How Flexible Scheduling Enhances Education

Flexibility is a curious word when it comes to discussing the academic and educational goals of students. Mainstream and traditional schools, both public and private, have long held the idea that daily life is filled with rigid scheduling of classes and activities that are intended to enhance a student’s life and academic resume, but often times leaves the child feeling over-scheduled and thus overwhelmed.

Allowing flexibility of class times in an educational institution provides students the opportunity to pursue passionate interests outside of school, freedom to suit their own needs, and allows them the time to have more hands-on involvement in the class room. Giving students the chance to come out of a cocoon of fixed scheduling, has been shown to generate more student engagement and an increase of subject interest. Rather than leaving the student feeling rushed and restricted, it gives them the opportunity to attach to the subject and the teacher, and also to actually apply the skills and knowledge they learned. On the other side of the coin, the educator can benefit from such a schedule by having the ability to tailor the teaching style to the student, as well as facilitate engaged learning, thus helping the student master the content.

Students who have a career focus, such as actors, models, musicians and performing artists, often times cannot attend mainstream schools due to conflicting auditions and work projects that arise throughout the year. Schools with flexible scheduling, such as the type found at Halstrom Academy, allows students to set their class times that will most benefit their dreams. In addition to the career-type students, the number of young professional athletes is increasing each year, and they are also looking for alternative schooling options. Students such as pro-golfers, gymnasts, pro-surfers, equestrian riders, tennis players, elite soccer players, and Olympic hopefuls all have a rigorous training schedule that includes traveling for their sport. Pursuing such a passionate interest will conflict with traditional school settings. These student athletes easily find a home at Halstrom Academy, which not only offers class times that fit around their training, it also utilizes high-tech options such as Skype and Facetime via iPads, to connect a traveling athlete to their teacher during instruction times, thus eliminating attendance issues.  

In the end, it’s beneficial to explore all types of educational settings with the understanding that where your student is happiest, will ultimately foster the greatest learning environment for him or her.