This study of further education teachers, conducted over a two-year period, captures the realities of their working lives and, in particular, draws attention to how teachers reconcile competing pressures. This contributes to the growing interest in and body of knowledge about teachers' lives and the formation of their professional identities. The study draws on a variety of data including ethnographic observation, journals and biographical accounts to indicate the nature of their fractured professional base that leaves them open to exploitation. The ongoing pressure for performativity and constant change destabilises their work, yet they remain committed to meeting the needs and interests of their students.