Olivia H.
Middle School Student
Olivia H. is a middle school student at Texas Connections Academy. Her father, Erling, is her Learning Coach. They share what’s it’s like to be part of our online school community and how Olivia has benefited from it.
Our School Through a Student and Her Father’s Eyes
Olivia H. is a middle school student at Texas Connections Academy. Her father, Erling, is her Learning Coach. They share what’s it’s like to be part of our online school community and how Olivia has benefited from it.
Erling reports, “This school enables us to keep a close eye on Olivia’s learning. When she was at a brick-and-mortar school, we’d hear reports about how she was doing, but that was after the fact.
“Here, I’m able to see firsthand, in real time, how lessons are executed and how she's learning, and it was really kind of eye-opening. It was one of the first times we really realized that this is a good move for us.”
“At Texas Connections Academy, I get to spend more time learning instead of rushing through the day.”
— Olivia
The Online Experience at Texas Connections Academy
According to Olivia, “Making friends at this school is easy. Just go in the chat before an on-camera LiveLesson® session and ask if anyone wants to be friends, then connect on Webmail. … It’s like at a brick-and-mortar school before class starts — kids interact and talk.”
Erling says, “My favorite part of being a Learning Coach is twofold. The first is that I get to be part of Olivia’s academic success. I get to help her learn things. The second is that I also like helping other Learning Coaches. I enjoy helping them with things we explore and figure out together.
“The flexibility of this school has made our family’s life easier in a couple of ways. It makes it easier for us to plan vacations … and it helps with normal, everyday life. If something must happen, like a home repair or doctor's appointment, the flexibility to plan those things and still get all the schoolwork done is fantastic.”
Messages to Other Students and Families
Olivia says, “Some advice I would give to someone enrolling here is to set a start time and end time for your schoolwork because it will help you stay organized and avoid getting off track.”
“I would tell other parents that Texas Connections Academy is absolutely worth considering,” Erling says. “The situation, personalities, and lifestyles need to be right, but for a lot of people, I think it's a very viable choice. Some of the benefits we've had personally exceeded expectations. So, I highly recommend it.”
“As Olivia’s Learning Coach, I’m able to see in real time what she needs to spend time on, and that has really helped her a lot.”
— Olivia’s father and Learning Coach, Erling