When I first joined the grade 8 team I couldn't imagine completing a math class in 45 minutes and I still wish that I had an hour. However, when I was in grade 7 it never seemed as though I had enough time either. If discourse is an integral, important part of mathematics instruction, then it belongs in all classes no matter how long they are. I try to assign work in class that lends itself to working in groups and encourage good discourse about most problems. True, if I had all the time in the world, we could discuss every problem and get the full impact of the curriculum.
Homework is an integral part of the curriculum as well.
Students who don't engage in doing homework cannot benefit from the debriefing and discussions that follow the next day. Their assessments show this quite clearly. As teachers, we are very aware of the impact that time constraints, absences, non-engagement by some students, and school programs have on our curriculum. However, this is the world in which we live. I can't always teach topics in as much depth as I would like, but I also need to know that I have not skimmed the surface of any topic just to meet deadlines.