25% of my students regularly tell me they hate school

I teach 9th grade English at a high school with a very diverse population. I break down my students into four categories. <br><br>25% of my students are passionate about their academic success and regularly demonstrate intrinsic motivation toward my subject. They attend tutoring, email me with questions, earn very high grades and have a growth mindset. These students are the reason why I teach, and I genuinely enjoy every moment I get to interact with them. <br><br>25% of students are passionate about their academic success, but aren't too interested in my subject. They demonstrate extrinsic motivation. They attend tutoring, email me with questions, earn very high grades and have a growth mindset. They participate in class, answer questions, and they put forth effort, but when I ask them what they want to do with their lives, my subject isn't on their radar. <br><br>25% of my students do not care at all about school, but they like me. I earn their respect by being a human and connecting with them. I don't want to be their friend, but I want them to know that I'm on their side. These kids are very hard to reach academically, but I've learned to accept that I'm not going to be able to change the way they see school overnight. I am trying to connect with them as people and let them know I'm in their corner. <br><br>25% of my students hate school, and unfortunately, my class in particular. They tell me all the time that they hate school and English is their least favorite subject. These students do not trust adults. They refuse to let me in. They are defiant and make class difficult to run. I've tried connecting with them as human beings but have not yet found the right key to unlock them. Nothing I've tried has worked. <br><br>Has anyone else had this experience? I wish I could reach all of my students but I'm starting to accept that I don't have the capacity to do so. Any advice? I'm trying hard to not burn out and I'm having a really tough time letting go of the fact that I can't help everyone. <br><br>I love my job. I love most of my students. I'm trying to allow myself to be okay with the fact that I'm not "making it" with some of them.