In the virtual classroom

Set the tone for a positive classroom culture via email, a class announcement or in the first class
Open your classroom a few minutes early so that students can join/log in and have conversations with other students, similar to the way they would in in-person classes (these could be prompted to encourage engagement as well)
Encourage students to ask questions as a way of increasing direct interactions
Motivate students by using technology like Microsoft Teams or Zoom to engage in fun activities and challenges
Offer students the opportunity to connect with each other outside of the classroom (via engaging discussion boards, text, WhatsApp, etc.)
Consider uploading information about campus and community mental health supports to the online learning platform (Blackboard, Canvas, D2L, Moodle)
Have your students come up with a list of ways they can support each other throughout the school year

At the beginning of class, take some time to do a quick overview of the previous lecture to remind students of what was last covered
Structure the course to enable small group discussions through breakout groups, virtual discussion groups, etc., in order to create spaces for comfortable collaboration and engagement between students
Set online office hours where students can come to get clarification on course material
Incorporate breaks into online lectures to help encourage students to move, relax their eyes and have a mental break throughout the day
Consider making synchronous learning pieces (such as live lectures) available asynchronously, or have other asynchronous options (such as pre-recorded lectures or detailed lecture notes/summaries) with which students can engage so they can participate in coursework at the time they’re most productive
Remember students may be scrambling – they may not yet have all the materials for the course for a variety of reasons, including finances, lack of access to their belongings, anxiety about the course/schoolyear, etc.
Be sure to balance the notions of rigour and support to help students grow their skills while still being flexible

Take the time to reach out to a few students each week throughout the course to check-in and see how they’re doing
Connect students to mental health supports when necessary (More Feet on the Ground provides a list of resources available on all Ontario campuses)