionate about what they’re doing. Kids are perceptive, and if the teacher isn’t giving them these things, they’ll know. This could translate to them not liking the teacher.

Why Does It Matter If Kids Like Their Online Teacher?
There’s been a lot of research in this area, and it turns out that if a child feels engaged by their teacher, they learn more effectively. So, having a good relationship with a teacher they like is vital to their enjoyment of school – and when they enjoy it, they simply learn better and are more excited to do so.

If your child doesn’t seem to like their teacher, try to dig a little deeper. Is it because their teacher is too strict or has high expectations? Is what they’re learning too easy and your child is simply bored? Could it be that your child’s personality simply doesn’t mesh with the teacher’s? It could also be something as simple as your child disliking online learning, and their apparent dislike for the teacher is how that’s manifesting itself. Until you understand why this challenge exists, you can’t do anything to address it.

What Activities Help To Build Relationships With Students?
There are several ways that teachers traditionally work to build relationships with their students, though some can be a challenge now in the time of COVID. One-on-one time is the easiest way to build rapport. See if there are any opportunities for the teacher to work individually with your child and get to know them a bit better.

In place of one-on-one time, the teacher may want to play games that help everyone to get to know each other better.  They can take a little time each day to have a mystery student lunch bunch or to play a board game that helps everyone get to know each other better, even if they are online.

What You Can Do When Your Child Doesn’t Like Their Teacher
If your child simply doesn’t like their teacher, there are some things you can do to help. You can work to establish your own relationship with the teacher. Open the lines of communication so you can talk about the challenges your student may be facing and how to help them.

Also, work to empower your child to take a little charge in the situation. Help them learn to take ownership of their learning experience and empower them to speak directly with their teacher about what can be improved for their online learning experience.

At Teachers1on1, we understand the challenges online learning can present. We’re here to help you make your child’s learning experience a better one!

Featured image by Beci Harmony on Unsplash