To explore several categories of variables strongly associated with professional satisfaction and dissatisfaction in American middle schools, responses of 540 out of 900 targeted middle school teachers to two open-ended questions were analysed. (The two survey items were drawn from the Status of the U.S. American Middle School Teacher Questionnaire.) The results showed 9 major categories contributing to professional satisfaction and 12 contributing to dissatisfaction. Some categories were supported by previous research, and others were not. Of the nine encouraging categories, faculty cooperation, curriculum features, and working conditions drew the greatest response, followed by personal directions, community support, family support, desire to help youth, faculty attitude and enthusiasm, and moral obligation and religious support. Among dissatisfiers, working conditions, professional prestige, and student behavior headed the list, followed by classroom management bureaucracy, materials and equipment adequacy, administration, job stress, and other factors. This study found that some categories (like working conditions) can be both encouraging and discouraging influences, depending on the school involved. Middle school administrators and policymakers are urged to identify the categories operating in their own schools in order to implement effective and corrective solutions. Included are three tables and nine references. (MLH)