Put yourself in their shoes: How to check in with students in an online learning environment

Exhaustion, fear, panic, the unknown…these are common words that educators have repeatedly expressed since COVID-19 appeared in early spring. Many K-12 and university courses have had to move completely online and overall, there is a lingering feeling of disarray across the entire educational community as this retrofitting occurred. The panic and urgency also became prevalent in students during this transition, with signs of struggling, not only academically, but rather emotionally. At this point, educators need to have systems in place to check in with students more frequently. While different check-in methodologies were part of ‘normal’ classroom/coursework pre-pandemic, it now seems more urgent than ever. Students need to be reassured and comforted in a way that many educators have possibly never encountered. Below, we will talk about some ways that faculty or classroom teachers can check in with their students.