Anxiety is real. In fact, 1 in 20 children ages 6–17 years old frequently experience severe levels of anxiety.

For a student facing anxiety, traditional school can become overwhelming. There are facing crowds, dealing with drama, dreading tests, fearing to ask for help, the list goes on.

While it’s by no means a cure, homeschool and independent study could be a good solution for these teens.

Here’s why.

Studying from the comfort of home

Sometimes, anxiety is debilitating enough that it causes teens not to be able to leave the house. With Elite, staying at home doesn’t impact a student’s ability to learn. So, if the student is having a bad day, there is a potential for them to still do work. If they can’t, they have the ability to work with teachers to catch back up within the week.

Personalized support from teachers, counselors and advisors

Asking a teacher for help can be intimidating. There’s the fear of looking dumb or even just having to talk in front of a classroom.

Independent study and homeschool students find the lack of a physical classroom much appealing because they ask questions through email, phone calls and instant messaging. If they need extra support, the teacher can hold a 1-1 online session.

Socializing with classmates looks different

Digital natives are most comfortable connecting with friends online. Social media is integrated with their lives.

So clearly, if there is a safe way for these students to connect, wouldn’t that be their preferred method?

Students at Elite come from different walks of life. That opens opportunities to meet people. They also connect through digital class discussions, staff-monitored chats and student clubs. If they’d like, there are school events to attend in-person as well.

It’s quite a different method of making friends that we believe alleviates a lot of the traditional high school drama.

How to help your child manage anxieties with school

Be open with it

Talk to teachers and school counselors. They can’t help if they don’t know. Maybe math makes your child anxious, let them know! Maybe it’s the synchronous sessions, communicate that. Together, you can create baby steps to start accomplishing goals.

Modify your life

Oftentimes, an anxious student will want to limit themselves. Don’t let them limit, simply modify. If you were to take, say, your non-service dog out, you probably wouldn’t go to a fancy restaurant. That doesn’t mean you have to be confined. There are several places you can go with your furry friend: dog park, walks, even some food places.

Anxiety is similar. There will be things that feel like limitations, but you can help your student find ways to modify their life to manage anxiety. If you’re unsure, you have guidance counselors  who can help.

Don’t isolate yourself or stop engaging

There might be days where your child can’t leave home, and that’s OK. Just try not to let that be a constant thing. Isolating yourself can lead to depression. It’s going to be difficult, but try and find ways where they can engage with others.

Maybe all your student can do is log in to synchronous sessions and type one message for the class to see. That’s OK; baby steps are key.

There are student clubs available at Elite as well. Have them try joining one of those, talk with students online and then work into meeting students in person.

Remember, you both have an opportunity to start fresh. Start with Elite.

Let it simply be a part of you that you manage daily

It’s truly OK to be anxious or to have anxiety. We all feel that from time to time. If your child is someone who frequently experiences high levels of anxiety, just treat it as something you have to manage daily.

We can help you overcome barriers

Elite has several students who came in order to overcome obstacles. Don’t let them stop you from earning your high school diploma. Whether you have to work, have a medical illness, are a teen parent or you went through trials that forced you to drop out, we can help. Don’t just take it from us; see the stories of some of our students below.

One Elite student who overcame barriers

“I have severe social anxiety and it makes it really hard for me to be in crowds, full classrooms, and full hallways. It’s hard for me to focus in class when there is so much going on around me and I get severely nervous. I became interested in homeschool because I felt my home was the best place for me since I know my family and they know what I’m struggling with.” – Samantha Q.

Please note: this article is not a medical diagnosis, nor are the tips provided above a cure. If you feel your child is experiencing signs or symptoms of anxiety, seek the help of a medical professional.

It’s a different world our children live in today.

The technology and social connections immediately available to our youth truly are astounding. Of course, there is a lot of good that can come from it. After all, digital learning was not an option decades ago.

But there is something unique our kids face now, and that’s stress levels to that of an adult.

A poll conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) showed that teens are experiencing greater stress levels than today’s adults. Teens reported feeling stressed at 5.8 on a scale of 10 (3.9 is considered the healthy average for teens). In contrast, adults reported their stress levels at 5.1 (3.6 is considered the healthy average for adults).

We’re not saying to pull your student out of all activities and get them to relax all day. However, there is something more alarming in this report:

The majority of teens did not feel that their stress levels were impacting their health. The majority also recognize their stress but do little to nothing to manage it.

Stress is a part of life. And if that’s the case, then there needs to be a healthy way to cope with it. To help you work with your student, we’ve put together some tips provided by guidance counselors in online education.

Signs your child might be experiencing high levels of stress

Psycom gives a few signs or symptoms to help you see if your teen is experiencing high levels of stress.

• Emotional changes beyond what appears “normal” for a maturing kid.
• Frequent stomach pains, headaches or other pains. The source of physical pains can greatly vary, but stress can certainly be a culprit.
• Changes in routines like eating, sleeping or other daily activities
• Your child seems more forgetful, can’t concentrate or is unusually careless

Tips to help your student manage stress

Tip 1: Get organized

You don’t want to create more stress by telling your child to get organized and clean up their space. But the truth is, having less clutter and a designated workspace can help the brain focus and potentially reduce stress.

Since we offer home school, virtual and flex school, your student has the advantage of working outside the traditional classroom. That can mean the comfort of home or maybe a coffee shop or by the pool (all great choices, by the way).

Make sure no matter where they work, they have a clean space and know where everything is to get work done and be productive.

Tip 2: Make sure they get enough sleep

Staying up all night to get a last-minute project done can be an OK thing to do once in a while. Sometimes, no matter how much we help them, our teens will still manage to procrastinate a large project, and losing sleep is the only option.

Not to mention, if you have a teenager, getting them to go to bed at a normal hour is no easy task.

Lack of sleep on a regular basis not only can cause stress, but it can also affect health. It impacts mood and mental health, while increasing chances of injuries and risky behavior.

Tip 3: Help them find ways to laugh it off

Things are not always going to go our way and that can be stressful. But sometimes it’s not up to us.

No matter how hard we work or how much we do to get something close to perfect, we will have bad moments in life that are out of our control. The key to managing stress in these situations is to “laugh it off” and move forward.

It’s important to allow your child time to express their feelings –vent– and even feel bad about it because we are all human. But for our own good, we need to spend more time looking for the positives that may have come from that situation and consider next time will be better.

Tip 4: Talk to an advisor

This is the most important tip. Elite counselors and advisors are here to help. It’s their jobs, and they’re passionate about it.

If you are unsure how to help your teen, reach out to them. They can help you map out a plan, and provide extra resources like counseling if needed.

Please note: These tips are only meant to help relieve stress levels. If you feel your child is experiencing depression, anxiety or has any other medical need, please seek professional help. In cases of emergencies, contact a California Crisis hotline.

When we launched Elite Academic Academy last summer, we knew if we had a chance of providing every student with the ability to enhance their unique talents, we were going to need to find some incredible vendors.

And so we searched and vetted. And we found them.

One of these incredible vendors is the LA Dodgers Training Academy. Whether your child is an avid softball/baseball player or an athlete in need of strength training and conditioning, this could be a great option for your student athlete.

About the LA Dodgers Training Program

Available with Elite, students receive small group instruction to quickly progress in their ability level. Students will additionally participate in a sports performance program that includes strength, conditioning, speed and agility training.

A FEW MORE BENEFITS:

Applying educational funds toward the LA Dodgers Training Academy

Every student at Elite receives funding upon enrollment.

Funds must first be applied toward core curriculum and related materials. After that, remaining funds can be directed toward any of the Elite Enrichment Programs.

One such program happens to be the LA Dodgers Training Academy. That means your child has access to a world-training program with personalized instruction and strength/conditioning training. You can direct any remaining educational funds toward this program.

Softball/baseball player or not, here’s more info on Elite Athletic Enrichment Program

Maybe your child loves softball or baseball, maybe they prefer a different sport.

Either way, the Elite Athletic Program (EAP) is a great option. Students can direct educational funds to various athletic programs in order to improve their talents and have a better shot of earning a scholarship.

You can learn more about EAP here.

And a little more about Elite….

• Tuition free
• Highly qualified instructors
• School events
• Graduation ceremony
• Home school, flex and independent study options
• Flexible daily school schedule
• Individualized learning and instruction
• Educational funds
• Enrichment programs including career training, athletics, fine arts and travel

Thinking about life after graduation can be daunting. First, there’s having to accept that your baby is all grown up and moving forward in life (sorry, we’ll stop now). And then, it can be particularly daunting if your child doesn’t know what they want to do yet.

A select few students knew what they wanted to be they we grew up since career day in kindergarten. If that’s your student, that’s awesome! If not, you’re really not alone.

In fact, only 45 percent of high school students feel fully confident and ready in attending college. That means the majority of students aren’t so sure what they want to do.

Today, there are more viable avenues than you might have even had for finding a solid career. Of course, your child would benefit from receiving some sort of specialized training, as it means higher salaries and lower unemployment rates than those with just a high school diploma.

While a university is a great choice, it’s no longer the only option. To help our undecided students, we talked to a few of our own College and Career Specialists and gathered some important information on your options and making a decision.

The most common types of post-secondary institutions

A Four-Year Public University

Let’s get this one out of the way since most of us know about it. A public university in Southern California includes San Diego State University, University of Southern California and the many Universities of California, just to name a few. A bachelor’s degree typically takes four years to complete and costs about $7,000 annually, not including books and dorms and meal plans.

PROS:

• Average income of $46,000 annually
• Opportunities to climb in your career
• Ability to earn a master’s for a potential $61,000 average annual income
• Jobs often follow a Monday–Friday work schedule

CONS:

• Takes the most time to earn a degree. Four years on average.
• High tuition costs with a national average total of $94,000.

A Four-Year Private University

A private university is very similar to public universities. The curriculum may include religious or other elements, depending on the type of private university. Or, it could be an Ivy League university that’s more difficult to get accepted into. It’s also oftentimes known to be more expensive, although it depends on the university. Tuition alone on average costs about $21,000 annually.

PROS:

• Highest average income of $50,000 annually
• Opportunities to climb in your career
• Ability to earn a master’s for a potential $61,000 average income
• Jobs often follow a Monday–Friday only schedule

CONS:

• Highest average tuition cost of $120,000 in total.
• Takes the most time to earn a degree. Four years on average.

A Community College

A community college allows students to earn an associate degree. This only takes two years to complete, but the average income is $36,000, about 20% less than those with a bachelor’s degree. On the plus side, community college costs about $1,636 in California annually.

PROS:

• Tuition cost is an average of $3,272 total
• Opportunities to climb in your career
• Ability to earn a bachelor’s for a potential $46,000 average income
• Only takes about two years to complete

CONS:

• Average income is $32,000 for those with an associate degree.

A Trade School

Trade schools are often overlooked in the options, but it’s certainly worth considering. By attending a trade school, students graduate with a certificate in a specialized field. These are for those interested in mechanics, repairs, construction or sometimes even IT and healthcare. Trade school takes two years to complete with an income of $40,000, compared to a bachelor’s income of $46,000. The cost, on the other hand, is $33,000 in total.

PROS:

• Tuition cost is an average of $33,000 total
• Certificate only takes two years to earn
• Quickly receive a higher income of $40,000

CONS:

• The pay is slightly lower. After 10 years in the workforce, trade school graduates make about $1,347 less annually than college graduates.
• The work schedule can be more varied, with night hours or weekends required.
• More physical labor is generally required (which might not be a con for your student).

Things to consider when making your decision

According to our faculty staff and advisors, there are three major things to consider in when helping your child make a decision:

Academic Prowess

A four-year university is known to be rigorous with large class sizes. For a lot of our independent, homeschool and flex students, staying on task and discipline isn’t a hard task since it’s a skill already learned.

If you know your child needs more personalized support from teachers, a community college could be a better route. It’s not easier, as can be a common misconception, but it’s much cheaper with much smaller class sizes.

 “

A mythology that surrounds Community college is that it does not have rigorous as a university, however, this notion could not be further from the truth. Many Universities have pathway programs that allow students to take their first two years, including 200 level courses, at a community college, before starting the last two years of a four-year degree at a university. This means that those universities consider the academic prowess of community college courses equal to what they offer at a university level for the first two years.” – Ms. Meghan Freeman

Costs

You may qualify for financial aid and there can be several scholarships available. But it’s important to consider how much each path will cost. We’ve broken it down already, but here are the average costs of schools:

• Four-year private university: $120,000
• Four-year public university: $94,000
• Trade school: $33,000
• Community college: $3,272

“

On average, the cost for yearly tuition at a community college is $1,636 versus $7,000 a year at a University level. However, there are other costs to consider. If a student is living with their parents, then the cost of living might free up monies to attend a university from the beginning of a degree path. However, a student who does not live at home, has to consider the cost of food, rent, internet, and phone whether or not they are living on campus (university- Often have additional living fees such as internet and food cards) or off-campus (Community college- most do not have on-campus living) in addition to the cost of the courses they need to take. Scholarships, grants, college savings, and family contributions are also factors students need to take into consideration when choosing between a community college and a university. Creating a cost of living budget will help all students to choose the route they should take. – Ms. Freeman

Socialization

Have your child think about what they want their life to look like. Are they more of a homebody, or are they counting down the days until they can move out? Would they like smaller interactions, or do they enjoy being in a large crowd? All these factors can make an impact on which route they choose.

“

For many students, socialization is a deciding factor between universities and community college routes. Not all community colleges have the sports teams or the variety of clubs that universities do. Smaller colleges and community colleges, however, do have smaller class sizes that allow students to get to know their teachers and their peers.  Students who are concerned about the socialization factor of college should conduct research into what the colleges around them offer in terms of class size, clubs, online courses, sports or other activities they may be interested in. – Ms. Freeman

The CTE ACADEMY: Earn a trade certificate while in high school

Your student doesn’t have to wait until graduation to start career training.

If you know they enjoy working with their hands, or maybe they want an early start in healthcare, Elite’s Career Technical Education Program is a great option. Students can use remaining educational funds toward real-world learning skills. A few of the programs offered include:

• Fashion
• Welding
• Carpentry
• Healthcare
• Computer Science
• Finance
• Criminal Justice
• Marketing
• Psychology

To learn more, head here.

Still not sure? Ask an Elite advisor!

As you move along in this process, remember, your Elite advisors are here to help you! A big part of their job is to help you plan out your student’s life after high school.

In fact, our faculty and advisors are experts in the fields of financial aid, college costs and earning scholarships. They know the pros and cons of every route, even if your student wants to jump into a career or join the military.

Don’t forget to reach out to them. 🙂

Behind every graduate are several dedicated teachers. We’re grateful to our Elite instructors, and that’s why we take a moment to shine the light on them in this Teacher Spotlight blog series.

This month, we bring the story of a virtual middle school teacher, Ms. Michelle Wood. She teaches a variety of courses at Elite. Check out her story below.

About Ms. Wood, virtual middle school teacher

“Hi! My name is Ms. Wood and I’ve been a teacher for two years. Prior to getting my teaching credential, I worked in mortgage banking for 11 years. Teaching was a career change for me, which was not an easy path, but I couldn’t deny my passion for education! I decided to be a teacher at Elite because I believe strongly in our core values of Responsibility, Communication and Teamwork. The student-centered focus is evident in all aspects of the organization.”

Ms. Wood has two children, a daughter who is a competitive dancer and a son who plays for a travel baseball team. When she does find free time, Ms. Wood enjoys hiking, going to the beach and camping.

Something else Ms. Wood enjoys: teaching our incredible students here at Elite!

“I enjoy teaching Elite students because I am rewarded by the ability to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of each of my students,” said Ms. Wood. “Some advantages of being an Elite teacher is getting to know my students and their families and working with them one on one to help them be successful! I think that Elite is more beneficial to students than a traditional school because of the structured flexibility that it offers students. Also, the personal connection students get with their teachers and the ability to learn in an environment that works best for them.”

When it comes to advice for her students, Ms. Wood often reminds her students to include physical activities in their daily routines.

“Students, don’t forget to get outside and moving! As independent learners, it’s easy to forget how important physical exercise is along with getting outside and enjoying the world around us! Balancing all important things is key!” – Ms. Michelle Wood, virtual middle school teacher

We incredibly grateful to have Ms. Wood as a part of our dedicated faculty and staff!

About  57% of students between the ages of 6–17 participate in at least one extracurricular activity.

Participating in activities outside of school certainly has its value. It helps your Elite student discover talents and passions while learning important traits like being on a team and pushing themselves beyond what they believed possible. If your high schooler is working part-time, that not only earns them extra cash, it teaches time management and budgeting.

School is the first priority. Obtaining good grades opens the path to a much brighter future.

With school requiring at least 30 hours every week, balancing that with a time-demanding activity (including a part-time job) can get overwhelming. But balancing school with other life activities is completely manageable. All it takes, really, is scheduling and discipline.

Easier said than done, of course.

But it certainly can be done. To help our moms of busy students, Elite faculty and staff members have compiled some tips and tricks to balance school and life.

Tip 1: Eat Well and Get a Good Night’s Rest

Keeping a teen on an “early to bed, early to rise schedule” is at times nearly impossible. But whenever you can encourage your student to rest and help them eat healthily is key. Sometimes it may just be helping them prepare snacks in advance. For ideas on easy healthy snacks, check out this post.

As Cheif Academic Officer Ms. Meghan Freeman said:

“Living a healthy lifestyle can help you manage the stress of school and work.  Adopt these healthy habits to stay energized for your busy schedule:”

• Exercise regularly.
• Eat more fruits and vegetables.
• Eat less sugar and processed foods.
• Drink more water and fewer sodas.
• Get between 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night.

“Balancing my life begins with sleeping and eating” – Ms. Karen Makkai, flex director

“Sleeping-n-eating affect EVERYTHING. So I have blackened my bedroom windows and have relaxation music ready to go before I go to sleep,” said Ms. Makkai. “Also, I don’t eat after 6 p.m. so that my body is actually resting instead of digesting a heavy meal.”

Eat lunches that will help your body 

“For me, life is so busy, I keep cases of my favorite healthy foods in my refrigerator so I can grab-n-go. I find if I make the healthy foods as convenient as junk food, I’m a lot more likely to stay healthy and keep my energy.”- Ms. Makkai.

Tip 2: Find a Job That Will Be Flexible With School

We said it once, we’ll say it again, education is the first priority. There are some activity leaders who will not work with your schedule; they will try to schedule you as many hours as possible. Avoid those if possible. There are plenty of other leaders, coaches and employers who want your child to do well in school. As  Virtual Director Ms. Ashlea Kirkland-Haynes said:

“To avoid being overwhelmed with too many responsibilities, you should let your manager, advisor or coach know that you can work no more than 10–15 hours per week.”

Being upfront and honest with your schedule before you’re hired will prevent many tough situations since you’ve made your schedule clear.

This is also where Elite comes has a huge advantage.

Students who enroll with Elite have the option to additionally enroll in a few different enrichment programs. These include:

• Visual Performing Arts Program
• Athletic Program
• Travel Program
• Career Techincal Education

If your child is aspiring in one of these fields, it makes sense to have it built into school. Not to mention your child will have funds to help with the costs of these programs.

Learn more about these programs here.

Tip 3: Set a Schedule

One of the most important aspects of balancing high school responsibilities and a part-time job is scheduling your daily tasks.

Get a planner or find an app 

“Invest in a daily planner or use an app on your smartphone to schedule your daily responsibilities,” said Ms. Freeman. “This includes study hours, work hours, project due dates, social time, etc. Avoid conflicts by planning your schedule as far ahead as possible.”

Be realistic in your planning

“I tell my independent study students to be real with your schedule,” said Ms. Kirkland-Haynes. “If you only have two nights each week to work, then realize you will need to complete approximately three lessons each night you work.  Plan to complete approximately seven lessons each week!”

Tip 4: Separate School, Activity and Free Time Whenever Possible

Generally, daily routines can be separated into three categories: School, extracurricular activites and free time.

Try to keep the three separated in order to help your brain transition from task to task. This can be as simple as having separate locations for each place. Work is the simplest one. Wherever you work is your designated location.

Free time and school time are a little different. Since you are an online student, you can study anywhere. But to help your brain focus, try not to do schoolwork at places where you usually relax, like the couch or your bed. Instead, create a designated workspace.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t make your workspace fun! In fact, we encourage you to incorporate some of your favorite items in your workspace. This will help your brain make positive associations with your schoolwork, so you don’t dread working so much.

“Once you know your work days, choose the LARGEST CHUNK of time to complete your online work,” said Ms. Kirkland-Haynes. “Flush your body with healthy food before sitting down to work. Consider placing your favorite drink, candles, music, pictures, blanket near your computer –  It’s time to camp out online!!”

When you’re finished with schoolwork and ready to relax, go to a new place. Head to the couch in the living room, your bed or head somewhere fun.

Tip 5: Help your teen learn to use free time wisely

Yes, earlier, we said to keep work and school separate.

But we also recognize that participating in outside activities means a lot less free time. Whenever free time is encountered, the temptation is to just relax-or sleep! Allowing your child to take time to relax is important, and they should set aside time to do so.

But it’s also important to make sure you use free time wisely. And sometimes that means finding small times throughout the day that you can focus on homework–even if only for 15 minutes.

Time management is key

“As they balance school responsibilities and life, students will learn time management,” said Ms. Makkai. “They learn to take any free time throughout the day to complete reading assignments or homework.”

For example, maybe your child works a part-time job with a lot of downtime on your shift. Encourage them to ask their boss if they’d be able to do homework during those times. Some bosses won’t be OK with it, but many will be.

Or, maybe your teen is a night owl who prefers studying during quiet hours.

“Has your student ever thought about getting up in the middle of the night OR  early in the dark morning to work online?  This can be a quiet time without distractions and the computer network will be faster too,” said Ms. Kirkland-Haynes. “Just rub your eyes and type!”

Tip 6: Use Your Support System

This might be the most important tip.

You know your child has people in their life who want to help them succeed. Utilize their support as you figure out balancing high school and life.

“Students: Discuss your schedule school and work schedules with your family,” said Ms. Freeman. “Your family will be able to assist you in creating a schedule that supports both school and work. They may also be able to help you determine how many hours you are able to work each week to allow you to maintain your responsibilities for school.”

Whether you have a supportive family or not, you do have guidance counselors and teachers readily available to your teen at Elite. Your guidance counselor and advisor’s jobs are to help your student succeed academically. If you feel you need support, don’t hesitate to contact your counselor.

You should also notify your teachers of your child’s schedule. That way, you can get help in scheduling your projects, online sessions and other assignments.

Switching to online, homeschool or flex is a lifestyle change. It has its benefits, but it takes some getting used to. Our students can contest to that.

That doesn’t mean your child won’t excel in the independent study environment. All it takes is a little discipline and hard work.

It’s easier said than done, we know.

When it comes to motivating your child–or really anything to do with raising your child–the number of tips and unsolicited advice you’ll receive is limitless.

We could find a lot of articles and share our own expert opinions on how to best help your child excel in independent study. But for this article, we thought we’d get straight to the source: independent study students themselves.

We asked a few students tips they’d give fellow classmates for succeeding in online, flex and homeschool. Here’s what they told us:

Stay on track and don’t procrastinate

“Don’t Procrastinate! The thing about independent study is you have so much time and freedom, so don’t say, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ because that leads to more skips and time sneaks up on you! At the end of the day, the time dwindles down with you being a few lessons short of your finished class!” – Alexis G., 10th grade

“Don’t get behind! When you get behind it is so much harder to catch up! Take it from someone who has been behind it is way easier to just do your work!” – Kambri S., 6th grade

“Getting behind in a course can cause you to work twice as hard. You also start to get stressed since there is so much work piling up. Staying on pace will ensure that you pass the class and stay away from unwanted stress.” Andrew A., 10th grade

Make your own schedule and stick to it

“One thing I do to stay on pace with my schoolwork is keeping a regular routine schedule and staying on top of my assignments.” – Jasmine G., 11th grade

“Always make a checklist of the classes that you’d like to complete and excel in every day! Also, make a strategy for how you’ll complete them.” – Kiiri M., 9th grade

When feeling stressed or overwhelmed, take a break

“Know how to stop and relax when things get way too hard. What I do to relax when things get stressful is take a deep breath get some water and read carefully the question or prompt,”- Jasmine G., 4th grade

Find a comfortable place to do schoolwork and organize it

“Find a quiet place to work so that you can focus and do your best.” – Angelina B., 8th grade

“Have different binders or notebooks for each class! Never use those notebooks for anything other than those classes!” – Kiiri M., 9th grade

Create rewards for motivation

“Self motivation is key! When doing independent study, you need to have a lot of self discipline! It is important to keep yourself motivated and never give up!” Kambri S., 6th grade

“Create an incentive for yourself when you finish a week’s worth of work. Mine is a victory milkshake!!” Angelina B., 10th grade

Ask for help

“Ask for help! You know that the teacher may hold once or twice a week sessions but they are available to you for help! I honestly would say reaching out when your stuck or need something is the BEST thing for you to do! They don’t bite.” – Alexs G., 10th grade

“You will have a lot of trouble with courses if you don’t understand something and don’t ask for help. The teachers are always open to help you and there are various ways to get a hold of them.” – Andrew A., 7th grade

Take notes

“My second tip is to take notes. While going through courses, a lot of material is covered. Taking notes helps verify what you’ve learned and can go a long way when preparing for the checkpoints and exams.” Andrew A., 7th grade

Strive for your best

“Do your Best! The one thing that’s great is the chance you get to be your best! Don’t finish that assignment at a 90% when you know you can take it another time for that extra 10%. Don’t be afraid to contact your teacher for another chance at that exam that you missed a few questions on! Every grade counts so why not raise your grade when you have the option and know you can?!” – Alexis G., 10th grade

“WORK HARD!! Don’t think that just because it is independent study that it is easy! You still have to put the time in. Give it your all to succeed!” – Kambri S., 6th grade

4 out of 10 Americans hate math.

Ouch.

If you have a teen, that’s probably not a surprising stat.

It’s not really fair to give math so much trouble, though, when we think about the way high schoolers generally learn the subject.

Generally speaking, this how most students learn math in high school:

The teacher stands at the whiteboard and introduces a new chapter to the class. Students go home and start on homework. If your student is a really quick learner, they might not have any questions. But most likely, they’ll get stuck on a problem or two. You might be able to help them out, but if not, they bring the question to class the next day.

Although, that doesn’t help the homework grade…

By the time they get to class, they might find time to ask the teacher. But even then, it’s time to learn a new chapter. So, the teacher gives another lecture and assigns more homework.

Now your student is not only stuck on yesterday’s homework, they’re trying to learn something new. And more likely than not, something on that newly assigned homework will be confusing because they’ve fallen behind.

Now your high schooler has even more questions, and the teacher introduces yet another math concept. Before they know it, the homework and confusion have piled up and it’s time for a quiz.

As the homework piles on and your student falls behind, it’s frustrating. And it’s why many students give up on the subject altogether.

Sound familiar?

It’s not the best solution to expect students to seek out help, tutoring and keep up with the curriculum. It can work for some, but for many, it’s disheartening and it loses student engagement.

Instead of expecting the student to adapt and keep up, it might be time to rethink the way math is taught to our students.

Flipped Classroom: Elite’s method of teaching math

With Elite’s Virtual Academy, we flip the classroom.

It sounds a little funny, we’re sure, but the flipped classroom is actually an important method of teaching. It means that we find out student’s weaknesses and strengths before introducing any subject.

With online math courses, students log in and start with the coursework first. They’ll read through some instruction, watch videos and complete some math problems, or our version of ‘homework.’

Student’s answers are recorded and sent to the teacher. The teacher then reviews and examines which areas the students did well, and which areas need help.

Then the instructor presents the lecture. Teachers don’t go in blind, they know exactly how to help their students. And so, when students log in to a live synchronous session or listen to a lecture in class, they can discuss specific struggles and get more insight.

If a student is still stuck on a math problem, they can email, call their teacher or set up a one-on-one online session to help them truly master the concept. They also have access to live video chat or in-person tutoring with either their math content teacher or their teacher of record.

While independent learning requires discipline to stay on track, they can often be much less frustrating because the teachers don’t move on without students. They have the ability to learn at their pace.

Helping your child enjoy learning with online math courses designed for them

Math doesn’t have to be boring.

Don’t laugh, it truly can be an entertaining subject for your teen. All it takes, really, is a curriculum designed for them, the teens, known as digital natives.

Elite offers an award-winning curriculum jam-packed with videos, games, fun stories and interactive content throughout the lessons. Your student won’t be just reading textbooks, they’ll work through online courses that will help them actually enjoy what they’re learning.

You can learn more about Elite Virtual Academy here.

It happens.

You look over at your child and guess what he’s doing?

Yep, on the phone. Probably when he is supposed to be doing something else.

Engaging a teen in today’s world when there are so many other ways to be entertained is no easy task.

And then when you are supposed to help them focus on something that’s not usually well-loved—like, say, homework—your job becomes particularly difficult.

Should we really blame the child, though, when the curriculum is outdated, or filled with text-heavy PDFs? Really, that’s not an issue of an ‘attention-spanless’ generation, that’s simply boring. Period.

Whether it’s online, homeschool or a flex education, students can receive an engaging curriculum.

That’s why we’ve vetted thoroughly to find the best curriculum offerings.

Among our curriculum offerings is StrongMind. Available to our 6–12th grade students, here’s what you can expect.

Award-winning multimedia designed for digital natives

As the parent, you know all too well that students are not going to spend the necessary time in their studies if they’re not enjoying it.

That’s why we provide a curriculum that’s been newly re-designed for today’s learners. Courses are not just aligned and A–G approved, they’re actually backward designed.

In other words, the curriculum developers (who are former educators themselves) didn’t just edit some content to so it passes the standards test. They actually scrapped everything, looked at the standards first, and developed new content around it.

More importantly, courses are packed with award-winning multimedia.

There are animated videos, real-life videos, graphic novels and interactive content throughout to help the students grasp concepts in a way they’ll actually enjoy.

This method of engaging the learner with interactive multimedia courses is proven. In fact, a recent study from StrongMind is showing percentage increases in grades among students using this curriculum.

Flipped Classroom for better personalized support

It’s kind of a funny term. But essentially, flipped classroom means working the opposite way of a traditional class.

In the brick-and-mortar traditional setting, a teacher usually presents the topic in class, then assigns homework.

Our students start with the homework first. Here’s why:

When students log in, read material and watch videos, it helps them start to understand concepts. Then they go through workbooks, aka homework.

Our system gathers data from the workbooks and sends it to the teacher. The teacher then analyzes and determines strengths and weak spots where their students need extra help.

That way, once it’s time for the instructors to teach, they don’t go in blind. They know exactly what areas to focus on because they’re better equipped with data.

Speaking of personalized support….

Each academy at Elite is coupled with certified teachers and educators. They are solely dedicated to helping our students succeed. Teachers are available via emails, messages and live online sessions to answer questions individually on homework.

Whether it’s homeschool with Elite educators, a flex education where there’s face-to-face instruction or online school, the added personalized support is the same.

About educational funding

Should you decide to enroll in Elite Virtual Flex, or Elite Homeschool academies, you can receive educational funds. This gives families the freedom to select the curriculum and enrichment options from Elite’s high quality vendors and partners that best suit their child’s specific needs, interests and goals.

Students must use initial funding toward core curriculum and any related materials and necessary tutoring. As long as a student is making academic progress any remaining funds can then be directed to enrichment opportunities, like:

• Visual and Performing Arts Academy
• Career Technical Academy
• Athletic Academy
• Travel Academy

Funds are granted per student, per school year. Both virtual and homeschool students receive funding. Learn more here.

If you’d like to learn more about the curriculum available to TK–5 graders, head here.