Physical and geographical distance have long existed as factors that may impact student success in online learning. Now, in the age of a global pandemic, these factors have coalesced with social distance to intensify feelings of isolation that online students may experience. The deliberate use of social and emotional learning (SEL) strategies…

This article draws from inquiry-based research that explored the efficacy of practitioners' efforts to create an asset-oriented field experience with preservice teachers and middle school students, responding to the challenge of building a virtual learning community during the pandemic. Through thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006), we…