This dissertation in practice focuses on the cost of compassion in a classroom. It explores the secondary traumatic stress impacting special education teachers as they support middle and high school students daily. More specifically, this program evaluation examines how an intervention can increase teachers' understanding and awareness of their own secondary traumatic stress. From the literature review of Charles Figley's work in the 1990s to current research that helps identify the emotional and physical toll on teachers, this researcher seeks to inform practicing educators about what can occur when students share their trauma. Teachers do not fully understand secondary traumatic stress, so many feel inadequate, guilty, and even powerless as they reconsider their chosen profession (Rankin, 2020). Struggling educators say the strain is too much and are leaving the profession they love at rates reaching nearly 25% (Rankin, 2020). Through intervention outlined in this dissertation, teachers can not only confidently define secondary traumatic stress but also identify signs, risk factors, and effective preventative strategies. Data are examined through the lens of straightforward research questions and point to effective, inexpensive steps to reach a successful level of teacher understanding of secondary traumatic stress. The responses were gathered through a post-test, evaluation, and survey and include quantitative results and open-ended feedback. These results are both inspiring and concerning as teachers share honestly about the impactful phenomenon of secondary traumatic stress and the importance of knowledge and self-care. [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://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]