How to Choose High School Electives
Categories: US Education News
High school is a time when teens begin to find real independence from their parents, look toward the future and learn more about who they are as individuals and what they’re passionate about. Education experts say high school electives – classes students choose that allow them to explore beyond the core curriculum – are one way to help high schoolers figure out what matters to them.
Electives can help ease a student's schedule with a course they may enjoy, says Regine Muradian, a psychologist and coach who works with students on their learning and study skills. By offering students the time to focus on new and emerging passions and talents, they can also help point to future careers.
“Electives can also increase a student’s desire to learn,” Muradian says. And having the opportunity to develop personal passions makes for a more meaningful and impactful education, says Cindy Chan in, founder of Rainbow EDU Consulting.
The Value of High School Electives
The number of electives students take varies by district and grade level, as do the courses offered. But the classes students choose can help communicate their unique academic journey, says Jenn Curtis, founder of Future Wise Consulting and co-author of “The Parent Compass.”
“Electives relate and build upon an interest and underscore who the student is and what they are about,” she says. But honors or AP courses aren’t the only electives that can build on a student’s core skills. Classes in subjects like debate, photography, robotics, world languages, theater, speech, leadership or music can all enhance teens’ high school education.
Parents’ Role in Selecting Electives
Experts say parents should step back when it comes to selecting electives, and let their teen decide. “Electives provide students an invaluable opportunity to find their ‘why’ as it relates to their education,” says Chanin, helping them develop the ability to build “an education that’s happening for them instead of to them.” Students need the freedom to figure out their interests and dive in.
Sample High School Electives
Whitney High School in Cerritos, California, offers ceramics, film and television production, digital art and communication design, symphonic band, and stage design.Townsend Harris High School in Flushing, New York, has classes in broadcast media arts (TV-radio-stage), Japanese, pre-engineering-robotics, concert band and a workshop in artistic exploration. The International School of Beaverton, in Oregon, offers psychology, self-taught literature, theory of knowledge, sculpture and STEM physics.
Sumner Academy of Arts and Science in Kansas City, Kansas, offers courses in competitive speech and debate, personal/professional skills, Shakespeare, composition and research, and human rights studies. Signature School in Evansville, Indiana, offers ethnic studies, German, microeconomics and macroeconomics and a music theory seminar.