I’ve had a similar but distinct experience. I volunteered at a migrant school where the students came from incredibly diverse backgrounds, with a wide range of ages, ethnicities, and religions all in one classroom. Because we didn't have enough physical space to separate students by grade level, I had to teach everyone together.

This created a major gap: students with a strong educational foundation were bored because the pace was too slow, while those with little to no prior schooling struggled to catch up with the lessons at the front of the class.

To handle this, I started offering one-on-one sessions and tailored assignments during extra hours to bridge those learning gaps. I would spend extra time explaining the core concepts to those who were struggling. It was exhausting work, but seeing that 'lightbulb moment' when a student finally understood a lesson made all the effort feel worth it. The satisfaction of seeing them progress is what kept me going.