Online teaching and learning has become more prominent and prevalent with digital platforms becoming the only means of communication in lessons. The resulting limited teacher-student interactions can be an important contributing factor in the rise of ineffective learning. Therefore, it has become necessary to enhance these interactions during online lessons. This mixed-methods study investigated students' online learning experiences, social needs, and teacher-student relationships. It explored effective teaching strategies used in online classrooms with 99 secondary two students. The surveys used in this study were adapted from the Online Learning Environment Survey, Online Student Engagement Scale, and Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction.