Before 2020, it used to be that people felt online schools didn’t have teachers.
Since then, we’ve all learned a little bit about how communicating can work very effectively–or very poorly–in an online environment. It’s a shift from the traditional classroom, for sure. But when teachers are supported and given a model to communicate, along with quality curriculum made for them, online school can provide more personalized support than a traditional classroom. Some may think the lack of a physical classroom creates a barrier, but we find it actually opens a pathway to better communication.
Over the years, we’ve developed a proven working model that allows for more individualized student-teacher interaction than a traditional school.
What are Primavera teachers like? About our student-teacher communication
If you had one hour to help 30+ people, who would you go to first? Likely the ones who grab your attention first and ask for help. That’s the barrier a traditional classroom can create. With such large class sizes, students must be vocal in order to receive any sort of help. Those who aren’t oftentimes fall through the cracks.
At Primavera, teachers take care of each student individually. There are real-time online lectures similar to that of the traditional classroom, but that’s merely one point of contact–not the main form of interaction. Here are the different ways students can contact teachers at Primavera.
How to contact your Primavera teachers:
1. Phone Call
Primavera instructors have a direct line, which students can easily find in the home page of the Parent Student Portal (PSP).
2. Instant Messaging
Also found within the PSP is an instant chat messenger. Students can see which teachers are online and contact them right away with a quick question.
3. Email
For a smaller, less urgent question, teachers also have emails that they check regularly to respond to students within a 48-hour period.
4. Online Personal Appointments
Students needing more personalized support can arrange a real-time online appointment with their teachers to get extra help on homework.
5. In-person appointments
Those students who live near the Chandler office are welcome to schedule an appointment with their instructor for in-person support.
The five points of contact listed above are all easily accessible to students. In many ways, this model is better for the students who are not as outspoken. Raising a hand can be intimidating, especially when coupled with the fear of asking a “stupid” question. Having quick access to teacher support in many ways helps provides more personalized attention.
A Few testimonials and stats….
- 90% of full-time Primavera students feel their teachers are highly-knowledgeable in their subject areas
- 92% feel they received personalized instruction from their instructor
- 90% feel they are treated with respect in all communication channels
Here are some thoughts from the Cognia accreditation team, the organization that grants Primavera its accreditation:
- “Primavera implements a state-of-the-art online curricular and instructional delivery model that strongly supports student academic success, is committed to quality communications with all stakeholders and fosters a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement of all aspects of the school.”
- “Teachers utilize a variety of instructional strategies to deliver course content that allows for student engagement and, ultimately, overall success.”
- “School leadership has created a positive and productive digital learning environment that is focused on student success.”
Student & Parent Testimonials
“Having taught in traditional classrooms for over twenty years, I have to admit I was very reluctant about switching my son from a traditional school to Primavera. But, after seeing the programs and the dedication of the staff to the success of the student, I am amazed. Every couple of weeks he, or I, is contacted by a counselor from Primavera to check our progress. The counselors and teachers have been knowledgeable, helpful and are truly interested in the progress and success of my child!” – Heather Bergeson, parent
“From my experience in a previous online high school, I believe that Primavera has much better teacher-student communication in terms of getting help as well as teachers actually being attentive to their students. I had a hard time learning some of the material in my pre-calculus class in my senior year. Mr. Joshi was willing to open up live lesson portals once a week to help me with whatever homework problems I did not understand and walk me through each step. This was a tremendous help and I never felt like he was rushing me or becoming impatient with me no matter how many homework questions I needed to be walked through. I felt like he cared that I really learned the material and wanted to prepare me as best as he could for the quizzes and tests.”- Meghan Lyall, Primavera graduate, student at University of Utah
“The teachers were really cool, they talked through it with me, helping with pacing. Even when I was behind on some things they helped me get caught back up. ” – Felicity Newman, summer school student, early graduate.
Its good to see all these ideas about the education in Primavera. It’s great that homeschooling is growing internationally and bringing a revolution in the field of education.