How much do teachers actually work and what tasks go unseen, https://www.formacionyestudios.com/asi-son-las-jornadas-laborales-de-los-profesores.html,www.formacionyestudios.com,true,296,3,
We always talk about students: how to do one thing, how to do another. However, we overlook one of the most important figures in the world of education: the teachers. teachersTeachers are responsible not only for managing classes well, but also for teaching them, planning them, and ensuring that everything is in good working order. pedagogical and organizationalTherefore, their working days can be very long, even when from the outside it seems that their shift ends when the bell rings.
Normally we only look at what they do in class, but the truth is that there is a job outside of student hours that is rarely observed. In fact, teachers They could be considered some of the professionals who invest the most hours in work, since they have to prepare a lot of paperwork, in addition to designing and adjusting each and every class, correcting exams, making reports and coordinating with other teachers and with families.
Specifically, teachers tend to use an average of 38 hours per week Of those hours, approximately 19 are dedicated to teaching. This means they dedicate around 7,5 hours a day to work. Clearly, this time could be extended, especially since additional tasks often arise that, among other things, lengthen the workday: extracurricular activities, extraordinary meetings, project preparation, or individualized attention for students with difficulties. specific educational support needs.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that some teachers are not dedicated solely to teachers. There are some who perform Works tutoring, secretarial, or management roles, to name just a few examples. And this translates into much longer hours, since in addition to teaching hours, there are also hours dedicated to administration, team coordination, preparing official school documents, and participating in institutional projects.
Get rid of the idea that teachers don't work much. They generally work more than many other professionals. It's just that, in most cases, the additional hours They are not recognized or are kept "secret" because they are done at home or outside of the hours visible to families and students.
How many hours do teachers actually work?
The official working hours for many teachers fall between the 35 and 37,5 hours per weekHowever, that figure does not accurately reflect their full dedication. Within that calculation, a distinction is made between teaching hours (those spent in front of students in class) and non-teaching hours, dedicated to other tasks equally essential for the quality of the education system.
El school time It is only one part of their job. Depending on the educational stage and regional regulations, primary school teachers usually teach between 23 and 25 hours of class per week, while the rest of the time is reserved for less visible but essential functions: correcting assignments, preparing materials, developing lesson plans, coordinating with the teaching team, and attending to families.
To all this must be added the time that is not always officially recorded: preparation of innovative activities, search for teaching resources, updating on new methodologies, adaptation of materials for students with different learning paces or participation in innovation projects. Many of these tasks are carried out at home, in the evenings or on weekends, effectively extending the teachers' actual working hours.
During September and June, in some regions the school day is shorter, but this doesn't necessarily mean less work. That time is used for close the course, preparing reports, designing the program for the next course, reviewing learning outcomes and planning pedagogical improvements, so the volume of responsibilities remains high.
In addition, teachers regularly participate in faculty meetingsCycle or department teams, coexistence committees, program coordination, and other collegiate bodies of the center. All these meetings, usually scheduled outside of class time, represent more hours of dedication than are rarely perceived from the outside.
Visible and hidden tasks in teaching work
When analyzing how much teachers work, it is useful to distinguish between what is visible and what is unseen. Among the visible tasks These include the hours spent in the classroom, recess or hallway supervision, and scheduled meetings with families. However, the teaching profession is full of less obvious tasks that require concentration, planning, and a high degree of responsibility.
Among the hidden tasks The most common tasks include the detailed preparation of teaching units, the selection of resources (books, videos, manipulative materials, digital resources), the development of assessment rubrics, the correction of exams and assignments, as well as the writing of individualized reports, grade reports and follow-up documents for each student.
The teaching staff also dedicates many hours to the continuous trainingThis includes attending courses, workshops, seminars, or pursuing postgraduate studies related to education, inclusion, new technologies, or coexistence management. This training is often necessary to improve teaching practice and, in some cases, to access salary supplements linked to professional development.
Another less visible area of āāwork has to do with the attention to diversityAdapting materials for students with special educational needs, designing personalized work plans, coordinating with external services (guidance counselors, support specialists, specific teams) or following protocols in situations of risk or vulnerability involves an extra effort that extends the effective working hours of many teachers.
Finally, involvement in the life of the center (organization of school parties, outings, complementary activities, solidarity projects, cultural or sporting events) adds more workload that is distributed throughout the course and that, although it does not always appear in the formal timetable, has a direct impact on the personal time of the teachers.
Differences in load and conditions according to center type
The number of teaching hours, the distribution of the workday, and the intensity of the work may vary depending on the type of educational centerIn public schools, conditions are regulated by specific regulations and agreements; in private and semi-private schools, schedules can be longer and with less room for recognition of non-teaching hours.
In public schools, the school day is structured with a classroom component and a supplementary work component at the school (supervision, tutoring, internal meetings) and individual work outside the school, which is rarely monitored comprehensively. In semi-private and private schools, in addition to teaching, it is common for teachers to take on other responsibilities. extracurricular activities, reinforcements, extended hours or prolonged shifts, which can make the total time spent even greater.
Regardless of the type of school, the reality is that the workload increases significantly when teachers take on additional responsibilities: group tutoring, cycle or stage coordination, department headship, management positions, or participation in institutional projects. Each of these responsibilities translates into more meetings, more documents to prepare, and more decisions to make.
The actual workload is also influenced by the context of the school: it is not the same to work in a school with low student-teacher ratios, abundant support resources, and little conflict as it is to work in an environment with high social complexitywhere the need for support, mediation and coordination with social and health services is constant and demands more time from teachers.
In all cases, the common denominator is that a large part of the hours invested by the teaching staff are outside of visible working hours, and many of them are not paid as overtime or formally recorded, which contributes to the perception that their workday is shorter than it actually is.
Impact of teaching work on personal life and professional development
The volume of hours invested and the emotional intensity of the work have a direct impact on the personal life of teachersBalancing work and family life can be complex during periods of assessments, when preparing for competitive exams, when implementing new educational laws, or when facing organizational changes that require dedicating even more time to adaptation.
Despite this, many teachers value certain aspects of their work positively: the relative stability of their position, the calendar linked to the school year, the possibility of developing a career within the educational system and the satisfaction of accompanying the academic and personal growth of their students over the years.
Over time, teachers can access different career paths: assuming coordination or leadership positions in schools, participating in innovation or educational consulting projects, or preparing for competitive examinations for positions such as inspectors. These opportunities entail new responsibilities, but also represent recognition of the experience and effort accumulated throughout their careers.
The constant need for updates in active methodologies, digital technologies, inclusive education, and socio-emotional skills means that teacher professional development It should be a continuous process. The profession demands frequent learning and unlearning, adapting to curricular changes, incorporating new tools, and responding to social challenges that extend into the classroom.
All of this paints a picture of a teacher who not only works long hours but also maintains a high level of responsibility and personal commitment. Breaking with the belief that teachers only work a few hours a day is key to more fairly valuing their contribution to the education system and the future of society.
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