• by Tanya Gazdik , May 6, 2020

Although parents have been stretched thin trying to work remotely while homeschooling children, distance learning can also be tough for teachers, according to a study by Kleenex Brand and DonorsChoose. 

Educators are dealing with brand new roles and as a result are feeling a mix of frustration (58%), anxiety (58%) and optimism (34%).

For almost all the teachers surveyed, worrying their students will fall behind (90%) and not seeing their students’ faces everyday (87%) has been difficult.

Over three-fourths (77%) of teachers surveyed feel increased appreciation from parents, while 45% feel increased appreciation from students.. 

To uplift educators during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 4-8), Kleenex Brand is kicking off a multiyear partnership with DonorsChoose, a crowdfunding platform for teachers, including a $1.2 million commitment in 2020. 

The brand is also supporting Distance Learning Projects that will help 2,000 teachers in low-income communities access resources to facilitate distance learning. 

Kleenex is one of the products consumers reach for when feeling overwhelmed, said Keegan Coulter, general manager for Kleenex North America.

“We want to be there for our consumers in the moments they need us most, including the nine out of 10 teachers who report that missing social interactions with students and others has been the most difficult part of distance learning," Coulter said in a release. "Through our partnership with DonorsChoose, we want to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety teachers, students and families are feeling, because even though we're apart right now, we can feel cared for — and that's comforting." 

Additionally, Kleenex Brand is offering 100,000 free three-month subscriptions to the Calm app to support anyone navigating #AllTheFeelings. The brand “wants to show the world there can be strength in sharing our vulnerabilities.” 

Subscriptions are available while they last at https://www.kleenex.com/en-us/all-the-feelings. 

The survey was conducted by Ketchum Analytics with Lucid of 250 K-12 teachers in the United States May 1-3.