Online School And Career Prep Gives Students The Ability To Work At Their Own Pace
By Aleena Polanco, Stride Student Advisor
Throughout the course of my 8-year public school experience, I always felt different. Other students seemed to thrive in the excitement of a full day of in-person activities… people talking in the halls and learning in the classroom. Whereas I, on the other hand, would long for individual quiet work time, which is not often achieved in the brick-and-mortar school setting. As a major introvert, I would come home totally drained. Even though I wanted to spend time hanging out with friends and family after school. I just didn’t have it in me. I felt like all of my energy had been expended, and that all I wanted to do was be by myself.
When my parents had originally presented the idea of attending an online school, I was immediately drawn to the notion and started that upcoming fall season. After three years of school online, I think it’s time I finally share how this new way of learning has changed my life. Every day I create my own schedule and can work at my own pace. Working by myself, with no distractions, allows me to get my lessons done while at the same time, conserving all my social energy. This allows me to look forward to spending time with friends and family, later in the evening. Although I spend a lot of time working on my own, there are plenty of ways to socialize, too! During live class connect sessions, my peers and I can collaborate on projects, answer each other’s questions, and catch up! We are also able to join online extracurricular activities like the cooking, poetry, and politics clubs at my school.
Although the aspects of working from home, mentioned above, have changed the way I learn, it has done so in many positive ways. I think I have been most impacted by the countless testimonies of my peers about why they chose online school. Some students, like me, just work better on their own. Others joined due to COVID-19 and the issues surrounding the pandemic. And, sadly, some even faced severe bullying in their public schools and consider online education a safe haven. The realization that I was not the only student to feel out of place in a brick-and-mortar setting made me feel heard, and like I finally belonged. There is truly no other community of students, staff, and parents that I would rather call my support system than the incredible group of people I have found in my online school.
Check out this Stride Insights article on 3 Tips To Overcome Online Bullying, for greater awareness during National Bullying Prevention Month!
To learn more about Stride Career Prep's Student Advisory Council, make sure to visit https://www.k12.com/stride-career-prep/about/student-advisory-council.html
