The old way of thinking was that students represented a homogenous entity. Schools lined students up in rows, all facing the same direction, and the teacher lectured from the front – casting their academic lessons out to the crowd. One-size-fits-all education.

But that’s not the most efficient kind of informational transaction. When you go to the doctor’s office, for instance, you don’t want to sit alongside 20 other patients as the doctor delivers catch-all advice for everyone’s ailments and medical situations. You want direct, personalized care and attention. That’s how you flourish; that’s how you better yourself.

Therefore, forward-thinking teachers and institutions have evolved past the traditional classroom model to cater to individual students. As we’ll explore over the course of this article, the teachers at OES’s online high school achieve this personalized support in myriad ways, from flexible models to tech-enabled communication, student engagement to robust feedback.

And the results are undeniable. When students receive individual attention – catered to their specific learning styles, problem areas, proficiencies, etc. – they do better academically and emotionally. They also remain engaged and self-confident as they navigate high school’s many challenges.

Join us below to learn how supportive teachers make a world of difference.

Flexibility as a Superpower: How Flexible Classrooms Meet Students Where They Are

The first step in being accommodative, supportive teachers is remaining flexible.

At OES, we build flexibility into the DNA of our education. Like other progressive online schools, we run on an “asynchronous” or self-paced model. Students need not adhere to strict daily schedules, nor do they have a pre-arranged timeframe for course completion. They work at their speed, during the hours that suit them best.

This small but significant tweak to the old classroom model (the “bell system” we all remember as kids) makes a profound difference. It allows students to manage their unique needs, moving slower when the work feels challenging, moving quicker when they feel adept, and taking mental health time as necessary. It also allows our supportive teachers to meet students where they are. Teachers can touch base with students to learn about their progress and offer tailored guidance.

Further, OES’ teachers practice flexibility in their teaching materials. According to the VARK model of learning styles, different students learn differently; some feel strongest with written materials, others with auditory resources, and some students prefer visual or kinesthetic activities. Our teachers leverage a variety of multimedia learning materials to ensure that each student’s needs are met.

The Role of Feedback: Guiding Student Growth

If a student receives a bare letter grade, how will they know how to grow? Plotting a student’s course progress on a scale from F to A is the standardized way to benchmark proficiency. However, it should not stand alone as the sole mode of evaluation.

Supportive teachers should be committed to offering actionable, effective feedback and constructive criticism. They should celebrate students’ wins—big and small—and steer them back toward success if they go astray. Moreover, supportive teachers should encourage self-assessment and personal growth, equipping students with the soft skills necessary to reflect on their progress and discover internal motivators.

At OES, our teachers are feedback all-stars. They routinely meet with students to offer constructive criticism, answer questions about grade assessments, and chat about course content. Moreover, they encourage students to self-evaluate their work, honing independent thinking.

But we aren’t finished yet. At OES, we are so dedicated to student growth that we also offer 24/7 online tutoring support. We understand that some students keep irregular hours and may not always catch their teachers during normal work hours. Therefore, we’ve added an extra layer of support so students can receive timely aid and feedback – regardless of their study schedule or time zone.

Keeping the Spark Alive with Student Engagement

Student engagement and supportive, individualized learning go hand in hand.

When students feel “lost in the crowd,” they are liable to zone out from their education. When they are just another audience member in the lecture, they may not feel any impetus to engage. (For a psychological take on this phenomenon, think of it as a variation on “The Diffusion of Responsibility” effect). “Someone else will raise their hand,” they might assume. Or “The teacher isn’t looking at me, so I don’t have to pay attention.”

However, when teachers pay individual attention to each student, those students’ ears naturally perk up. They feel seen and heard. Crucially, they feel like they have a sympathetic ear in their teacher. This level of support drives engagement, enabling students to dive into their schoolwork wholeheartedly.

The best teachers go beyond that, too. They establish interactive activities that make lessons come alive. They leverage concepts like gamification to satisfy young learners’ natural inclination toward quests and missions. They also dispense positive feedback to encourage students to keep striving for their personal best. At OES, this is the level of engagement you can expect.

The Heart of Teaching: Emotional Support

Students are more than just academic entities. They are fully realized adults-in-the-making with big ideas and even bigger feelings.

Therefore, the heart of teaching should include emotional support. Feelings matter a great deal in the academic journey. If a student feels sad, angry, distracted, nervous, etc., those emotions will affect their performance. More than that, it will affect their quality of wellbeing.

Great teachers intuitively understand this fact. They show they care by offering open dialogue during virtual office hours, kind messages of support, and extra help when a student feels overwhelmed. They also create a cozy online classroom environment where everyone feels safe and included.

The “Big Picture” Needs: Guiding Students toward Career and Educational Goals

Students don’t attend high school in a vacuum. They attend high school because they have big ambitions. Some are eager to demonstrate their entrepreneurial spirit after high school, while others want to continue with post-secondary education to deepen their knowledge in specific areas.

This is what we call the “big picture,” and it’s a fundamental part of education. Supportive teachers take the time to understand the big pictures in their students’ lives, guiding them toward courses, programs, and resources that help them achieve their long-term goals. Just take a look at this recent article we posted about how OES’ teachers are empowering future nurses and engineers!

Additionally, OES is committed to offering academic guidance from our experienced staff members. On our homepage, you will find a straightforward link to booking a 15-minute guidance appointment.

Accommodating Individual Education Plans

At Ontario eSecondary School, our teachers go the extra mile to support students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

An IEP is a special plan that outlines a student’s unique educational needs based on their strengths and challenges. It’s not a daily lesson plan but a strategic guide that may include different types of support, like accommodations or modified lessons. These supports help students meet their learning goals without changing what they’re expected to learn at their grade level. Accommodations can include changes in teaching methods, the classroom environment, or how students are assessed, and they’re a key part of our teaching approach at OES.

Creating and updating an IEP is a team effort involving teachers, parents, and students. We start by gathering information through observations and assessments. One teacher takes the lead in developing the IEP, making sure it’s ready within 30 school days. Parents are involved throughout the process to ensure the plan meets the student’s needs. Once the IEP is in place, our teachers stick to it, especially during assessments, and update it regularly as we learn more about the student.

During exams, we offer personalized support, such as extra time or assistive technology, to ensure every student has the tools they need to succeed. This is just one way our teachers ensure each student gets the individual attention they deserve.

For more information on OES’ dedication to Individual Education Plans, please visit the link.

Teachers Are Students Too: Professional Development

How do teachers cater to the unique needs of students? One way is by becoming students themselves. That’s right: teachers are students too, constantly evolving, self-reflecting and learning new things.

The best teachers engage in regular professional development through up-to-date courses and workshops that help them hone their craft and stay current with the educational research. This professional development has a ripple effect, as teachers’ growth naturally elevates student growth.

As Gandhi famously said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” So it is with teachers: They must model the curiosity, self-striving and growth mindset they want to see in their students. The best ones always do!

Leveraging Online Tools for Tech-Savvy Support

One of the most significant benefits of online schooling is its tech-savvy approach. By leveraging the latest and greatest in technology, online high school teachers can offer fast, connected, gamified support that makes learning easy, interactive, and fun.

It’s no surprise that high-school-aged students love their devices. So, why not meet them where they are? At OES, our supportive teachers communicate with students online for real-time support and collaboration. As mentioned, they use cutting-edge digital platforms to deliver interactive multimedia learning materials. They turn lessons into fun challenges through gamification techniques. And, in general, they use the online platform so you have a convenient way to earn high school credits remotely.

Navigating Challenges in Online Learning

Supportive teachers play several roles. Sometimes, they’re champions of individual successes. Other times, however, their role is the opposite; they help students weather the challenges of high school education and online learning.

These challenges may be technical in nature, such as when a student has trouble with the online learning platform, technical issues, etc. Alternatively, these challenges can be academic, as when a student is frustratingly unable to grasp complex course concepts. Finally, these challenges can be personal: A student feels distracted, disengaged, down on themselves, or incapable of juggling life’s many responsibilities.

In all of these cases, a supportive teacher steps up to bat. Leveraging close experience with the online learning ecosystem, they can coach students through technical issues and UX questions. They help navigate academic frustrations by speaking directly to a student’s unique problems as they relate to the student’s particular proficiencies and blind spots. And they lend a sympathetic ear to the student’s personal challenges, dispensing accommodations when applicable. Whatever problems arise, a supportive teacher is ready to develop solutions.

Education Should Always Allow Second Chances: Upgrade Courses and Continuing Ed

Another way to offer universal support based on diverse needs is to allow second chances. This is how education should be. The measure of a student’s capacities should not be set in stone; instead, it is a continuously evolving journey. Great teachers demonstrate this dedication to second chances by offering things like upgrade courses and continuing education classes.

An upgrade course is, essentially, a shortened version of a course previously taken by a student. In an upgrade course, the student has the opportunity to try and elevate their mark, demonstrating their progress. Great teachers don’t want to brand you with a letter grade; they want you to become masters of the skills and materials in their courses. If that takes you two tries, so be it!

Next, teachers understand that their students come from all walks of life. They welcome adult students returning to their high school education, and are happy to make the necessary accommodations to see these students flourish. Returning to high school as an adult can feel intimidating and overwhelming as you juggle work and family life with your studies. Through this process, supportive teachers in a flexible online environment will enable you to integrate your studies with other facets of your life.

How do support teachers cater to students’ specific needs? Let us count the ways. With a mix of empathy, flexibility, constructive feedback, self-improvement, special plans, and tech-savvy approaches, the teachers at OES make certain that each student feels equipped for success. Discover the OES difference by enrolling in an online high school course or book a guidance appointment to learn more.