Teacher shortages in Denmark as well as internationally are a growing problem (Andersen et al., 2021; Boström et al., 2021). In the Danish literature, such shortages are often described as problems of recruiting and retaining teachers (KL, 2016), as well as minimising the number of teachers who leave the profession (Nordic Council of Ministers, 2010). One-third of all new Danish teachers leave their jobs in state schools during the first year, and four out of ten teachers resign during the first five years , feeling that the job is demanding, unrewarding and lonely (Dahl et al., 2022). Overall, 17,000 qualified teachers do not work in schools (DLF, 2018); both political (DLF, 2018) and professional (Nordenbo et al., 2008) stakeholders seem to agree that the lack of qualified teaching staff in schools damages children’s schooling. The problem of teacher shortages in Danish schools seemingly does not concern a general lack of trained teachers, but rather that schools find it hard to attract and retain teachers (DLF, 2018). But why do Danish school teachers leave the profession? And how may the problem of teacher shortages, particularly teacher retention, be addressed by schools? Drawing on self-determination and motivation theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017) and situated learning theory (Wenger, 1998), the paper explores the motivation and professional becoming of new teachers, whose working-lives are characterised by a multi-faceted complex of problems (Dahl et al., 2022; EVA, 2019; Hargreaves, 2000; Hjort & Weber, 2004). The paper concludes that although new teachers start their careers as inspired individuals who are motivated for ‘doing good’ (Pedersen et al., 2016), their motivation for teaching is dismantled (Dahl, 2020) when they experience the conflicting demands of personal and professional ambitions, political plans, in a time-, top- and economyrestricted everyday school practice in schools.

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