How do eteachers create relationships and trust in the online classroom? Hui keynote speaker Arabella Macpherson explains that body language has a surprising role to play.

Making authentic connections with students, whether face to face or online, is paramount for successful teaching and learning. Our 2024 NEX Kōtuitui keynote speaker, Arabella Macpherson, is a communications specialist who through her mahi at Resonate Communications advises on how to effectively build relational trust.

What is relational trust?

In the online environment, we know that the nuances of communication are as important as in face-to-face situations, and our learners read these cues online in the same way as they would in the classroom environment.

Relational trust is created when teachers can transfer those crucial skills - making eye contact at eye-contact level, listening and repeating, showing warmth, and matching the energy levels of learners are some of the ways eteachers can build that trust online.

How do we build relational trust?

Some of the skills Macpherson outlined in her keynote were:

• Know your students - find out about them and use this knowledge to develop a trusting online relationship with them

• Connect with your students - use fined-tuned body language to show your focus is 100% on them

• Personalise what you are doing - Macpherson demonstrated how anecotes are a powerful tool to maintain connection

You can view the keynote presentation here and view the supporting slide presentation .

Find Arabella online

• Insta: arabella_communication_guru

• Email: arabella@resonatecomms.com

• Website: www.resonatecomms.com