In a multiage classroom, a teacher faces the challenge of developing lesson plans addressing students with varying learning needs. Children of the same age may differ in their intelligence levels, and older children may need lesson plans that are broader in knowledge when compared to those of younger ones. In an example provided by Dr. Thomas Greene, Director of Education at Oregon's University of Portland, a lesson plan to teach students the essential components for plant growth has to be developed in such a way that it addresses the intelligence level of every student in the multiage classroom. As such, younger students may be asked to grow their own sapling, and observe and record its growth, while older students may be given a more complex task of analyzing the influence of fertilizers on plants.
School administrators as well as teachers in a multiage environment must be knowledgeable of mental development of children of different ages and how their learning needs and abilities change as they grow. Educators should be aware of different instruction methods supported by research and practical feasibility, and will train teachers in such methods. However, even well-researched teaching methods may fail to fulfill learning needs of a classroom, so teachers must have the analytical ability to evaluate the suitability of a method for their own classroom. Teachers must possess the patience, willingness and determination to experiment with different methods practically and to tailor them to their classrooms. Teachers in multiage classrooms should also be capable of using different methods to grade each student's performance.
A multiage education system cannot survive without a supportive school administration. It is the school administration that must provide skills training and support its teachers emotionally for the multiage instruction to succeed. A shift from the known and safer single-grade atmosphere to a more complex multiage classroom requires immense adjustment of mindset, which can be emotionally draining for teachers. Even seasoned teachers can end up frustrated and depressed if they are unable to gain proficiency in required skills. Some teachers may be rigidly unwilling to make such a transition. The school administration must accommodate all such mindsets and create an encouraging atmosphere where teachers do not fear making mistakes and are willing to learn without inhibitions.
Implementing a multiage education system is a lengthy process. There is substantial monetary investment to be made in the form of teacher training, maintaining substitute teachers, and accommodating different instruction resources, including books, videos and other advanced technologies, to cater to different learning needs of students. Strategies to garner community support for the multiage program are equally expensive.