WHYY
By
(Ryan Raphael for NPR)
To say Leah Juelke is an award-winning teacher is a bit of an understatement. She was a top 10 finalist for the Global Teacher Prize in 2020; she was North Dakota’s Teacher of the Year in 2018; and she was awarded an NEA Foundation award for teaching excellence in 2019.
But Juelke, who teaches high school English learners in Fargo, N.D., says nothing prepared her for teaching during the pandemic.
“The level of stress is exponentially higher. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced before.”
It’s a sentiment NPR heard from teachers across the country. After a year of uncertainty, long hours and juggling personal and work responsibilities, many told NPR they had reached a breaking point.