I'm not a teacher, but this is how I remember things from grade 5.
We get to school at 8. The teacher is there before us, so let's say 7:30. His work day starts at 7:30.
He teaches until noon, then has lunch, so he's got about 4.5 hours in. Then he has students from 1 - 3:15. He's had kids in front of him for 6 hours, give or take. Tack on detention and after school help until 4. He's had students for somewhere between 6 and 7 hours and he's been in the building for 8.5 hours.
My grade 5 teacher was also the floor hockey coach so two practices and one game a week, so for those three days he's working with kids again from 3:45 to 5:00. That's another hour and change, he's had kids for 7 hours at least.
Now can someone explain to me how this is a half day? Or slacking off? Even if he did have an hour here or there while his class was in the gym or outside, he's still doing work. He's still at work, doing work.
It's a full work day whether you care to admit it or not, and you can tack on after hours marking, prep time and talking to parents on top of it.
And if you have never spent any time teaching other people's children how to do things they don't want to do, you really do not know what you are talking about. Literally, you don't get it.
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