How Virtual Learning Strengthens Classrooms Amid Shortages
From Burnout to Balance: Tiffany Walden’s Journey The national teacher shortage is no longer an abstract statistic. It’s a daily reality in schools across the country, leaving administrators scrambling to fill classrooms and forcing teachers to shoulder impossible workloads. For many, the stress has become unsustainable. Tiffany Walden knows this all too well. A seasoned […]
We’re Anti-Async and You Should Be Too
Proximity Learning prioritizes student learning, which is why we are anti-async. Asynchronous learning leaves students to click through lessons with little support. Our synchronous instruction model gives students access to a certified teacher via livestream, which improves test scores and academic achievement. Here’s your challenge and why it’s hurting you The teacher shortage crisis and […]
Online Teaching Positions: Certification Requirements for Synchronous K-12 Instruction
When a district is short on certified teachers, the entire school community feels the impact. Students lose quality instruction in core courses, burnout rises among the faculty, and learning gaps widen. With ongoing staff shortages across the country, more districts are turning to online teaching positions to fill critical gaps in instruction, but not just […]
6 Powerful Benefits of Hiring Special Education Case Managers from Proximity Learning
Why Do Special Education Case Managers Matter? Many school districts are facing major staffing shortages but IEP timelines, documentation, and student services don’t just hit pause. That’s where Proximity Learning comes in. Our live, certified teachers are trained to serve as virtual special education case managers, helping districts stay compliant while ensuring student needs remain […]
10 Best Practices For Live Virtual Teaching
Written: May 2022 Updated: August 2025 Livestream teaching has its own unique perks and challenges compared to teaching in a traditional classroom. Proximity Learning expert certified virtual teachers have found some best practices for live virtual teaching that help them provide high-quality instruction to their students. 1. Prepare your activities Just like in a brick-and-mortar […]
Why Is There a Teacher Shortage? District-Level Solutions Through Synchronous Staffing
Ask any school administrator how staffing is going, and you’ll likely hear the same answer: it’s urgent. The teacher shortage isn’t a future problem. It’s here now, affecting hiring decisions, student learning, and teacher morale across all levels of the education system. So, why is there a teacher shortage? The reasons are complex, but the […]
Benefits of Small Group Synchronous Learning: Data-Backed Student Achievement Results
Small group instruction is a powerful tool that districts are using to help students succeed across grade levels. With rising academic gaps and classrooms growing more diverse in skill level and learning pace, the benefits of small group instruction have become clearer than ever. This is especially true in a synchronous learning environment, where virtual […]
Do Substitute Teachers Get Benefits? A Comparison with Certified Synchronous Instructors
Many job-seeking educators ask this question before accepting an assignment: Do substitute teachers get benefits? The answer isn’t always clear and often depends on things like hours worked, employment status, and the district’s policies. Some substitute teachers receive limited access to health insurance or retirement plans, while others are left navigating inconsistent schedules with no […]
Back to School: 5 Years After the Pandemic
Five years ago, school bells fell silent, and kitchen tables transformed into classrooms. Now, as districts welcome students back this fall, the echoes of that disruption still shape the way we learn. One undeniable shift? Virtual instruction is here to stay because it works. Districts that once struggled to fill classrooms with certified teachers now […]
After ESSER: How Schools Are Coping with Layoffs and Why a Virtual Learning Environment Is the Solution
The ESSER funding well has officially run dry, and schools are feeling the fallout. The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, which helped schools weather the worst of the pandemic, have officially expired. For many districts, those dollars were lifelines—allowing for raises, new positions, instructional coaches, interventionists, tech upgrades, and expanded special education […]
