OECDHours per year teachers required to spend teaching for 2012.
In Finland, teaching is one of the most revered professions with a relatively high barrier to entry.
Only one in 10 students who apply to teacher education programs are admitted, according to the Center on International Education Benchmarking (CIEB).
Teachers in Finland are treated like professors at universities, and they teach fewer hours during the day than US teachers, with more time devoted to lesson planning.
They also get paid slightly more in Finland. The average teacher in the US makes about $41,000 a year, compared to $43,000 in Finland, according to OECD data.
And while teachers in the US make less money than many other countries, the OECD found that they work the longest hours of all.
It's easy to understand why America's teachers — who are overworked and get relatively little respect — might not be as effective as teachers in Finland.