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.