Several have commented that enjoyment in what you do for a living is crucial--it is. If I didn't enjoy my work (I, too, am a teacher), I would not have suffered through the nearly-finished school year. I took master's level courses in order to obtain certification as a teacher of gifted education. Those classes were in the evenings, including one class that met on Friday evenings from 5 to 10 pm. I will be spending a large portion of my summer planning for the new school year; I have a mixed group (fourth and fifth graders) so I can't simply recycle lesson plans; even if I could, I wouldn't, because I don't enjoy being in a rut. So, regardless of your ideas for the original post, please don't assume that teachers have it easy. Without teachers, there wouldn't be doctors, lawyers, superstar athletes, etc.