During the many years I spent traveling to schools in the US and Canada and observing instruction in classes at all socioeconomic scales, I was able to see why so many teachers suffer burnout. Teaching children can be a rewarding experience, but when combined with behavioural issues, parental involvement, administrative demands and unrelenting efforts to teach children from homes without vigilant parents, it can be a nightmare. I could go on a great length about what I saw, but the naked truth is better coming from a teacher who has been in the trenches for decades. In his comments below, Matthew bates provides some clearly expressed observations. Visit: Matthew Bates’s answer to What do schools in the US do to hinder the learning of all students?