Get into teaching- what's the catch?

[DragonOnFire]

So I went to a get into teaching event last night as I'm a long term post-doc researcher thinking of moving to a career where I can still teach but have a bit of job security.
I was impressed with all the funding & support available and can see there is a huge effort to recruit new teachers. Felt like there was quite a hard sell from all the different training providers and I was getting all the positives about the profession.
The only question I wanted to ask but wasn't sure I'd get a genuine response was- why are we do desperate as a nation to recruit teachers? Why are people leaving the profession- is there a huge exodus of unhappy/burnt out teachers that requires a constant recruitment drive to bring new teachers in?
I'd really appreciate some honest insight from teachers about workload, management, and satisfaction? Anyone got lots of positives?
I'm looking at applying to start training in sept 2020 and would be leaving a happy career in academia because I just can't see myself progressing into a tenured role.

Thank you @LolaSmiles for your perspective.
I feel like I'm up for giving teaching a chance and would be going in with me eyes wide open.
I've come across bad management and even malpractice in my own career and I've always moved on rather than work in misery.
It's a shame that people's experiences can be so terrible and I do sympathise with some of these stories.
I feel like at 35 years old, I'm much better at saying no. I do enjoy the teaching element of my job, but I'm aware I've got a lot to learn and it would be a while new learning curve (mountain) for me to go into schools.
I'm digesting all the helpful comments, both negative and positive, and giving myself time to think. Including arranging a day in a school before I apply to the SCITT programme I think I'm most likely to want to study with.

It’s not about being old enough to say no. Our contracts are written in such a way that you can’t say no.

Of course you can say no! But what works much better is to accept some extra is expected and volunteer conspicuously for things you don't mind doing. Although the schools I've worked for have been reasonable when you push back. I'm sure some are not.

I cannot emphasise enough, OP - schools vary hugely.

It’s not about being old enough to say no. Our contracts are written in such a way that you can’t say no.

Where do you teach? It's my favourite word :-)

I'm on school teachers pay and conditions. I'm required by professional standards to put the kids needs first and exercise judgement and integrity. If some eejit tells me to do something wrong (and they do) I just laugh.

I feel like I'm up for giving teaching a chance and would be going in with me eyes wide open.

It's a brilliant job in many ways. Give it a go, but don't carry on if you don't love it (though you may struggle to see that in the hard bits).

I was unofficially instructed to falsify paperwork and fiddle numbers to get the required grades. If coursework wasn’t submitted I had to sign a note admitting I “lost” it. If it was late I falsified the dates.

You will, rightly, never teach again if that comes out. The people telling you to do this shit will throw you under the bus. You are selling your integrity for nothing.

I know exactly what it's like, how horrible it is, I have been there. Tell them to fuck off, you'll feel much better and there is nothing they can do which is worse than what you are doing to yourself.

You will, rightly, never teach again if that comes out
You need your job to pay bills and keep a roof over your family’s heads. They threaten if you don’t make sure the students pass they’ll get rid of you with no references and make sure you never get another job. And they also guilt trip you by telling you that everyone else’s jobs rely on you making sure the students pass - the canteen staff, library staff, cleaners, everyone will lose their jobs if the school fails. All the other teachers are doing it so you have no support if you refuse. Your only option is to leave as soon as possible, which is what I did.

It does happen - maybe not in your school, but certainly in those which are deprived and full of violence and drugs, which wouldn’t be able to produce acceptable grades if they did things honestly. It’s not about education, it’s about keeping the school open so the staff can keep their jobs. I’m sure it’s a very different experience if you teach in a good school.

There was a thread a while ago where a teacher was complaining that the staff had sat through training whilst there was a gas leak and no-one had been brave enough to do anything. The OP was labelled as a troll and i lost the thread but as a ex-teacher I can well believe it happened.

In some schools you are belittled, gas-lighted and guilt-tripped at every opportunity until you don't know up from down. I had worked shitty jobs in retail and education and thought I was going in with my eyes open. I lasted 18 months.

It does happen - maybe not in your school, but certainly in those which are deprived and full of violence and drugs, which wouldn’t be able to produce acceptable grades if they did things honestly.

My first school there was a kid who used to masterbate in every class and I got acid chucked in my face. Those kids can produce those grades. Not all will, and the reasons for that are unjust, but they are not helped by cheating.

You need your job to pay bills and keep a roof over your family’s heads.... All the other teachers are doing it so you have no support if you refuse.

I know, been there. No judgement. You can say no. You can whistle-blow. No-one can make you do it. It's ultimately your decision, but the excuses they are selling are not real.

Of course you can say no! But what works much better is to accept some extra is expected and volunteer conspicuously for things you don't mind doing. Although the schools I've worked for have been reasonable when you push back. I'm sure some are not.
I think we are kindred spirits.
As with any workplace, a bit of being amicable goes a long way.
I'm sure I get less dumped on me because there's other things I've said yes to (on my terms).

School culture is tough though and a bad culture is smothering

The only question I wanted to ask but wasn't sure I'd get a genuine response was- why are we do desperate as a nation to recruit teachers? Why are people leaving the profession- is there a huge exodus of unhappy/burnt out teachers that requires a constant recruitment drive to bring new teachers in?

I find it bizarre that you would go to one of these drives and NOT ask what you wanted to ask.

I wouldn’t be be able to help myself see what reasons they gave for the massive recruitment and retention crisis s

@fedup21 it was a late night, it was 13 hours since I left home as I didn't want to listen to BS.

My first school there was a kid who used to masterbate in every class and I got acid chucked in my face
At what point do you/your school call the police? I'd consider this a sexual offence and assault.
I don't care what the school policy is, as a human being that wants to protect myself and others from this behaviour I would be contacting the police.

At what point do you/your school call the police?

I was young and new then; the school was failing completely. No way would I endure that now. It only happens when management let it get to that point; not remotely is that the norm.

My GCSE classes that year got the first A*s in several years, literally the best results that subject had ever achieved. There are great bits to the job.

@donquixotedelamancha
Thank goodness that is not the norm. Weirdly my MIL told me that someone she knew had experienced a student masturbating in class and again, my first reaction was that this was essentially behaviour from a sex offender and that would require a call to the police.
Shame on the school management.
Congratulations on your students results, this is what I'm interested in hearing. That it is perhaps worth it?

this is what I'm interested in hearing. That it is perhaps worth it?

As I said above. I'd do no other job. I once had a sink set, as bad as any I have ever taught, nearly broke me before I broke them. I had complete free reign because they'd utterly failed in Y9- all behaviour issues, no SEN.

At the end of 2 years they all got 2Bs or above at GCSE, but the highest grade in any other subject was a D (mostly U to F for most of them).

These were the kids PP was on about. The grades weren't important, what they learnt were skills, socialisation and ambition they had not got from anyone else to that point. Best feeling in the world.

Yes it is sometimes shit but what we do matters.

The catch is you have to be a teacher.