Stress was the number one reason teachers quit over the last year, reports a RAND study.

Teachers complained of “frustrations over remote instruction, including inadequate training, lack of high-speed internet and outdated computers,” reports Linda Jacobson on The 74.

As difficult as it is to teach remotely, it’s even harder to teach both in person and virtual students concurrently.

Jeanne Maurand, who taught high school chemistry at a private school in Massachusetts, grew accustomed to Teaching on Zoom . . .

But when her school initiated a hybrid attendance plan in the fall, the stress of managing cameras, microphones and multiple websites grew overwhelming. She struggled to engage with students on Zoom, including a group dialing in from other countries, while simultaneously managing an in-person classroom where she and students communicated through masks. With windows open for ventilation, the temperature got down to 58 degrees.

Though she’d planned to teach for five more years, Maurand quit.

Some may go back to the classroom, writes Jacobson, but “half of those who became teachers in small group pods or microschools said they don’t plan to return this fall, even if they’re earning less.” It’s less stressful.

A Washington Post story by Hannah Natanson, Donna St. George and Perry Stein looks at the challenge of teaching “roomies” and “Zoomies” at the same time.

. . . critics say the concurrent model could lead to burnout or even cause teachers to leave the profession. It also doesn’t make sense, they say, because teaching kids virtually requires different instructional methods than teaching in person.

Samantha Briggs, a high school literature teacher in Mesa, Ariz., has been teaching concurrently since September.  Class discussions are slowed by technology issues: Remote and in-person students can’t hear each other. Tech troubleshooting eats up class time.  “It always feels as though I wind up doing nothing well,” Briggs said. “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done.”