I say, Good for 'Nutty.' I too stand accused of the crime listed above. After 10 years as a high school social studies teacher, (everybody's favorite class, remember?) I'm now teaching Adult Ed part-time in GED tutoring. Allows time for writing and banjo scratching, which I also do. Glad I was a classroom teacher and glad I ain't one now. The rewards are irreplacable, but it burns you out in a hurry. The disciplinary expectations, the performance pressure, the politics, the impact of home problems, frustrating quality decline; the emotional drag is enormous. I'm currently consoling a former associate who is now struggling thru a student suicide, and I wonder what price a caring teacher pays. Once I stopped that ride, I began to doubt I could ever get on. Fortunately there are others with greater stamina, and I'm glad to hear that some come to Mudcat.