I'm not sure I entirely believe you when you say it can be comparable to a normal desk job (40 hrs/wk no weekend stuff).
It is entirely comparable to a normal desk job. It just depends on which desk job. I have a cousin who I used to love hanging out with and talking with in college, we were really tight. Then he became a teacher. I can't talk with him now. I just can't take the complaining any more.
Teaching is hard. I get it. Guess what? so is my job.(I do software .) Apparently I don't understand. He works soooooo much harder than me since according to him "I just sit at a desk all day". He complains he has to work 50-60 hour weeks? I can't remember the last time I worked less than a 50 hour week, and that's not counting the random emails and phone calls I get in the evening or weekend that expect a quick reply. (NOOO I don't understand, he has to like make lesson plans and things. Yeah I do understand. I have requirements documents, design documents, regulations too)
I also get a grand total of 18 days off (2 weeks vacation + up to 8 holidays depending on how they fall), In addition to his vacation, sick time (what's that? I don't get that) He gets over 50 work-days off at summer. He also gets a week off for spring break and multiple weeks over winter break. Every conversation in summer is, "X was great, you should go" (Ya, wish I could) and if I i say I'm jealous it's always "Don't be, I work so hard during the school year. It's not worth it" (Ya, I work hard too. I was working hard while you were taking a 4 week road trip)
So ya, while he's working, he's working just as hard as me, maybe... maybe even a little harder. The only difference is I need to keep that up for 10-15 more weeks a year.
I'll give him that teachers need to be paid more. No argument there. The pay is shit, especially in high cost of living areas. That's true of many professions though. I'm lucky that software is high paying. I know people way smarter than I am with degrees in things like Chemistry and Biology. They work just as hard as he or I do and make about the same as a teacher. They should be paid more too.
There are professional jobs out there that are 40 hrs a week and when you go home, you go home. Those are hard to find, and if you have one, HOLD ON TO IT. Many professional jobs are not like that. That's why some 'desk job' people get really pissy when teacher's complain about how their job is so much harder than ours.