This book of inspirational stories and essays is designed for any teacher who has survived the first week of the first year of teaching. It offers memories of the joy of teaching, tells compelling tales of tragedy as well as survival, and provides opportunities for laughter, which is sometimes the only remedy for difficult situations. Faced with low salaries, overcrowded classrooms, and dwindling public support, teachers are expected to improve student performance, answer public scrutiny, and solve society's problems - with just a stroke of chalk across a blackboard. It is easy to become discouraged, and many do. Not Quite Burned Outhelps remind teachers of the reasons they entered the profession in the first place. Without disguising the heart-breaking realities, Draper nonetheless celebrates the joys and very real rewards of teaching. Her clear-eyed compassion and wry humor will offer inspiration to novice and longtime teachers alike.