LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- It's no secret there's a shortage of good teachers out there. Why are some turning away from the classroom?

National organizations have studied the turnover rate in education extensively. The National Center for Education Statistics finds one in four teachers are leaving the field.

After nine years of teaching, Michelle Camp has her moments.

"It is so stressful. Our job doesn't end here. We go home and have papers to grade," says Camp.

"We have so many kids who are absent and that is hard to stay on top of the grading."

Camp teaches marketing at Maumelle High, but she started out in Special Ed.

"I remember leaving a conference with a parent one time, and I cried from the stress so they reached the goals. A lot of times we take it personally," says Camp.

The National Center for Education Statistics cites a number of reasons why teachers leave the profession such as personal Life, working conditions at school, other career factors, and student performance. Camp says she takes her job seriously and gets stressed out when her students don't do the same.

"With the weather getting to be pretty outside, they would rather be anywhere besides a classroom," says Camp.

At the elementary level, Pine Forrest Counselor Laura Turner sees less turnover.

"It's not like middle school or high school where they have 200 students because each class has different students. In elementary school, the teacher is responsible for her own 20 to 25 kids," says Turner.

It's also early in life when parents and teachers discover the child may have a learning disability, another stressor for educators.

"The teachers are at the elementary school are responsible of teaching all the children how to read and then why isn't this particular student not getting it?" says Turner.

Turner says testing week in April is probably the most stressful week of the school year.

"This is one of the things teachers can lose their license for is if they have a testing violation," says Turner.

As a counselor, Turner helps teachers cope with these issues

"Always step back and look at those successful students. This year you may have one student and see the light bulb come on," says Turner.

Back at the high school, Camp says she's not going anywhere.

"I love my job and can talk about being stressed with a smile," says Camp.

At the same time, she understands if some say teachers say enough is enough. Camp says it can be extremely stressful to discipline students who act up in class and take time away from other students.

"I'm not surprised. The first years in the classroom are the most challenging. It takes a good five years to get the hang of it," says Camp.

If school districts want to retain their teachers, the first three years of teaching are the most important. That's when we see 30 percent of them leave the profession. The American Educational Research Journal suggests districts provide teachers with mentors and have evaluations. Data also shows private school teachers have twice as much turnover rate as public school teachers.