Virtual Classes

Homeschool students can benefit from virtual classes. Find out if online courses are right for your homeschooler. ConnieAlbers.com

Parents who choose to homeschool their children may not realize all the opportunities they have at their disposal. One of the options our family took advantage of was the world of virtual classes, also known as online classes.

When I began our homeschooling journey, my children were young and the lessons were easy to complete. Math could be learned in the kitchen while we baked cookies or in the driveway using sidewalk chalk. Over the years the dynamics changed as my kids grew and I began seeing unique skills, talents and passions emerge that required careful consideration as to what would be the best type of classes for them.

I found many of these needs could be met through online learning. While I could list many reasons to enroll your child in online classes, for me it really boiled down to three:

  1. Peace of mind when I wasn’t comfortable teaching certain subjects.
  2. A different learning environment for my children.
  3. Gave me more time to work with other children who needed me.

The desire to continue homeschooling meant being creative and finding solutions to ever-changing demands. As my children got older there were certain classes I did not feel capable of teaching, like calculus or chemistry, so I searched for options. This search led me to Florida Virtual School. They provided the security of knowing my child would get the teaching needed to achieve our educational goals without me having to figure it out. This was especially helpful with my older son, who was considering pursuing a degree in engineering. The upper-level math classes were outside my comfort zone, but they were a must for this type of career choice. I didn’t want my weakness to hold my child back from learning something that was their strength. Thankfully it doesn’t have to!

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