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A day in the life of online school for Peter and Samantha (mom and Learning Coach).

Favorite Subject(s): Math, Science
Hobbies: Comics, Taekwondo

Why K12?

Samantha wanted something better for Peter than what she and her husband had experienced in traditional school. They knew from a young age that Peter was bright, and online school allows him to work faster, and the dedicated, certified teachers help guide him toward his true potential.

Live Classes and
Assignments

Peter’s schoolwork is a mix of scheduled, live classes called Class Connect sessions and self-guided offline assignments and activities that can be done more at his own pace.

A typical day may have him starting with a live Language Arts class led by his state-certified teachers and then self-directed lessons in vocabulary and handwriting on his own. Later in the day, he may have other science and social studies assignments along with math skills activities to complete. If he gets stuck, he or his mom can ask the teachers questions in the live classes, via email, or during weekly office hours.

A benefit of schools powered by K12 is that the educational materials—a computer, textbooks, supplies for offline activities, and more—are provided.

Student Schedule

Learning Coaches typically spend between 4 to 6 hours each day with 2nd grade and other elementary school students providing guidance and encouragement.

Peter is an independent student. Each morning he turns on his computer and goes through most of his lessons on his own. As his Learning Coach, Samantha is nearby to help him if he has questions or is looking for more of an explanation on a topic. When they started online school in kindergarten, she was more by his side, helping him through the lessons. As he gets older, less of that kind of oversight is needed.

Student Schedule

Daily Schedule

Class Schedule

Q & A with Samantha

Why did you choose online school?

We wanted to give Peter the opportunity to have a different experience than we did with school. His dad and I both had some issues with traditional school.

We faced bullying and struggled with motivation having to work at everyone else’s pace. We didn’t want a school that would hold back Peter’s potential. He needed something where he could work at a faster pace and have space to research the concepts that excite him.

Curriculum

The number of classes students take varies per grade level and individual. For example, students in 2nd grade like Peter typically take between 4–6 subjects each semester, with maybe 2–4 of those requiring scheduled, live classes.

The other subjects are completed via self-guided assignments and skills labs in the K12 interactive online learning system.

In addition to core academic subjects, tuition-free, K12-powered schools have a great selection of electives, including art and music.

Classes schedules may vary considerably based on the individual student and their needs, their state, and any special programs.

SEE HOW OUR CURRICULUM IS DEVELOPED

Q & A with Samantha

Why do you like online school?

We like that Peter has more flexibility to set his schedule and pace. There are still set class times and due dates for assignments, but there is more space for him to fill in that time before the deadline in whatever way that works best.

That could be finishing lessons early and going to a museum to learn more about the topic before the final write-up. Or going to the zoo to learn more about a new animal he learned about in science class. We can really base a lot of our week on what he’s interested in, and we love that.

Peter’s time away from the computer looks like …

Reading comic books, researching ocean animals, and making plans to go to the arcade with friends.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The K12 live classes and lessons align with the provided textbooks and other educational materials while the certified teachers work to connect concepts to real life for the students. You can often find Peter and his parents exploring museums or historical places to learn more about what he’s studying in school.

For example, Peter got interested in ecosystems after a science lesson, and his family was able to continue that curiosity. They researched other types of habitats that weren’t in the original lesson, like oceans and wetlands. They went to a local park to see wetlands in real life, to look for the wildlife. He got to see birds catching tadpoles, and a beaver swam right up to them! Peter then put together a poster presentation to share with his classmates.

Q & A with Samantha

How do the teachers support you?

The teachers at K12-powered schools are state-certified, plus they receive special training for online instruction, and it shows. Peter has loved all his teachers, especially his math teacher.

They lead fun activities in class and have the students work in groups as well as independently. Peter likes that, sometimes working on his own and other times with his peers.

Advanced Academics

Personalizing each student’s learning allows advanced children like Peter to move through schoolwork more quickly and take classes at their academic level.

Peter is fast-paced, and he gets so excited to learn new things. He’s the kind of learner that picks up concepts and remembers things quickly. With online school, his teachers encourage that insatiable curiosity by always giving him more things to learn about. He’s not bored with this type of learning.

Q & A with Samantha

What is it like doing school at home, how do you navigate being the Learning Coach and working?

Doing online school keeps our family life interesting! We get to spend a lot more time together and that’s what we wanted the most.

We’re encouraged to follow Peter’s curiosity, to go exploring with him, and that’s great because we get to experience new things together. Working while being a Learning Coach balances well for us since I work from home and sit in the same room as Peter. I’m right there if he has questions, but for the most part, he’s pretty independent.

Social Time

Peter loves comics. He and his friends enjoy browsing at the comic book store, competing for tickets at the arcade, and practicing taekwondo.

Samantha loves that Peter and his friends really get to be kids, happy kids. You can find them reading superhero stories, playing with toy cars, and challenging each other to air hockey games. You can usually find Peter’s dad checking out things at the comic book store too. Peter met many of his close friends through online school, though he has friends in traditional school too, so it’s a well-rounded friend group.

Q & A with Samantha

Was there anything that surprised you about online school?

Honestly, how easy it is. School for me was hard, but not for Peter. It’s great to be able to help him learn more about whatever he’s interested in alongside the standard curriculum.

I was also surprised that our parents were okay with the decision. Both sets of our parents are pretty set in their ways traditionally and culturally, so we were nervous about telling them about putting Peter in online school at first. As soon as they realized it was a good thing for Peter, there were on board.

Extracurriculars and Clubs

Students at schools powered by K12 have a range of extracurriculars and clubs they can join.

The online learning system is designed to be engaging, encourage collaboration, and promote asking questions. Outside of the classroom, schools provide other activities for students and parents. For example, Peter is part of science club, music club, and coloring club that even takes place over the summer months.

SEE EXTRACURRICULARS AND EVENTS