Teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disabilities (EBD Teachers) that work in a self-contained setting are more likely to experience symptoms of burnout than their general education and special education teacher peers. Attrition for this group of teachers continues to be at an all-time high, leading to poor outcomes for some of our most vulnerable and misunderstood students. Many teachers experience burnout, but there is growing evidence that EBD teachers experience these emotions more acutely and with greater frequency due to the specific needs of their classroom population. Though much of the research focuses on special educators as a unified group, this study highlights the uniqueness of the self-contained setting and seeks to understand the distinctive experience of EBD teachers. Using qualitative interviews that are framed by the Conservation of Resources Theory, this study examined how EBD teachers balance limited resources with the unique demands of their job. Exploring how these teachers balance limited resources and how they perceive their work is vital to determining action steps toward improved outcomes mitigating burnout and attrition. Findings based on the analysis of EBD teacher interviews are presented, along with recommendations in the areas of practice, policy, and future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]