How can I build a rapport and connect with students?

Positive interactions and relationships with staff are important to students and a key factor in student transition and retention (Thomas 2012, Webb & Cotton, 2018, Armitage & Krause, 2014). Research by the What Works? project showed that the following features are particularly important to students:

  • staff know students’ names and see them as individuals
  • staff appear interested in the student’s progress, not just their problems
  • staff are available and respond to students contact in an appropriate and timely way
  • staff value student input and show respect
  • students can approach staff for support
  • informal, mentor-like relationships rather than formal/teacher relationships (Thomas, 2012, p33-34)

Strategies and Tips

Create a short (5 minutes max) welcome video and a welcome announcement, for vUWS and release this in the week before session starts to introduce yourself and orientate students to the unit.
Provide name labels for the first few weeks of class so that students can get to know each other, and tutors can get to know student names
Use ice-breaker activities and engage in personal conversations with students and find out about their interests. This type of communication also helps you to understand student needs and aspirations;
Make yourself available after class or through email for assistance and let students know the best way to contact you. It’s a good idea to give examples to students about the sort of queries that you can respond to, as many students do not know what sort of questions or issues are appropriate to take to academic staff and will hesitate to do so.

Acknowledge the busy lifestyle of students when speaking to them in class and link this to the importance of good communication and preparation.

Develop a regular online presence, utilising a number of different channels to communicate with your students, such as the discussion boards, announcements and e-mails. Try to respond to queries within one business day.
Add photos of academic staff to vUWS and maybe a little bit about staff so students can get to know their teachers.
Organise and attend curriculum-related activities and social events

Practical Tip

These are some general ice breaker activities that could be used in a rage of face to face environments