BBT7, I'm another teacher, willing to be of support. I work with dropouts, 16-year-olds plus. Some have signed out of special ed, and our program is their last resort. Most are 16-21: young moms, addicts, offenders, victims of violence, and other assorted individuals who never fit or thrived in the K-12 system.

The stress of the job is incredible, especially for a person who truly cares, who truly wants to make a difference. As far as I'm concerned, if don't feel some anxiety or haven't had a few nightmares, you haven't really considered the importance of what you do each day.

I have former students who are now enrolled in college. I delight in their visits, their stories of finally and intimately understanding what I taught them years ago. There are others that I follow through the local police reports.

Sometimes, all you can do is all you can do. I've made peace with that fact. Mind you, I still want to scream and throw tantrums. I fight with the system and against it and through it. I struggle and strain and worry. But, at the end of the day, I find peace in knowing I've done what I can in the best way I know how.

It sounds to me, judging from your original post, that you're a young teacher who didn't plan on a long-term stay in your current position. I'd ask this question: Is there somewhere else you'd rather be? Some other classroom? Some other program? Where would you like to be, BBT7?