Homeschooling, Online High School And Pandemic Schooling: What's The Difference?

The pandemic has brought many parents to their knees. It is not always physically possible to work from home while also helping your children through their daily list of assignments and online meetings. 54 percent of parents feel guilty about their children when they try to work from home, and another 43 percent feel guilty about work when they'yre caring for their families while working, such as if they try to help their children with pandemic schooling or remote learning. In other words, remote learning is not working well for everyone.

There are, however, people who are thriving. Many teenagers do not like getting up at the crack of dawn to sit in crowded classrooms all day and try to learn. In fact, studies show that teens do better with a later start to their day. School districts that experimented with later start times noticed that students had better attendance and better grades. 

Teens that are introverted, struggle socially, or are bullied also relish the opportunity to learn from the comfort of their own home without the social pressures of high school. Concentrating on learning is much easier without the added anxiety of socializing and bullying. In fact, a study from the University of Bristol reported that girls ranging in age from 13 to 14 that were at risk for anxiety prior to the pandemic experienced a 10 percent drop in anxiety when schooled at home.

If your teen is one of those that are happier to be at home, you have a few options, including:

• Pandemic schooling. Depending on where you live, you may have the option to continue remote learning for the rest of the 2020-2021 school year. There is no guarantee, however, that you will be able to in the fall. 
• Homeschooling. Homeschooling is similar to remote learning in that your student learns from home. The main difference is that you, the parent, are in charge of all learning and curriculum choices. This can be overwhelming for many parents, especially at the high school level. 
• Online school. You can also enroll your teen in an online alternative high school program. This is a fully accredited, online high school. Some classes are self-directed, while others have hands-on instructors, depending on the program and the subject matter. Many alternative high school programs are paid for by your local school district.

Talk to your teen and decide together if an online alternative high school is the right choice for them moving forward.