- Acquiring more curriculum materials. When a single-grade teacher takes responsibility for a class of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders, "you're not going to have the range of books and materials" needed to meet the broader range of abilities, Marshak said.
- Finding ways to monitor the learning of each child. "Teachers must develop effective systems for assessing and record keeping."
- Dealing with district and school policies that require grouping by grade level (for swimming or AIDS education, for example). These policies can be frustrating because "multi-age teachers don't like to draw attention to the grade levels."
- Keeping on top of things. Having to reinvent their practice and curriculum makes teachers feel "like a first-year teacher all over again."
- Structuring math instruction to accommodate a range of skills. Because math is more sequential and linear than most subjects, its delivery "requires significant attention," Marshak said.
- Figuring out how to handle parent conferences and report cards.
Despite these challenges, the teachers Marshak studied "found more value in their work, and believed they were doing better by kids" as multi-age teachers, he said.