Ways Parents Can Help Teens Succeed In Online School

Online high school is a great option for students who struggle in traditional school. It can, however, be difficult at times to motivate your children when they’re learning in this type of environment, especially when the school is self-paced. If you’re looking to enroll your student in online high school, or already have a student enrolled and are looking for ways to keep them on track, this guide is for you!

1. Create a productive learning environment at home

One big thing that can help your child through their online experience is having a separate space for schoolwork. Set up a dedicated study space in your house for your student to focus on schoolwork and then shut the door on it, maybe even literally, when they are done with school for the day.

Tips on setting up a dedicated study space include:

• Finding ways to make the space as private and quiet as possible
• If possible, utilizing a room with a door in your house as the study space
• Make a study schedule that’s visible for your
• child in the space
• Decorate with motivational posters or calendars

Read more: A Guide to Online School for Your Child

It’s important for this space to be as distraction free as possible, so a room with a door separate from televisions or games or other members of the household is best. This is not possible for everyone, of course, but that just means you have an opportunity to get creative. You can also create a private space with curtains or room dividers.

2. Keep your teen motivated in online school

There are several ways to maintain motivation and foster engagement for your student as they work their way through online school.

• Create a study schedule

  • Encourage your teen to stick to it
  • Help them build a routine
• Break the ultimate goal of graduating up into smaller goals

  • Complete a course
  • Pass an exam
• Create a positive learning environment

  • Celebrate small wins
  • Build a reward system
• Seek feedback from your teen

  • What’s working/what’s not
  • Make adjustments as you go

James Madison graduate Isabella Lynch discussed her experience of staying motivated with us. “I think if I had stayed in traditional school, I definitely would have let myself rely more on the teachers to motivate me and get me through high school. Whereas now I'm like, okay if I set myself up to study like I'm ready to get going, I can focus and maybe put on some low-fi beats or get myself in that mindset.”

Read more: Ultimate Guide To Earning Your Diploma Online

3. Help your teen manage their time

Time management can be one of the biggest struggles in online school. Due to the self-paced nature, there’s more self-discipline required when studying at a school like James Madison High School (JMHS).

Some tools and strategies you can use to help your child manage their time include:

• Provide them with planners, sticky notes, highlighters, and flashcards
• Make sure they keep notes for each course separate to avoid mix up
• Schedule out a reasonable amount of work for each day
• Help them prioritize tasks (tests or larger grades before extra credit, if offered, for example)
• Set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals

4. Support your teen's mental health

Mental health struggles are no longer as stigmatized as they once were, which means that resources to help are more easily accessible. It may shock you to learn that about 40% of high schoolers struggle with mental health. So how can you help if your teen is experiencing these struggles?

Recognizing that schoolwork can be stressful, even if being done at their own pace and online, is a great first step. A lot of students find themselves suffering from intense test anxiety, so being understanding if your teen gets a poor grade rather than angry can help create a positive school environment.

If your high schooler is currently enrolled in traditional school but is experiencing anxiety and depression, making the switch to online school can be immensely beneficial. Test anxiety is often worsened by being around others taking the same test, seeing how quickly they finish, and comparing grades once results are distributed. Online high school eliminates this factor and therefore eliminates some of the pressure students face. Other elements that exist in brick-and-mortar schools that can contribute to anxiety and depression include:

• Bullying
• Academic challenges
• Lack of support
• Stigma and shame

Brian Brown, High School Academic Manager at Penn Foster Group, explains the struggles some students face.

“We're not judging our students in any way. We just want them to be the best that they can be. I think students, too, try to judge themselves. ‘Can I be the best out of everybody?’ Well, you’ve got to be the best you can be, that is the best advice. Some of us have a hard time learning that.”

5. Maintaining a healthy school/life balance

When completing high school online from home, it can be difficult to balance school with the rest of life. It’s important to help your child maintain a healthy balance between the two. There are a few ways you can do this:

• Set clear boundaries
• Ensure your teen takes regular breaks
• Help them practice time management
• Give them time to prioritize self-care

Read more: How to Transfer to Online High School: A Comprehensive Guide for Parents

6. Monitor your teen's progress

At James Madison, your child has a student portal, or learning center, from which they complete their schoolwork and track their progress. Their grades will also be housed here, giving you and your child access to how they’re doing.

Your student’s assignments and study material are all accessed through the learner center as well. Since there are no due dates in our self-paced program, you can help your student stay on track with these assignments.

7. Help with struggling subjects

If your child is struggling with their schoolwork as they move through online school, they usually are able to reach out to their instructors. At James Madison, they can email the instructional team with any questions they may have! Brian Brown, who oversees James Madison High School in his role as high school academic manager at Penn Foster Group, wants students to know that “we want to help you. You're not going to have bad experiences here."

Graduate Isabella Lynch shines a light on the JMHS staff, saying “there's multiple occasions where teachers have been really helpful to me and I remember I think early on when I was starting James Madison, I had this science problem that I was totally confused on and I was like, uh what formula do I use. And I reached out and I emailed one of my science teachers and she got back to me within an hour and she was like, okay here let me show you maybe this way instead or give you these examples, and it was just really helpful.”

If students are seeking additional resources, they can sign up for the Student Community and join a virtual study group with other James Madison students. There’s even a category for JMHS Moms you yourself can join for support as your child moves through the program.

You can also get your student an external tutor if they need extra help. It can also be beneficial to encourage a growth mindset for your student. This can help them develop resilience and motivation.

Read more: 5 Effective Study Skills for High School Online Learning Success

8. Encourage social interaction

The Student Community isn't only for study groups! It’s also a great way for your student to socialize virtually with other James Madison students. There are virtual clubs they can join to help them make friends. Shawn Bryant, JMHS Community Manager, says the student community is “a gateway you can turn to where you can talk with other students when you’re stressed and need to get away from your studies.” Students are also able to connect with other online students through the James Madison social media pages.

You can encourage socialization for your student in other ways as well. Jobs, sports, and clubs of the non-virtual variety are great ways your student can get involved and make friends. JMHS graduate Hannah Alfonso shares her experience with socialization:

“I would say definitely if socialization is a concern, that joining clubs outside, sports, different things like that is something that can be helpful. I had a job and things like that where I could get socialization.”

Read more: How to Make Friends in Online High School

9. Understand your role in online education

It’s important to remember that when your child is enrolled in a self-paced online program like James Madison, you are the one overseeing them. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should be a helicopter parent while they’re doing their schoolwork, however.

Learn to balance being a supportive parent and resource with allowing your child to go through their schoolwork independently. You can’t do everything for your child, and high school is the time to start preparing them for adulthood. While it’s okay to never stop advocating for your child, promote self-advocacy as well. Teenagers need to be able to thrive on some level on their own, so it’s important to allow them this time.

10. Ensure online safety

Online safety is a growing concern for parents, and enrolling your child in online school can potentially increase this concern. There are plenty of things you can do to help ensure online safety, however.

• Educate your child on internet safety
• Use parental controls on the computer they are using
• Establish clear rules and guidelines on how they are to use the internet
• Monitor online activity
• Encourage open communication
• Protect personal information with password protection

Read more: JHMS Moms Succeed In High School And Life

Learn more about online high school

Online high school is a great option for many reasons. There’s a plethora of information you can obtain before deciding to enroll your student to make sure it’s right for them and also for you. James Madison High School can be the perfect place to set your student on the road to success their way!