I am currently on leave from my teaching job after being in the profession for 20 years. The clinical term is burn out. It was very hard to admit the pain and emotional struggle I went through before my mental health took a complete dive. I had to admit defeat. The career that I loved, is one that nearly ended me. I no longer feel joy for the job. Instead I feel fear. Fear for me, for others like me and future teachers who live with the constant demand and pressures that go unspoken. I had to choose my life over that of my students, colleagues and parents. I am more than a teacher. I am human.