We get it Karen. You think you could do our job better than us. You can continue thinking that but on behalf of all teachers, current and incoming, I strongly advise you to reconsider that asinine mindset.

The amount of teachers that are stepping down from a field they are insanely passionate about is heartbreaking. Yes, the lack of realistic or even adequate funding is, still, definitely a factor. Teachers' bank accounts can only be pushed so far until we are experiencing the equivalent of our college debt that, most likely, is not fully paid off yet.

"Get a better paying job." Well thanks, Karen! We have never thought about that before. Your words are truly enlightening. But would you care to hear the reality of that matter? If every teacher, or future teacher, had that mindset, there would be no one to educate your children. We would be engineers, veterinarians, or doctors. And the song you would be singing while we deposit our fat paychecks? "Where are all the teachers?"

Aside from the lack of funding from state and federal governments and our paychecks that express how truly unappreciated teachers are, it is the parents. It is the parents that make this profession the most undesirable of them all.

Parents nowadays do not understand anything that happens in the life of a teacher, aside from those of whom were teachers themselves. Those parents sympathize with us while the rest drown us with tidal waves of displaced criticism.

Instead of worrying about what I am doing, or what the school is doing, that is causing your child to act out, how about you broaden your horizons and figure out what you, as a parent, are doing that is influencing your child to misbehave. That way, when you receive that phone call at home or work about your child's behavior, it will make the whole situation easier on us so we do not have to hear, "Oh my son would never do such a thing." Yes he would. He was influenced somehow and 99% of that influence comes from within the home, developed at a young age. After all, the apple does not fall far from the tree.

Children see and hear a lot more than we think they do, Karen. Children are smart nowadays; especially with the devices that you gave them at such a young age that, God forbid, they get separated from. Do not blame the temper tantrums and lack of discipline, communication, and social skills on us when you are the one that bought the devices and never told them to go outside and play with friends in the first place. Instead of scrolling through social media while your child plays games on another device, how about you interact with your own child, Karen. Did your mother not teach you to take responsibility for your actions?

Children follow by example. Do not blame us for your children falling behind, misbehaving, or throwing temper tantrums because someone had the nerve to tell your child "no". Do not get offended when we call home or exploit your child's behaviors during parent/teacher conferences. It is not our fault. We are doing everything we possibly can to ensure that the children in our classrooms succeed. Their drive however, depends on the support system they have at home. Teachers can only provide so much support. So before you have the audacity to claim that we do not care or are not trying hard enough, I suggest you consider the reality in its entirety before opening your mouth.

Teachers are constantly jeopardizing their physical and mental health when they walk into a school. We know that our students deserve more than they're getting, even after we give so much. We have to endure countless meetings and practically beg for the support of, not only the neglectful yet ironically critical parents, but our administration and government so we can provide children with the education they deserve; all this normally with no success. We are constantly told to "not lose sleep over them" but this only tears us apart more because we know there is nothing that can be done.

We watch some students come in the classrooms exhausted, not only because they did not get enough sleep, but because of the environment at home. For a large amount of students, school is their safe haven. They are able to relax, accidentally fall asleep in class only for us to wake them up, and worst of all... they are able to finally have a meal.

We want to give them everything and help them catch up on the work that they missed while they were sleeping. We want to increase their focus even though their stomachs grumble louder than their thoughts. However, we can only do so much in a classroom of 25-30 students, all consisting of different learning disabilities, multiple languages, and more. Why is the number so high? Because teachers are dropping like flies; faster than universities can produce.

One-on-one focus is unrealistic nowadays. Don't get frustrated with us for not being able to help your children all the time. We have to juggle more than you can fathom and we are barely surviving, inside and out.

This may not seem like a lot to some, but being stuck in the same loop for a while gets physically and mentally exhausting. I know phenomenal teachers that stepped down from their passion because the stress with funding, administration, government, and parents; all the cherry on top of being overworked, underpaid, and unappreciated. It all became too much to handle.

At the end of the day, we teach because of them and our future. We leave because of you, the parents, who are supposed to help us. Our responsibility is to educate your children; not to babysit, raise or care for them in ways that you're lacking because you can't be bothered to actually be a parent.

At the end of the day, teachers deserve more than we get credit for. We can, undesirably, continue to bare the burden of funding ourselves but we still need all support that we can get; all to ensure that our children, our future, are properly educated and ready to conquer the world and all its demons. Whether it is moral support, support and assistance in your households, or (preferably) monetary support. We need it.

On behalf of all teachers, current and future, help us help your children.

Is that really so much to ask?