Is It Summer Break Yet?

I am going to go out on a limb and say that no other job requires as much heart and soul as teaching. Some days I wake up and I cannot wait to get into my classroom and see all those rowdy 5th graders ready for a new day. Other days, like today in particular, I am left wondering what in the world I was thinking when I chose this career. My days are full and I never leave work feeling satisfied. I get to school early and I stay late. I often work through lunch. Some days I don't even have a prep period due to another teacher's absence or a meeting. That means no bathroom break all day. In the end I would like to at least have the feeling of having helped one child reach their potential, but every day I feel I am insufficient. My students need so much...and I never have enough to give of myself. I know most people would think I am crazy...that all teachers make a difference. I know, I am sure you would tell me that I have made a difference in one child's life, and that that's enough, but for me it's not. This to me was more than a career, it was a passion. I am starting to feel like that passion is dwindling. I just get so frustrated with students who walk into the classroom with a sense of entitlement...thinking they have earned my respect when they haven't. Yes I want nothing more than to help them learn and have a fighting chance in this world, but when I have to face every day dealing with the repercussions of poor parenting and a bad educational system, it seems like that fighting chance is slipping further and further away. My responsibilities as a teacher grow every day, and my pay shrinks. No matter how many hours I work, I never get ahead. I go home feeling tired, stressed, and hopeless. All I can hope for is the opportunity to transfer to a lower grade next year and catch them BEFORE it's too late.