Teaching is hard. And in the last three years, for so many of us, the job has gotten so much harder. When we teach, a whole lot is expected of us-- but we expect a whole lot from ourselves, too. ThatÕs a lot of pressure! No wonder so many of us go into school every day giving the job everything weÕve got only to go home feeling demoralized, discouraged, and disgruntled -- feeling like no matter what we do, it will never be enough. ThatÕs the unbearable weight of great expectations right there! ItÕs those unrealistic and untenable expectations that weigh so many of us down, pushing our toes to the precipice of that ever-looming burnout that has claimed so many of our most seasoned teachers. For us try-hards, just being ÒproficientÓ will never be sufficient -- but know this: there really is something we can do to make the vocation of teaching more sustainable, rewarding and enjoyable -- and it starts with us. Being excellent in the classroom starts with being excellent to ourselves. ItÕs about finding balance with help from a teacher with 20 years of classroom experience. When Proficient IsnÕt Sufficient: A Try-Hard TeacherÕs Guide to Sustainable Teaching can show you how to find balance, not with theories, but with real-world approaches to making self-care a priority, cultivating relationships, and building stronger, more engaged learners by teaching through a more realistic lens. In the end, itÕs all about balance, and When Proficient IsnÕt Sufficient: A Try-Hard TeacherÕs Guide to Sustainable Teaching will help you find it.