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10 Types of Students That Can Benefit from a Flexible School Schedule
byAlyssa Austin
7 min to read
The flexibility of virtual school can benefit students from all walks of life to help them thrive both in and out of school. For students who face demanding schedules, personal challenges, or rigorous extracurricular activities, a flexible school schedule can make all the difference in helping them succeed.
Connections Academy® schools believe that no two students learn alike, which is why it’s a priority for families to make decisions around courses and scheduling to meet a student’s needs. Online schools like this embrace each student’s unique qualities and dreams. When your child enrolls in online public school, they’ll receive one-on-one attention focused on nurturing their strengths, helping them overcome the challenges they face, and providing the space to pursue their passions.
Read on to learn about the different ways that a flexible schedule high school, middle school, or elementary school can benefit students who require more focused attention on:
- Athletics
- Advanced Learning
- Acting/Performing
- Closing a Learning Gap
- Career Prep
- College Prep
- Health Transitioning from Homeschooling
- Special Needs Education Programs
- Safe Academic Environments
1. Student Athletes
For many athletes, the potential for competing on a collegiate or even professional stage can become apparent at an early age, which could call for a more robust training schedule, extra travel to sporting events, and more time devoted to their sport of choice.
This can become a challenge when it comes to balancing academics with a young sports career and figuring out how to be a successful student athlete can often be a hurdle for families in brick-and-mortar schools.
For this reason, virtual learning can be a great choice for student athletes. The flexibility offered by virtual learning, as well as the time-management and structure that students are required to develop, helps them learn how to balance being a student athlete in a supportive learning environment.
Take Kaia, for example: a high school student who was struggling to balance her rigorous competitive figure skater training schedule with a full-time academic schedule. Kaia and her parents made the decision to enroll in Connections Academy, which allowed her to restructure her education around her demanding figure skating schedule, and subsequently in both. Kaia also leveraged Connections Academy’s College Prep resources to help her feel as prepared as possible for the next step in her education journey.
2. Advanced Learners
For some students, their current course of study in traditional school models may just not be challenging enough for their level of intelligence and academic aspirations. Virtual learning can offer these types of students accelerated school programs such as honors classes, Advanced Placement® (AP®*), and Dual Enrollment to keep them engaged and academically challenged in a way that matches their needs.
3. Child Actors/Performers
If you are looking for a top-notch, child actors school, look no further than Connections Academy. The flexibility of online learning also offers advantages to children who are working in the performing arts, specifically child and young adult actors. Connections Academy offers many school options for child actors that are not only accredited academic programs, but also flexible enough to accommodate long days on set or on stage.
4. Students Closing the Learning Gap
For many students and their families, the COVID-19 virus continues to be a challenge. Whether the pandemic disrupted your child’s learning progress and they need to get back up to speed, or the at-home learning model has proved helpful for their studies, virtual learning continues to offer an accessible way for students who were significantly impacted by the pandemic to get caught up with the educational support they need.
5. Career Prep Students
Some students are fortunate enough to gain clarity on their ideal future career path at a young age. Whether they are planning to step into a family business or have their heart set on a new career path, sometimes a traditional education model isn’t the best fit for supporting students pursuing their goals.
Connections Academy student Neil is a young professional who is able to continue his education without interfering with his professional plans. Thanks to Connections Academy’s flexible school schedule, he is able to prepare for a career in electrical work (and gain an opportunity to travel the world in the process!)
6. College Prep Students
Many online learning programs offer extra resources for College Prep and admissions support. At Connections Academy, we offer students the help of a dedicated College Counselor to guide them and support them through the college admissions process—something that many traditional educational institutions might not have.
7. Health-Impacted
One of the greatest advantages of virtual learning is that students have more flexibility in their day-to-day schedules. For students who may be dealing with health issues that require a lot of time in hospitals and doctor’s offices, a flexible schedule high school, middle school, and elementary school like Connections Academy can grant them the independence to go to school full-time and receive the care they need.
This was the case for Connections Academy student Hannah, who fell ill during her freshman year of high school and quickly fell behind in her studies after a prolonged medical-related absence. Enrolling in Connections Academy allowed her to get back on track and catch up on her education at her own pace, while keeping her health the top priority.
“What I enjoy most would be the flexibility of the school and the classes,” Hannah said. “Whenever I’m feeling bad, I can take the time I need to rest, and then I can get back to the assignments I need to do.”
8. Transitioning from Homeschooling
There are numerous reasons why homeschooling may become the best option for students to continue their education. Virtual learning can help supplement homeschooling efforts in the first one to two years and give parents some support. Or, parents who are considering homeschooling their child may opt for full-time learning at home virtual school instead, which offers a teacher-led and built curriculum that students are able to progress through from the comfort of home.
Connections Academy student Leon flourished as a result of a similar transition. As a serious music student, Leon found that rigid structure and schedule demands of high school were interfering with his musicianship. Attending an online school proved to be exactly what he needed; having supportive teachers who specialize in their subject and a highly engaging teacher-led curriculum helped Leon excel academically, and on his own schedule.
9. Students with Learning Disabilities and Special Education Needs
For students with learning disabilities or special needs, a traditional school experience may not be the best fit for their pace and style of learning. This is where virtual learning can be a huge asset. For Connections Academy student Connor, virtual learning helped him feel more supported and at ease in his schooling:
“Being a student at Connections Academy allowed me to have the freedom to gain a better understanding of how I am able to function best... I saw a great deal of improvement due to the increased flexibility. I was able to utilize that to go at my own pace.”
10. Students Seeking a Safe Environment
Virtual learning not only provides a flexible school schedule, it also provides a safe environment for students of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. If you have a child who has been bullied at school or you are frustrated with how schools handle bullying, virtual learning may offer a promising short- or long-term solution. School can be challenging enough for students; the last thing you want is for a safety concern to make it even more difficult. (For more helpful resources on how to handle bullying at school, check out this article.)
Whether your child is pursuing an acting career, balancing a rigorous athletic training schedule, seeking some extra College Prep support, or anything in between, virtual learning may provide the flexibility and support they need. Learn more about Connections Academy and our online school programs here.
*AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.
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