It’s definitely not hard work relative to other fields. That plus 3 months off and a relatively short day and low barriers for entry make this a no brainer for many, many people.
I think it would be mentally exhausting dealing with ~30 children all day. It's not a job where you can take a quick mental break if you're feeling overwhelmed since the kids will be there regardless.
> relatively short day
Citation needed. Teachers I know spend a ridiculous amount of time prepping, marking, and going to meetings outside of class hours.
I work less than half as much over the course of a year as a senior tech consultant than I ever did as a public school teacher. No question. And my salary doubled within 2 years, is set to hit triple now in year 6, and my stress is so much lower as to be negligible.
Teachers have a lot of vacation, sure. But all the teachers I had were at school from 7-4 minimum every day and worked much, much harder than I ever have as a developer. And I make 3 times as much as any of them.
> relatively short day
Citation needed. Teachers I know spend a ridiculous amount of time prepping, marking, and going to meetings outside of class hours.