I haven't read the whole thread. But i've been teaching since 2000.
It's different now.
Today I was in at 7. Because I had a meeting with a student and her carer to sort out issues in my GCSE class and to enable her to do better. Then prepped everything myself for the day ahead. That's x 30 plus copies mostly, for each lesson, sometimes more for GCSE or A Level, as we can't afford to bulk buy textbooks. So I reduce and doubleside everything, 2 to a page. Various students need it on celery, cyan, sky blue, deep green and magenta paper. I do this myself.
Then off to form after meeting with my year 11s to establish times I can do before and/or after school sessions with them.
Thereafter, flat out till break. Then I stand in the year 11 loos clearing out vapers. I haven't had a wee yet.
Then it's lessons till lunch. At lunch, I have to chase up all the students who I logged as misbehaving in the morning. I have 20 minutes to eat, wee and sort out a crying form student. I promise to sort it out after school. I see another student, deal with a problem, log a concern and set in motion support. I don't have time for a wee. I eat a cereal bar.
All afternoon I teach. Then, theres a 10 minute wee break and during that I sort out my form student and ring home the students who have had negatives. I have to do this. I have a quick wee. Then I have meetings till 5pm. Some are useful, some are not.
I get home at 6. I catch up with the behaviour stuff I couldn't do at meetings. I email all the parents that emailed me. I plan tomorrow's preparation. I log concerns from today's meetings and I plan for tomorrow where SLT are "popping in" to make sure we are up to Academy standards.
I am judged on what my students get in a gcse. It doesn't matter that I have students still in reading support in year 11. Their target is still a 4. I cannot get them there. It is not possible. Not because I don't try my hardestwith every student- I do- but because an average is an average for a reason. And why can't we just celebrate a student getting a 2 if that IS a success for them?
My school won't let staff move to the upperpay scale without a fight. This means experienced staff just retire and leave. For the sake of a few thousand. To move to UPS you basically have to be part of SLT. There's no progression for experienced, fortitude, knowledge. Only for those forging a management path.
I would never, ever, expect a young person to do this job. In my very large Secondary academy, 30 have started as trainees this year. They've done a degree and they've been sold on the job training as a good thing. It is not. They get no theory, no PGCE. They are flung in as cheap labour. Some have already left.
It used to be a respected profession that required a higher degree. Now, a warm body to fill the places left by those leaving will do. Except there are not enough of them. And it makes me sad, because something happens every day to make me happy teaching. Something happens to make me laugh, and rejoice in young people, and potential.
But a lot more makes me unhappy and I feel the balance has tipped. If something, ANYTHING, can make people want to teach then that's a good thing. Speaking from a Secondary with 18 vacancies still to fill from May last year.