4 Online Educational Resources for Parents Who Are Juggling Work, School and Everything In-Between The delta variant of the coronavirus presents us with a huge question mark about this school year, and parents have good options for remote education.
By Raj Girn •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As a parent, I know firsthand how hard school challenges have been during the pandemic. Parents had to find a place at home to turn into their office space and kids were forced to say goodbye to their classmates until their school came up with a successful way to teach from home.
Instead of sending children off to school every morning with the confidence that they would be receiving a well-rounded education from qualified teachers, parents started to worry remote school wasn't enough. I know how difficult it is to worry about your children and feel unsure that you are giving them the best opportunities. As a confidence coach, I help leaders of multinational brands and celebrities overcome feelings of anxiety and uncertainty in order to maximize their full potential. Parents worrying about their children's education is no different.
My advice to parents looking to ensure their children are getting the best education — whether that be at home or back in the classroom — is to use your resources. There are multiple programs available for students that can be accessed by parents from anywhere.
Homeschool course kits
Parents who have chosen to completely homeschool their children can utilize pre-made curriculum kits from various websites. Programs such as Schoolio offer accessible and affordable lesson plans that relieve parents from the stress of planning out their child's curriculum. Many programs offer a premade class kit with all of the necessary materials for a self-run educational experience. There are also options that allow parents to customize their lesson plans by adding supplemental courses to core curriculum. Homeschooling already allows for more flexibility to children but having a resource for parents to use a premade plan with your own personal customizations provides flexibility to the parents, too.
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Remote tutoring
For those that need a little extra assistance in courses like math, want to get their child into a coding course, or have a student that is surpassing their peers in their current school math program and need more of a challenge, there are online tutoring sessions and classes available. Cuemath and similar online education programs allow parents the ease of setting up their student with one-on-one tutoring. Students can get extra help on a tough lesson they're learning in their standard curriculum in the comfort of their own home. There is also an option for students who are progressing rapidly and want to start learning upper-level material. These programs provide parents with options that their student's standard learning program may not offer.
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Connecting students with local leaders
I have developed and mentored countless thought leaders in my 30 years of experience. Parents also can develop their children into thought leaders of the future with the right mentoring. Surrounding children with mentors who are already leaders in their field can influence student's young minds to excel academically. Having a person to look up to and see already deep into a successful career gives children guidance and influences students to set goals for themselves. Organizations such as Founders4Schools connect students with local leaders who can come speak with students about their role in society. Students of all ages are easily influenced by those around them which is why students need positive role models to look up to.
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Access to the arts
Of course, the core curriculum is important for educational development but over the past year with remote learning, classes like music and art have become more of a challenge to provide. If you are worried about your student missing out on classes that allow them to express themselves through non-traditional classes, there are resources available. Long-distance, remote music lessons are available through Blue Balloon Songwriting, a company that allows students to explore music education. Music education can be tailored to each student's individual needs and provides one on one lessons. I've worked with numerous top artists who have made a career out of their artistic talent. Providing children with an exceptional music education is available to parents who want to make the arts a priority course.
When parents are shown where the right tools are, their children have the chance to advance their education. There are various types of programs that can be accessed from anywhere, allowing more parents to use game-changing resources. Parents knowing what is out there is the first step to alleviating the stress of providing a quality education for their children and feeling confident they are doing everything they can to support them.
