Modern classroom teachers are obviously faced with a million different obstacles. First of all, students have different learning needs; therefore, differentiated instruction is required because of differences in abilities, backgrounds, and learning styles. Diversity increases as class sizes increase, and it becomes quite difficult at times to individualize attention to students.

Integration of technology, though good in itself, has its own set of problems. Teachers need to constantly update themselves to different tools and enable equal opportunities for all learners to access them, often hindered by the digital divide.

In addition to all this, student behavioral problems and cases of mental health issues are on the rise, where teachers are asked to play the roles of counselor or other roles that require special training or support that is not earned. Added to this is the pressure of standardized testing and performance metrics, which can prove to be a heavy dose of stress added onto what is already dwindled down to test preparation rather than holistic education.

Moreover, teachers face bureaucratic red tape, a lack of resources, and lack of institutional support to be effective teachers and to help raise students. In many parts of the world, the profession is further denigrated and associated with low morale of teachers, high turnover rates, and challenging conditions to recruit and retain good teachers. All of these create, cumulatively, education quality and well-being for students and teachers alike.