I do not much like devoting pages to the crisis that faces teaching as I am not a natural gloom merchant. However, I also would not like to face the criticism that I am blind to the problems that are so myriad at the moment. In fact I remain optimistic at heart and derive strength from the conviction that the answers to the crisis are possible – in fact quite achievable – as long as we understand the nature of the problem in its fullness and entirety. Teachers are deciding to leave the profession in droves. The numbers coming into the profession are dwindling and when they do enter the classroom, they do not last long. The statistics and reports confirming this are not difficult to find (and have been reported on this site here). The reasons for the exodus are complex and an exploration of them necessary. This goes far beyond workload and pay, though these do, of course, play a part. Over the course of the next five posts I will attempt to explore the reasons under four interconnected themes; perversions caused by hyper-controlling approaches to management; misconceptions about schooling; culture of schooling; and teacher identity. I argue that the challenges teachers face should better be understood within these four themes which each, in their own way, exacerbate workload and feelings of discomfort and yet do not appear to be spoken about anywhere near as much. I will devote the final post in this series to solutions which I hope will reassure readers that we can still be optimistic.