Is Traditional School Holding Your Child Back? 5 Signs They Need a Flexible Online School

child may need a flexible online school while also highlighting the benefits of a flexible online school for middle and high school parents. Choosing the right program is essential for your student’s academic growth, so without further ado, let’s dive into the 5 signs:

What is a Flexible Online School for Middle and High School Students?

Flexible online school has the goal of combining an accredited curriculum with customized pacing that can’t be found elsewhere. This type of environment gives unparalleled support for the student that is unlike a large, traditional learning environment. Each student has a learning style and preference, and a flexible online school for middle and high school students can make an immense difference for the student’s academic journey. Whether your student is planning on going off to college or wants to jump right into the workforce after graduation, programs like these offer the guidance and support to get them to where they want to be. So how do you know your child needs an environment like this? Let’s look at the signs:

1. Your Child Has a Demanding Schedule Outside of School

Is your child frequently missing class due to other commitments like sporting events, travel, or rehearsals? A traditional school environment often has a rigid structure and schedule that doesn’t allow these aspiring students to chase their dreams while maintaining attendance at school. This often leaves the student and family sacrificing their learning quality too. A flexible online school can be a great option for aspiring artists, student-athletes, and more! Online schools allow the student to set their own schooling schedule that works around their obligations. This helps the student stay on track academically without feeling overwhelmed or sad that their sacrificing their learning.

When a student doesn’t have to choose between their passion and education, they become more motivated and focused. A flexible learning model removes any guilt of missing class and reduces the stress that comes with completing make-up work. Having the confidence to succeed both inside and outside the classroom helps shape a student into the best possible version of themselves.

2. Your Child Struggles with Anxiety, ADHD, or Other Learning Differences

Many students that have ADHD, anxiety, or other learning differences find the traditional classroom overstimulating and discouraging. Additionally, long school days, noisy classrooms, and fast paced instruction can overstimulate these students causing confidence and academic issues. A flexible online school can be a great option for students with learning differences. The reason being that it gives students the chance to work at their own pace in an environment that is less stressful and built for them. Programs like Tenney School Live offer one-on-one instruction which allows the instruction to adapt and move at the pace of the student.

3. Your Child is Academically Gifted or Needs Remediation

The one-size-fits-all education model rarely works for students who are either ahead or behind. This is due to the sheer number of students present in the classroom. The teacher needs to dictate the pace to the average student. This can cause gifted students to become bored, while students left behind struggle to keep up. Flexible online school for middle and high school students changes this by making the program individualized. When a student is in a small, individualized setting, the pace matches the student. This means a student’s curriculum can speed up to match their level or slow down when they begin struggling. This ensures that the student is always engaged and never feels underwhelmed.

4. Your Child Feels Disconnected or Unmotivated in a Traditional School

Burnout, boredom, and social stress are all reasons why a student may disengage from a traditional school. Do you find that your child dreads going to school in the morning? Is it a battle to get them out the door on time? This could be due to their current school not fulfilling their educational expectations. Each and every student learns a different way and when the learning environment is not matching their preferences, they become disengaged from the content. A flexible online learning environment gives students more control over their academic journey. They feel more in control through smaller class sizes, and flexible routines.

When students have a say in how and when they learn, they begin to take more ownership over their own learning. It creates a sense of agency that provides lifelong success both inside and outside of school.

5. Your Family’s Needs are Changing

The student isn’t the one that needs the shift sometimes, family can go through changes too. Whether you’re moving for work, traveling constantly, experiencing a health crisis, or something else, the rigid school schedule of a traditional learning environment can seem like an insurmountable barrier. This is where a flexible online learning environment comes in. Instead of needing to change schools, a student can keep their education consistent. They’ll have the same teachers, schedule, and even academic progress. This is important because consistency is vital for academic success. A flexible school model can ensure your child doesn’t fall through the cracks academically and is prepared or any major life transitions that may be coming.

Choosing the Right Flexible Online School for Your Child

Not every online school is the same, and it’s important to find the one that fits your family’s needs. The key features you should look for in an online school is:

• Accreditation: The program should meet state or national curriculum standards.
• Live Teacher Support: Real-time instruction is essential for student engagement. Pre-recorded lessons can disengage the student.
• Customized Pacing: The curriculum should allow the pace of the classroom to slow or accelerate depending on the student’s learning experience.
• Personalized Attention: One-on-one instruction or small class sizes are ideal.

At Tenney School Live we pride ourselves on our one-on-one, live learning model. Each and every student has their academic needs prioritized in an individualized setting. If this sounds like the right fit for your family, I urge you to submit an inquiry form for more information! Thank you for reading and I hope my 5 signs that you would benefit from a flexible online school for middle and high school students was helpful in your school search!