An overview is presented of a study conducted to obtain teachers' perceptions of their personal and professional development. Focused interviews were conducted with 13 female and 2 male elementary school teachers whose teaching experience ranged from 4 to 28 years. Interpretation of the data resulted in an exploration of: (1) interactions between teachers' personal and professional lives; (2) difficulties in separating personal and professional lives; and (3) tensions stemming from their jobs. Findings indicated that teachers' personal and professional lives inevitably affected each other. Most teachers reported that their personal lives affected their teaching, usually in a positive and supportive manner. However, some conditions in the professional environment produced negative effects on teachers' personal lives, leading them to try to separate their personal and professional lives as much as possible. Teachers in their early years of service were less able to separate their personal and professional lives than were more experienced teachers. Most teachers mentioned sources of tension throughout their careers. Beginning teachers reported that stress from their jobs had an adverse impact on their personal lives, mainly due to over-commitment to work. More experienced teachers indicated that tension in their professional lives was relieved by relaxing activities in their personal lives. (JD)