All of us remember middle school, and very few of us would like to go back. That’s the case for middle school teachers, too. They’ve got some of the hardest jobs in education: working with students who want responsibility but aren’t always equipped to handle it. Turnover at this level is higher than it is at both the elementary and high school levels, but the teachers who stick around tend to do so because they’re dedicated, determined, and maybe just a little bit crazy.

This story first aired as part of WNYC’s weeklong series “Being 12,” which looks at the lives of New Yorkers just about to become teenagers.