[pt17]

What I'd like is a breakdown of a typical work week. What was the 60 hours composed of? How much time in class, how much grading papers, etc

On an average day, it was 8 hours in the classroom/homeroom/studyhall and 4 hours for grading papers, making tests, devising experiments, lesson planning, after school support for the two clubs, helping students, maintaining the ASRs, etc. Why do you ask?

[laredo44]

Why do you ask?

Because I find it difficult to believe -- not saying you didn't, just finding it difficult. When I left teaching, I found just the opposite. The most classroom time I ever spent was 4 hours and 10 minutes per day (5 classes @ 50 minutes each. Grading papers never took, over the course of a school year, more than 1 hour per day on average. There were other things, similar to what you mention and most of which I was paid for, clubs, director of the school's intraural programs, gifted program committee, test and textbook selection committe, but I almost never remained at school after 4pm. Sometimes I would return in the evening or on Saturday to take tickets or keep score at sporting events. But again, I was paid to attend events other had to pay to attend. They were also all voluntary. In ten years of teaching I never had one mandatory activity on a weekend or holiday.

When I got into business, I found myself quickly drawn into 12-18 hour days, seven days a week.

[eleni121]

You may have been a good teacher but most are not. And you know as well as anyone they got the same paycheck as you did at the end of the week.

That's the problem...it's demoralizing for the outstanding teachers who are simply cogs in the union model...you did the right thing to get out. Math education has never been worse.

[pepsionice]

An interesting comparison...German teachers have class from 8AM to 1:30PM usually...and then use 2 to 3 hours each afternoon preparing for the next day. They split the class structure up after the 4th grade with the smartest kids in a special group...the capable students in a special group...and the undesirables in a special group. If you want to goof off...your whole life and future money-making ability is flushed down the toilet by being in the last group. Most German teachers make around $40k after 10 years...and few ever make more than $60k.