













Waking up with dread every Sunday night and Monday morning knowing you have to go back
Feeling completely drained by 10am with 6 more hours to go and nothing left to give
Resenting your students (even though you know it's not their fault) because you're just so tired of the behavior
Having zero energy for your own kids, partner, or friends because teaching takes absolutely everything
Feeling like a failure no matter how hard you work because it's never enough for admin
Seriously researching other careers and feeling like a failure for "giving up" on teaching

Waking up without that pit in your stomach and actually looking forward to certain parts of your day
Having energy left after school to enjoy your actual life, hobbies, and relationships
Connecting with your students again and remembering why you loved working with kids in the first place
Leaving at contract time without guilt, without falling behind, and with your sanity intact
Feeling like a professional educator who makes decisions based on what's best for students, not admin mandates
Choosing to stay in teaching because you've rediscovered what you love about it—or having the clarity and confidence to transition out on your terms



