How to Nurture Community in an Online School

After nearly two decades of teaching English in brick-and-mortar schools, I’m about to complete my first year of teaching at a fully online high school. Before this year, I had some virtual teaching experience; however, the majority of my career has been in traditional classroom settings. This year, the view of my classroom has changed. Before, students shared a Harkness table, whiteboards lined the walls, and Apple TVs projected our different daily activities. My previous school was an iPad school; my students and I were familiar with and used to the various ways that technology permeated the classroom.

My background helped to shape a foundational pedagogical belief for me: Teaching with technology can enhance and elevate a classroom experience.

As I prepared to teach at Bryn Mawr Online School, a fully accredited girls’ middle and high school, I was and remain excited and inspired by the ways we can use technology to augment learning. I wondered, though, how would the school foster community in a virtual setting? Is community even possible in a virtual setting? 

I contemplated this because of another foundational teaching belief: Students learn best when they feel a strong sense of community and belonging. With one year at BMOS under my belt, I’m convinced that an online school not only offers community but also fosters community.

Here are four central ways to foster community in an online school.

1. Designate a Leader for Community Building

Our school has a director of community programming. In addition to teaching wellness and public speaking, her role is to develop and nurture community, and she is all in: “It’s about making memories and bringing things from visual to tangible.” Making memories when you don’t have a physical component requires online schools to create opportunities for interactive experiences for faculty and students. For example, playing community games that involve both groups goes a long way. “Mystery Mawrtian” during the holidays resembles in-person holiday gift-exchange activities. “Spirit points” are awarded throughout the year for a variety of things, but most notably for positive, joyful community contributions.

Students earn spirit points for all kinds of things: tackling a difficult science lab, thoughtfully contributing to a Harkness discussion, going to extra help sessions, supporting each other outside the classroom at different meet-ups, or winning a game during community time. Spirit points are community boosters! Care packages are sent in the winter months. Community games, wellness-focused activities, spirit week, snow days, and in-person retreats are moments that serve as touchstones, times when the entire community comes together to play and have fun.

Students and faculty engage in the same kind of community-building. Because we’re all playing the same silly game, we’re in it together, and that bond creates a deep sense of belonging. The director of community programming notes that she is always looking for ways to remove barriers between faculty and students, classes, or subjects. Mixing groups creates connections. She also suggests reading The Art of Gathering as inspiration for community ideas.

2. Set Clear Community Expectations

Community expectations matter. Setting clear expectations on the school platform makes a difference. Our school is a synchronous learning environment where classes meet live during the school day. At our school, cameras need to be on, and students follow a dress code. During orientation, they learn how important it is to make their “square” visually representative of them.

Eye contact matters. Avoiding outside noise and distractions matters. Students come to school knowing our community standards. That common bond creates a culture of behavior. As students engage in learning with those shared understandings, they feel more connected.

3. A Feedback Culture Promotes Community

From faculty to students, everyone’s opinion makes a difference. The head of our school fosters a growth mindset, and it naturally trickles down to the faculty and the students. We have weekly faculty meetings where we discuss pedagogy, students, professional development, and announcements, and ask thoughtful questions of each other in order to better ourselves as teachers.

Just as we hope for students’ mental flexibility in our classrooms, there’s an underlying understanding among faculty that no question is a bad question, mistakes are not seen as failures, and we can help each other to figure out the next right step. Stemming from the founders and the head of school, this philosophy encourages both students and faculty to strive to be their best, to share their ideas, and to help each other.

4. Infrastructure Enhances Community

We use Roam as our school’s central infrastructure. This paid subscription platform gives users a live view of the school at all times. When we sign on to school, we can see who is in classes, what classrooms they’re in, and if students are gathering in our virtual community center, our wellness garden, or the arcade! Every faculty member has an office, and students and faculty can pop in or “knock” (it’s a literal sound effect) to say hello.

The way that the platform simulates a brick-and-mortar school building enhances the school community. We are in a shared space together, even though we are not together. Students take synchronous classes live on Roam, meetings for faculty and students are held on Roam, games are played, guest speakers come, mood-board night happens, people gather.

Our school also uses Google Chat and Canvas. Our head of school notes that “our primary communication mode shifted from email to a threaded chat system. These chats are stored indefinitely so students and faculty can look back for relevant information. For many, this system is much easier than email, as the app provides easy access to all chats you have going at any given time. Our students have groups for each class, club, and activity. Through this approach, we are able to meet students where they prefer to communicate.” After all, communication is the bedrock of community.

Finally, when you have a group of people who are excited about their work, it’s contagious. Similar to what happens with in-person learning, school leaders and faculty set the tone for online school, and the students buy in. If the underlying thread of the school culture is that everyone cares for one another, and that care is put into thoughtful and consistent action, then the community will be strong.