4 Keys to Success with Virtual Schooling

I’m excited to share with you  4 keys to success for you and your family in virtual education!  As we head into the new school year, many families are joining the virtual school community.  Whether you actively chose this form of education for your child, or you were forced into it because the brick and mortar school has closed due to covid 19, I know you are absolutely committed to your child’s success! 

Success is Possible!

Success is possible  with virtual schooling.  There is a wide community of parents who have chosen homeschooling or virtual schooling for many years.  While our reasons for choosing this method of education are as varied as our children, our message to you, parents who are new, that it is possible to succeed!  

This may not be what you chose.  You might be feeling a wide range of emotions heading into this school year.  I get it.  Having your kids home all the time means, well, they’re home all the time.  And if this is new for you and your family this year, I can imagine that there have been many bumps in the road.  

Sometimes we have to do things we don’t like as a parent.  We change our child’s diaper, because it is best for them, not because we particularly like the chore.  We get up in the middle of the night with a crying baby because it is the right thing to do.  I never loved those 3AM feedings or the colicky evenings.  Those will pass, and so will this. 

If you are doing virtual education temporarily, that is OK.  But, in order for your family to be successful at this, you must get on board. If you are frustrated and bitter about this educational experience your kids will know.  And they will suffer.  So, please, for the sake of your child, try to have a positive attitude going into this school year.  It will be different, for sure, but whether that difference is positive or negative for you and your family begins with you! For many of us, there is no other option than schooling at home this fall.  So let’s figure this out.

I’m going to get off my soap box right now.

Let’s talk about some of the keys that will help you and your family be successful this year with Virtual Schooling.

4 Keys to Success with Virtual Schooling

1. Partnership

One of the biggest keys to your success in virtual school lies in the partnership between you, your children and the school.  A Virtual School offers the ability to partner with educators who will support you as you education your child through distance learning.

Homeschool or Virtual School?

What is the biggest difference between a virtual school environment and a traditional homeschool environment?  

In the most traditional homeschool environments you are independent of state and federal oversight. You, the parent, makes all the choices.  From scheduling, to curriculum, to learning hours, they are all up to you.  Every state has different rules with regards to homeschooling and the amount of oversight required by local and state officials. If you are interested in independent homeschooling, please check out this website for state rules and regulations.  It is extremely helpful.

Some states, like California, require you to register as a private school, be associated with a charter school, or be a credentialed teacher in order to homeschool legally.  Other states have much more minimal requirements.  This option offers parents the most flexibility with how to school their children.  

In a Virtual School environment, you are attached to a school and that school will set the framework for your child’s learning.  You are partnered with a teacher, or many teachers, who are responsible for designing and teaching the materials to your student.  This can look very different across different schools and grade levels. We have chosen to enroll with California Virtual Academy which uses the k12.com curriculum.

In early elementary, even in a virtual school environment, the parent is involved daily in helping the child be successful.  These years resemble the homeschool classroom the most closely.  

You will have a teacher who is responsible for architecting the curriculum, and then monitoring your child’s progress, but you will be delivering most of the lessons yourself.

In middle and high school, your child will likely have several subject matter teachers who will deliver lessons and grade assignments.  These teachers are your partners in education.  Are you having a hard time?  Do you struggle helping your child with a particular lesson?  Then encourage your child to ask the teacher for help.  Or, if the child is young, maybe you reach out to the teacher for guidance and coaching.  

In a virtual school environment, help is available to you with the partners you have in the school.  This partnership can be a great stress reliever!

 I know that anytime I have a question, help is just a quick email away.  This partnership enables me to have great confidence that my children have the tools they need for success!

I encourage you to partner with your child’s virtual school to help your child be as successful as possible.

2. Positivity

Positivity is a big key to success.  Our children look up to us and need to see us setting the example.  I know this is hard.  Especially if you didn’t choose this.  It is hard for our family some days, and we chose this method of education!

 If you are a dual income family, virtual education is a difficult burden to add onto your already busy lives.  

Can I encourage you to try to be positive about this journey?  Can you look at this year as a new adventure for your family?  Maybe you never dared to try homeschool, but here you are with the kids at home.  Or perhaps you never thought that you would have the patience to school your kids at home.  If you commit to having an attitude of positivity through this process, I know you and your family will benefit.  

I want you to think back to your favorite teacher growing up.  What do you remember most about this individual?  I had an English teacher in high school who I absolutely loved.  She was so passionate about her job that it was infectious.  Her favorite book to teach was A Tale of Two Cities and to this day I can remember her enthusiasm about that story.  She was positive, even when there were difficult days.  Her love for us and positivity made a difference.

You can be that inspirational teacher to your child.  There are so many things you have already taught your child many things in life.  This is just another extension on that teaching.  Embrace your new role with a positive spirit, even if this role is temporary.

There will be days where it is really hard to be positive.  I’m not asking you to ignore the challenges.  But if you can enter this year with a willing spirit and a positive attitude it will make the days less of a drag.

3. Progress

Consistent daily progress is a big key to success in virtual schooling.  In general, you want to aim for one lesson, per subject, per day.  If you do this, you will be able to keep up with the pacing that the school has outlined.

One of the differences between traditional homeschooling and virtual schooling is in the concept of progress and expected benchmarks.  In a virtual schooling situation, the teacher and the school will set the expected progress requirements.  In a homeschool environment the parent sets the schedule and can create benchmarks that work best for her students. 

Most curriculums, whether they are from your school or purchased as a homeschool curriculum will expect about 180 days of learning.  That is the typical number of school days in a year.  Generally you want to aim to finish the curriculum within the given school year.  However, if you have a student who is highly accelerated, perhaps you’ll get through more that one year of math in a school year.  This is more easily accommodated in a homeschool environment, where you can have some subjects be different grade levels.  

It can be overwhelming to see the entire curriculum for the year all at once.  Please don’t get frustrated.  If you can aim for the one lesson, per subject, per day goal, your child will stay on track and you will ensure progress is made in the learning. This steady progress is a key to success in virtual education! 

4. Perseverance

In order to be successful in life, we need to persevere through the challenges.  Virtual education is no different.  It is critical that you and your family persevere through this school year.  There will be good days, and there will be bad days.  That is ok!  If you can persevere through both of those, you will be successful.

Perseverance means making sure the kids do school before the video games turn on.  It means that there is little to no fun happening until they do their lessons.  Perseverance can mean that school happens on a Saturday because something went wrong during the week. 

Sometimes, we need to take a break, go up to our rooms to breathe, and then come back down to persevere through the rest of the day.  It also means being willing to reevaluate where learning takes place.  Maybe you started with your child in his bedroom (not a good idea in my book, but that is another post),  and you have decided that it would be better for school to happen in the kitchen.  Just because one set up doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to try another one!  

Adapting to the changes but staying committed to learning is a big key to success in virtual education.  We will persevere throughout this school year in encouraging and empowering our children to learn, whether that is at home or at school!

It is absolutely possible to be successful this year with virtual education.  Your keys to success are partnering with the school and teachers, having a positive attitude, making steady progress, and persevering through the challenges.  Questions, comments?  Please reach out!  I’d love to be a resource for you as you begin school this year!