How to Build Stronger Relationships with Your Online Students: Tips for Independent Teachers

Why Relationships Matter in Online Teaching

The research is clear: students learn better from teachers they connect with. In online settings, where students might already feel isolated, building these For independent teachers, your personal connection with students isn’t just beneficial—it’s often your unique selling point compared to larger institutions. Research confirms what you likely already know: students learn better from teachers they connect with. In your small-scale online setting, strong teacher-student relationships lead to:

• Higher student retention and word-of-mouth referrals for your services
• Increased student motivation and willingness to participate
• Greater student satisfaction that translates to positive reviews and testimonials
• Improved academic performance and learning outcomes
• Enhanced student confidence to take risks and ask questions

As an independent teacher, you have the advantage of flexibility to nurture these relationships in ways that larger institutions simply cannot match.

Creating a Welcoming Virtual Classroom Environment

Your virtual classroom sets the tone for your student relationships. Consider these approaches:

Personalize Your Digital Space

• Share a brief welcome video introducing yourself, your teaching style, and what makes your approach unique
• Set up a simple, professional virtual backdrop that reflects your teaching personality
• Use consistent branding elements that help students feel they’re entering a cohesive learning environment

Establish Clear, Personal Communication Channels

• Provide multiple channels for students to reach you (email, messaging, office hours)
• Set and communicate expectations about response times
• Create simple guidelines for how your lessons and communication will flow
• For small group classes, create guidelines for respectful online communication among class members

Make Technology Work for You, Not Against You

• Choose user-friendly platforms that won’t overwhelm your students such as KoalaGo and Funclass
• Have backup plans for technology issues (they will happen)
• Offer brief orientation sessions to help new students get comfortable with your tools. Consider recording short tutorial videos that can be shared before class to familiarize students.
• In small group classes:
  • facilitate structured introduction activities in the first week
  • create dedicated spaces for casual, non-academic conversations
  • Incorporate collaborative activities that help students connect with peers

Getting to Know Your Students as Individuals

The small-scale nature of your teaching practice allows for truly personalized relationship building. If you are teaching small group classes, it is important to move beyond the group to connect with each student individually. It makes a tremendous difference to help you build stronger relationships.

Learn Personal Details

• Send pre-course surveys to gather information about interests, goals, and concerns
• Ask students to create brief digital introductions or profiles
• Keep notes on personal details students share during interactions

Recognize Individual Circumstances

• Acknowledge the different contexts from which students are joining your class
• Be sensitive to varying access to technology and quiet study spaces
• Consider time zone differences when scheduling synchronous activities

Acknowledge Progress and Milestones

• Track and celebrate individual achievements
• Provide specific, personalized feedback that shows you’re paying attention
• Reference previous work or conversations to demonstrate continuity in your relationship

Personalizing Learning Experiences

As an independent teacher, your ability to tailor content to each student is perhaps your greatest advantage to allow you to build stronger relationships with them. When students see their interests and learning styles reflected in course content, they feel a stronger connection to both the material and the teacher.

Recognize Personal Circumstances

• Acknowledge the unique context each student brings to your virtual classroom
• Be flexible with scheduling to accommodate individual needs
• Show understanding when life circumstances affect lesson participation

Design Custom Learning Pathways

• Create individualized learning plans based on each student’s goals
• Adapt your teaching pace to match individual learning speeds
• Develop personalized materials that address specific interests and needs

Connect Content to Student Interests and the Real World

• Use examples from fields or topics your students have expressed interest in
• Invite students to bring their own experiences into discussions
• Allow choice in assignment topics when possible
• Help students see how the course content relates to their goals

Balance Structure with Flexibility

• Provide a clear framework for your lessons
• Remain adaptable to “teachable moments” as they arise
• Be willing to pivot when something isn’t resonating

Encouraging Open Communication in Small Learning Settings

In one-on-one and small group environments, communication becomes more intimate and potentially more powerful.

Create Safe Spaces for Questions and Concerns

• Explicitly invite students to share when they don’t understand
• Normalize making mistakes as part of the learning process
• Respond to questions with patience and encouragement

Develop Ongoing Feedback Loops

• Check in regularly about how the teaching approach is working
• Create simple ways for students to provide feedback between sessions
• Show students how you’ve implemented their suggestions

Share Appropriately About Yourself

• Let your authentic personality shine through in your teaching
• Share relevant personal stories that create connection
• Model the vulnerability you hope to see from your students

Leveraging Technology to Strengthen Connections

The very tools that enable online teaching can also help build stronger relationships when used intentionally.

Use Asynchronous Tools Thoughtfully

• Send personalized follow-up messages after lessons
• Create custom-recorded explanations for individual student questions
• Use shared documents to maintain ongoing conversation between sessions

Personalize Through Automation

• Use email templates that can be quickly customized for individual students including birthday messages, holiday greetings, completion of units
• Set up automated check-ins for students who haven’t been active
• Create personalized learning paths using adaptive learning technologies

Choose Quality Over Quantity in Your Tech Stack

• Master a few essential tools rather than overwhelming yourself and students
• Select technologies that facilitate rather than complicate interaction
• Consider the learning curve for your specific student demographic

Building Trust That Enhances Your Teaching Business

Trust is the foundation of successful independent teaching practice and develops through consistent, authentic interaction.

Be Reliably Professional

• Start and end sessions on time
• Be prepared and organized for each lesson
• Follow through on promises about materials or feedback

Maintain Appropriate Boundaries

• Be friendly while maintaining professional teacher-student relationships
• Define clear policies about scheduling, cancellations, and payments
• Respect students’ time and privacy

Demonstrate Genuine Investment in Results

• Celebrate student successes enthusiastically
• Show disappointment when students don’t meet their potential (not in them as people)
• Go the extra mile when students face particular challenges

Conclusion

As an independent online teacher, your ability to build strong relationships with your students is not just important for their learning—it’s essential for the success of your teaching practice. The intimate nature of one-on-one and small group instruction gives you unique opportunities to create personalized connections that larger institutions simply cannot match.

By creating a welcoming virtual environment, deeply understanding each student, personalizing learning experiences, fostering open communication, using technology effectively, and building trust, you create the conditions for both educational success and business growth through satisfied students who want to continue working with you.

Remember that each interaction is an opportunity to strengthen these vital connections. Your investment in relationships doesn’t just make online learning more effective—it becomes your most powerful marketing tool as satisfied students return and refer others to experience your unique, personalized approach.

What do you do to build stronger relationships with your students? Leave your ideas in the comments.