Sometimes It's Just Like This.

Just suddenly, bang.

You know, somewhere in between

• hearing that six of your fellow classroom teachers are laid off
• and mentally figuring out just which responsibilities will have to be added to yours this year
• having spent three thousand dollars of your (reduced) salary on classroom materials this year but still needing to go buy copy paper
• breaking up a fight
• staying at school until 6pm to do paperwork and planning to be in at 6am for a before school meeting the next day
• providing unstinting love to children with serious mental and emotional disturbances even when they are lashing out at you
• living in a state where six year olds don't get time to paint at school
• let alone do science
• reading yet another attack on your pension in the Chronicle
• whoops!  accident.
• a routine traffic stop in front of the school during recess brings on a panic attack in one of your students
• EPC sends you a new student with three weeks of school left
• loading papers report card promotion talent show eggs personal life
• Same standards, same demands, four less days of school and four extra students
• having a specialist suggest that you (on the down low) suggest a parent contact an outside advocacy organization because your employer is committed to ignoring its responsibilities

you just get a little tired out.

You know, maybe the reason that the educrats are so convinced teachers are burnt out drones is because they've put so much effort into providing the conditions that lead to burnout.

I am not the only teacher I know who is starting to wonder just how much longer we really can hold out when every year offers worse morale for less pay and less support.