Peer Partners

Overview

Peer-to-peer support can be an excellent strategy for students to receive feedback on their work, align on their goals, and encourage their classmates to succeed. Meaningfully pairing students can foster deep relationships, allow students to view each other as resources for learning, and build social connectedness, which is vital to success in virtual learning as a whole.

Approach

One example of peer partners has been implemented by The Forest School Online, where they incorporate the practice of “running partners” into students’ daily schedules. Students are paired with a peer in their same class (changes every 5 to 7 weeks) and check in each morning with their partner. The pair of students both complete the Running Partners Goal Tracker, which captures the students’ daily goals and action plans. Each student shares their tracker with their partner and then provides feedback before signing off on their partner’s plan.

Partnering with a peer can help students develop critical skills around offering feedback, advising their peers, and encouraging them to overcome any obstacles that may arise during their virtual learning journey.

“A running partner is an accountability partner – someone who holds them accountable to get their work done and turn things in on time. [I’ve noticed] that [they] also become an emotional support person as well – when they’re struggling, [they have] someone to pick them up when they’re down.” - Brittney Toles, High School Guide & Administrator at The Forest School