suzv I also teach ELL (high school though) and I totally sympathize with them being very hardworking, but needy. I used to teach a summer program and pick up a lot of extra tutoring hours and committees after school before DD. Now though, I strictly teach and leave at the end of the day. I do the best I can during the school day but made a conscious decision to prioritize my own children/family for these next few years. I recognize that I may not be the very best teacher right now if I'm not involved in extracurriculars, but I honestly feel that I'm doing the best I can. It's tough to balance both roles as a teacher/mom, but you're doing a great job!