   I chose to extend my pay for the 12 months also... mainly
because I was worried about not having money coming in for 2
months. I am a single teacher who lives alone in a house she
owns. I have a dog who I rarely see because I spend 75% of my
time at the school. I've even been up at the school at 11pm
finishing up things for the next day. Teachers not only teach.
They have many other responsibilities and tons of people to
answer to... prinicipals, their bosses, board of educators,
superintendents, students and parents. We get stomped on by
students, yelled at by parents and lectured by administrators
constantly. I work in a rough school which adds to the stress of
teaching. Most teachers in my school spend 70% of classtime
punishing and 30% teaching. One tiny mistake or thing not
completed comes back on the teacher. People put their children
in our hands. Children spend majority of their time awake with
us. What we do and what we teach them influences them for the
rest of their life. But somehow, we are som