American middle and high school
teachers report spending more time at the front of the classroom than
teachers in nearly every
other country in the developed world.9 While U.S.
teachers deliver instruction for about 80 percent of their workday, the international average is around 60 percent — and
teachers in high - performing nations like Japan, Korea, and Singapore spend only about one - third of their time providing instruction
directly to students.10 We know that it does not have to be this way for U.S.
teachers.