Burn Out

I am feeling it. When I began teaching in 1998, I would hear of teachers talk about burning out. I couldn't imagine it. I would think, "I absolutely love teaching. I love the moment when you see things click for a student. " I've seen many of those moments and that feeling never gets old. The subject matter you've been teaching for weeks or maybe something you have gone over for months and the one kid still doesn't get it....then, one day, out of the clear blue....a light comes on and you see you've finally reached her. She can do it. She will make it. But is that moment enough to keep me in the classroom. I am interested in exploring career options in the education field that is outside of the classroom. However, for the moment, I am trying to figure out what causes the burnout among teachers across the US? I think for me, its a lof of little things. I don't like being microgmanaged by administrators, pushed around by parents and no freedom to adjust the curriculum so it meet the needs of my students. I'm burned out with trying to complete all of the paperwork and include so many minutes of what the State and textbook writers who haven't set foot in a classroom deem is important. For goodness sake, just let me teach. Let's not worry about the mindless paperwork, tedious meetings and test scores that really don't determine how smar a child is or how well a teacher teaches. It basically determines how well did the teacher teach the student the test. Let us teach so that students learn in exciting experiments and hands on activities that are meaningful and lasting. But, it isn't that way and that is why I'm burned out.....but I won't give up. Tomorrow is another day and I plan to teach...MY WAY!