Education & Teaching Vocabulary: 100 Key English Terms
Teachers use English to plan lessons, give instructions, assess learning and talk with colleagues, parents and school leaders. This vocabulary covers the words that come up every day in classrooms, staff rooms and teacher training, so that teachers and education students can read international research and curriculum documents, work in English-medium schools and describe their own practice clearly.
100 terms
10 topics
50 core terms
200 example sentences
Read, understand, keep going
No account needed. Read the meaning, see where the term is used, then study the examples. Click any word in the lesson for help. You can also select a word and press Alt + Enter.
Classroom Language
homework
noun
Meaning
Work that a teacher gives students to do outside class time, usually at home, to practice or extend what they learned in the lesson.
Where you use it
Teachers set, give or assign homework; students do, finish and hand in homework. It is uncountable, so say 'some homework' or 'a homework task', never 'a homework' or 'homeworks'.
Examples
For homework, finish exercise 4 and write five sentences of your own.
I set less homework during exam week so students can revise.
Usage note
Turkish speakers often say 'make homework' or 'homeworks'. The correct forms are 'do homework' and 'homework' (uncountable).
Common phrases
set homework · do homework · hand in homework · check homework · homework assignment
To give a copy of something, such as a worksheet, test or book, to each person in a group.
Where you use it
Everyday classroom language. Teachers hand out worksheets, papers and tests, or ask a student to hand them out. It is separable: 'hand out the sheets' or 'hand them out'. The noun handout means a printed sheet given to students.
Examples
Can you hand out these worksheets, Emre? One for each person.
I'll hand out the tests now. Keep them face down until I say start.
Usage note
Hand out (give to everyone) is the opposite of hand in (give to the teacher).
Common phrases
hand out worksheets · hand out the tests · hand them out · hand out copies
To give a piece of finished work, such as homework, an essay or a test paper, to the teacher so that it can be checked or marked.
Where you use it
Used by teachers and students every day. Students hand in homework, assignments and tests, often 'by' a deadline. It is separable: 'hand in your essays' or 'hand them in'. American English also uses turn in.
Examples
Please hand in your essays by Friday at the latest.
Three students haven't handed in their project yet.
Usage note
American teachers often say 'turn in' with the same meaning: 'Turn in your papers.'
Common phrases
hand in homework · hand in an assignment · hand it in on time · hand in late
An instruction asking students to lift one hand in the air when they want to answer, ask a question or show agreement, instead of calling out.
Where you use it
Everyday classroom language, especially in American English. British teachers often say 'Put your hand up'. Teachers also use it to check opinions quickly: 'Raise your hand if you agree.'
Examples
Please raise your hand and wait; don't shout out the answer.
Raise your hand if you've finished the first page.
Usage note
In English you raise your hand, not your finger: 'raise your finger' sounds strange or even rude.
Common phrases
raise your hand · put your hand up · hands up · no hands up
To look at, explain or check something again carefully, for example answers, mistakes or a topic before a test.
Where you use it
Very common classroom language. Teachers go over the answers, the homework, the main points or a difficult topic. The object comes after over: 'Let's go over it', not 'go it over'.
Examples
Let's go over the answers to yesterday's homework.
I'll go over the main formulas again before the test.
Common phrases
go over the answers · go over the homework · go over it again · go over the main points
To become calm and quiet and get ready to work, especially after coming into a room or after a noisy activity.
Where you use it
Teachers use it as an instruction ('Settle down, everyone') and to describe a class ('It took ten minutes for them to settle down'). It is friendly but firm. Settle in means getting used to a new school or class.
Examples
OK, settle down, everyone. Books open, please.
After lunch, the class needs a few minutes to settle down.
Common phrases
settle down quickly · help the class settle down · settle down to work
To find out during a lesson whether students have really understood an explanation or instruction, usually by asking targeted questions or giving a quick task.
Where you use it
Common in teacher training and observation feedback; also used as a noun ('checks for understanding'). Good checks ask students to show or explain, because 'Do you understand?' usually gets a polite 'Yes'. Language teachers use concept-checking questions (CCQs).
Examples
Before they start the task, check for understanding: ask two students to repeat the instructions.
The observer suggested more frequent checks for understanding during the explanation.
Common phrases
check for understanding · checks for understanding · concept-checking questions · check students' understanding
To get information, ideas or answers from students by asking questions or giving clues, instead of telling them directly.
Where you use it
A key verb in lesson plans and teacher training, especially in language teaching. Teachers elicit vocabulary, ideas, examples, rules or answers from the class. The noun is elicitation.
Examples
Show the picture and elicit words for the weather before you teach the new ones.
She elicited the grammar rule from the examples instead of explaining it.
Usage note
Do not confuse elicit with illicit (illegal or not allowed). They sound almost the same.
Common phrases
elicit answers · elicit vocabulary · elicit ideas from students · elicit the rule
To ask a particular student to answer a question or speak in class.
Where you use it
Used mostly in American English. Teachers call on students who raise their hands, or call on students at random. Cold calling means calling on students who have not volunteered. British teachers often say 'ask' or 'choose', and language teachers sometimes 'nominate'.
Examples
I call on students at random so everyone stays ready to answer.
She called on Deniz, who hadn't spoken all lesson.
Usage note
Call on also means 'visit briefly' or 'formally ask someone to do something' in other contexts.
Common phrases
call on a student · call on someone at random · cold calling · call on volunteers
To officially tell a class or group of students that they may leave at the end of a lesson or school day.
Where you use it
Teachers dismiss the class; students are dismissed. 'Class dismissed' is a fixed, slightly formal phrase. Many teachers say 'The bell doesn't dismiss you, I do.' Dismissal is the end-of-day departure ('dismissal time').
Examples
Please wait until I dismiss you; the bell is for me, not for you.
Younger pupils are dismissed ten minutes earlier to avoid crowding at the gate.
Usage note
In a workplace, dismiss means to fire someone from a job. 'Dismiss an idea' means to reject it as unimportant.
Common phrases
dismiss the class · class dismissed · dismissal time · be dismissed early
A written outline of one lesson that shows what students should learn, the activities and materials the teacher will use, and roughly how long each stage will take.
Where you use it
Used constantly by teachers, trainee teachers and school leaders. You write, prepare or follow a lesson plan, and you may adapt it during the lesson. Observers often ask to see the lesson plan before a lesson observation.
Examples
Please send me your lesson plan by Wednesday so I can prepare for the observation.
The class finished the reading early, so I had to adapt my lesson plan on the spot.
Common phrases
write a lesson plan · follow a lesson plan · adapt a lesson plan · detailed lesson plan · lesson plan template
A short statement of what students should know or be able to do by the end of a lesson or unit, written so that the teacher can check whether it was achieved.
Where you use it
Appears at the top of almost every lesson plan. Teachers set, share or write learning objectives, often starting with 'Students will be able to...' (SWBAT). Many teachers write the objective on the board at the start of the lesson.
Examples
Today's learning objective is to compare two poems using evidence from the text.
Make sure each learning objective is something you can actually observe or measure.
Usage note
Learning objective, learning aim and lesson objective are used almost interchangeably; learning outcome is usually broader.
Common phrases
set a learning objective · share the learning objective · meet the learning objective · clear learning objectives
A short activity at the start of a lesson that gets students thinking, talking or moving and prepares them for the main topic.
Where you use it
A standard stage name in lesson plans, especially in language teaching. Teachers start with, do or plan a warm-up of about five minutes. Similar terms are starter (UK), lead-in and hook. The verb is written as two words: warm up.
Examples
For the warm-up, students had two minutes to list everything they knew about volcanoes.
Keep the warm-up short, or you'll run out of time for the main task.
Common phrases
warm-up activity · start with a warm-up · quick warm-up · warm-up question
A printed or digital page with exercises, questions or tasks that students complete in class or at home.
Where you use it
Teachers make, prepare, print and hand out worksheets; students complete or fill in them. Worksheets are often differentiated into easier and harder versions. Overusing them is sometimes criticized as 'worksheet teaching'.
Examples
Finish the worksheet with your partner, then we'll check the answers together.
I made two versions of the worksheet: one with a word bank and one without.
Common phrases
complete a worksheet · hand out worksheets · fill in a worksheet · grammar worksheet · differentiated worksheet
All the resources a teacher uses to help students learn, such as books, worksheets, slides, videos, flashcards and objects.
Where you use it
Teachers create, adapt, select and share teaching materials. The word resources is used in the same way ('teaching resources'). Authentic materials are real texts not written for learners, such as menus, news articles or podcasts.
Examples
We keep all our shared teaching materials in one folder on the school drive.
Good teaching materials are clear, relevant and easy to adapt for different levels.
The speed at which a lesson or course moves from one stage or topic to the next, and how well that speed fits the students.
Where you use it
A common point in observation feedback ('The pacing was a bit slow in the middle'). In the US, a pacing guide is a document that says how many weeks to spend on each unit. Pace is also a verb: 'pace a lesson'.
Examples
Your pacing was good: no stage went on too long and the class stayed focused.
We follow the district pacing guide, so all third-grade classes reach fractions in March.
Common phrases
good pacing · pacing guide · pace a lesson · adjust the pacing
The final stage of a lesson in which the teacher and students review what was learned, check progress and sometimes preview the next lesson.
Where you use it
A standard stage in lesson plans. British schools often call it the plenary. Common wrap-up activities include exit tickets, a quick quiz or 'three things I learned today'. The verb is wrap up ('Let's wrap up').
Examples
Leave five minutes for the wrap-up so students can say what they learned.
The lesson ended suddenly with no wrap-up, so students left without a clear summary.
Common phrases
wrap-up activity · lesson wrap-up · wrap up the lesson · plenary
An extra, more challenging task for students who finish early or need to go deeper, so that they keep learning instead of waiting.
Where you use it
Common in lesson plans as a way to differentiate. Teachers plan or provide extension activities, or simply 'extension tasks' and 'extensions'. They are often aimed at fast finishers or early finishers.
Examples
I always have an extension activity ready for students who finish the main task early.
The extension activity asked students to write their own word problem.
Common phrases
extension activity · extension task · fast finishers · provide an extension
Short, clear statements that tell students what they need to do or include in their work to show they have met the learning objective.
Where you use it
Common in British, Australian and New Zealand schools as part of assessment for learning. Teachers share or co-construct success criteria with the class, and students use them to check their own or a partner's work. Criteria is plural; the singular is criterion.
Examples
Our success criteria for this paragraph are a topic sentence, two pieces of evidence and a linking sentence.
Check your work against the success criteria before you hand it in.
Usage note
Say 'the criteria are', not 'the criteria is'; criteria is a plural noun.
Common phrases
share the success criteria · co-construct success criteria · check against the success criteria · meet the criteria
A plan that maps out the sequence of lessons, topics, activities and assessments for a subject over a unit, term or year.
Where you use it
British term; American schools usually talk about unit plans, curriculum maps or pacing guides. A department writes or follows a scheme of work, and individual teachers build their lesson plans from it.
Examples
The scheme of work gives six weeks to the Ottoman Empire and two to revision.
We are rewriting the Year 8 scheme of work to include more practical experiments.
Usage note
The plural is schemes of work.
Common phrases
write a scheme of work · follow the scheme of work · department scheme of work · unit plan
The whole set of subjects, content and skills that students are expected to learn at a school or level, including how the learning is organized and assessed.
Where you use it
Common in policy documents, staff meetings and teacher training. A ministry or school designs, develops, implements or reviews a curriculum, and a topic can be on or in the curriculum. The plural is curricula (formal) or curriculums.
Examples
Coding was added to the primary curriculum three years ago.
We are reviewing the science curriculum to make room for more practical work.
Usage note
Do not confuse curriculum with syllabus: a syllabus covers only one course.
Common phrases
design a curriculum · implement a curriculum · national curriculum · on the curriculum · curriculum development
A document that lists the topics, materials, assignments and assessment of one course, often with a week-by-week schedule.
Where you use it
Very common at universities and secondary schools. Teachers write, hand out or follow a syllabus; a topic is on the syllabus. In the UK, an exam syllabus (or specification) lists what will be tested.
Examples
The syllabus is on the course page, so please read it before our first session.
Is the French Revolution on the syllabus this year?
Usage note
The plural is syllabuses or, more formally, syllabi.
Common phrases
course syllabus · on the syllabus · cover the syllabus · exam syllabus
A statement of the knowledge, skills or attitudes that students should be able to show at the end of a course, unit or program.
Where you use it
Found in curriculum documents, course descriptions and accreditation reports. Programs define, achieve or assess learning outcomes, which usually begin with an action verb such as identify, explain or design.
Examples
Each unit lists three or four learning outcomes at the beginning.
The exam questions should be linked directly to the course learning outcomes.
Usage note
Objective usually describes what the teacher aims for in a lesson; outcome describes what the student can show at the end of a longer period.
A book that covers the content of a subject or course in an organized way and is used by students and teachers in lessons.
Where you use it
Teachers use, follow, adapt or supplement the textbook; students open their textbooks to a page. In English language teaching the word coursebook is common, and a workbook is the practice book that goes with it.
Examples
Open your textbooks to page 58 and look at the map.
I don't follow the textbook page by page; I pick the units that fit our syllabus.
Common phrases
follow the textbook · science textbook · textbook exercise · supplement the textbook
A course that students choose to take, rather than one that everyone must take as part of the required curriculum.
Where you use it
Mainly American English, in high schools and universities. Students take or choose an elective; schools offer electives. The opposite is a required course or core course. British schools usually talk about options or optional subjects.
Examples
Our school offers twelve electives, including robotics and creative writing.
I took photography as an elective in my last year of high school.
Common phrases
take an elective · offer electives · elective course · required course · core course
An activity organized by a school that takes place outside regular lessons, such as sports teams, clubs, music groups or volunteering.
Where you use it
Students join, take part in or do extracurricular activities. Teachers may run or supervise a club. People often just say extracurriculars. University applications in some countries ask about them.
Examples
She runs the debate club as an extracurricular activity on Thursdays.
Extracurricular activities help students build friendships outside their own class.
Usage note
Write extracurricular as one word; extra-curricular with a hyphen is also seen in British texts.
Common phrases
take part in extracurricular activities · run a club · after-school club · extracurriculars
A framework that sorts thinking skills into levels, from remembering and understanding up to analyzing, evaluating and creating, used to write objectives and questions.
Where you use it
Named after the educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom; first published in 1956 and revised in 2001. Teachers use it to plan higher-order questions and to choose verbs for learning objectives. People talk about lower-order and higher-order thinking skills.
Examples
Using Bloom's taxonomy, try to include at least two questions that ask students to evaluate.
Most of the test questions sit at the bottom of Bloom's taxonomy: they only test recall.
Connecting two or more school subjects, so that students use knowledge and skills from different areas in the same topic or project.
Where you use it
Teachers plan cross-curricular projects, links, themes or approaches. For example, a unit on rivers can combine geography, science and creative writing. Interdisciplinary is a similar, more academic word.
Examples
The science and art teachers ran a cross-curricular project on plant life.
Look for cross-curricular links when you plan: graphs in science are also maths.
The unwritten values, attitudes and rules of behavior that students learn at school from routines, relationships and expectations, rather than from the official lessons.
Where you use it
Used mainly in education studies, sociology and teacher training. Researchers discuss what the hidden curriculum teaches about time, authority, gender or success. It is contrasted with the formal or official curriculum.
Examples
Through the hidden curriculum, pupils learn that being on time and waiting their turn are valued.
Her thesis looks at the hidden curriculum of seating and speaking in mixed classrooms.
Common phrases
the hidden curriculum · formal curriculum · official curriculum · messages of the hidden curriculum
The process of collecting information about what students know and can do, for example through tests, tasks, questions or observation, and judging their progress.
Where you use it
A key word in every school. Teachers carry out or conduct assessment, design assessment tasks and use assessment data. It is both a process (uncountable) and a single task (countable: 'an assessment'). The verb is assess.
Examples
Our department uses a mix of written tests and project-based assessment.
The end-of-unit assessment showed that many students still struggle with fractions.
Usage note
In English schools, assessment and evaluation are not always the same: assessment usually means judging students' learning, while evaluation often means judging a course, program or method.
Common phrases
carry out an assessment · assessment criteria · ongoing assessment · assessment data · assessment task
A letter or number that shows how good a student's work or overall performance is; in American schools it also means a school year level, as in fifth grade.
Where you use it
Students get, receive or earn grades; teachers give or assign them. American schools usually use letter grades (A to F), while British schools often use the word mark for a score. As a verb, grade means to score students' work.
Examples
He got the highest grade in the class on the final exam.
My daughter starts third grade in September.
Usage note
In American English 'class' does not mean a school year; say 'He is in seventh grade' (US) or 'He is in Year 7' (UK).
Common phrases
get a good grade · final grade · letter grade · grade level · passing grade
Information given to a learner about their work or performance, explaining what went well and what they can do to improve.
Where you use it
Teachers give or provide feedback on work; students receive, get or act on feedback. It can be written, oral, peer or self feedback. It is uncountable: 'some feedback', 'a piece of feedback'. Teachers also receive feedback after a lesson observation.
Examples
I try to give feedback on essays within a week while the task is still fresh.
Students rewrote their paragraphs after reading the teacher's feedback.
Usage note
Say 'some feedback' or 'useful feedback', not 'a feedback' or 'feedbacks'.
Common phrases
give feedback · written feedback · constructive feedback · act on feedback · feedback on
Assessment that takes place during learning to check how students are progressing and to adjust teaching, rather than to give a final grade.
Where you use it
A standard term in teacher training and school policy, often explained as 'assessment for learning'. Exit tickets, quick quizzes, questioning and mini whiteboards are typical examples. Results are usually not counted in final grades.
Examples
I use exit tickets as formative assessment to decide what to review the next day.
Good formative assessment tells you who needs help before the unit test, not after it.
Usage note
Formative and summative describe the purpose of an assessment, not its format: the same quiz can be formative or summative.
Assessment at the end of a unit, term or course that measures what students have learned, usually to give a grade or make a decision.
Where you use it
Often described as 'assessment of learning'. End-of-unit tests, final exams and graded projects are summative. Teachers plan, set or mark summative assessments, and the results go into reports.
Examples
The summative assessment for this unit is a lab report worth 30 percent of the final grade.
We moderate all summative assessments so that every class is marked to the same standard.
Common phrases
end-of-unit summative assessment · summative assessment task · set a summative assessment · summative results
A scoring guide that lists the criteria for a task and describes what work looks like at each level of quality, so that marking is clear and consistent.
Where you use it
Common for essays, projects and presentations. Teachers create, share and mark with a rubric, and students use it to check their own work. An analytic rubric scores each criterion separately; a holistic rubric gives one overall score.
Examples
Share the rubric before students start writing so they know what a top score looks like.
Our presentation rubric has four criteria: content, organization, delivery and visuals.
Common phrases
scoring rubric · analytic rubric · holistic rubric · share the rubric · mark against a rubric
A formal test of students' knowledge or skills, usually taken at a fixed time and place under controlled conditions; short for examination.
Where you use it
Students take, sit (UK), pass or fail an exam; teachers set, write, give and mark exams. Common types are midterm exam, final exam, mock exam and entrance exam. Exam is more formal and longer than a quiz or test.
Examples
The final exam covers units one to six.
Most of the class passed the exam, but four students will need to retake it.
Usage note
Turkish speakers often say 'make an exam' for 'sınav yapmak'. Teachers give or set an exam; students take or sit it.
Common phrases
take an exam · pass an exam · fail an exam · final exam · mock exam
To check students' work, show what is right or wrong and give it a score or grade.
Where you use it
British and international-school English. Teachers mark homework, books, essays and exam papers; a large pile is 'a lot of marking'. The noun mark means a score ('She got full marks'). American teachers usually say grade.
Examples
I spent the whole weekend marking exam papers.
Two teachers mark each essay to keep the scores fair.
Usage note
A marking scheme (UK) or answer key (US) tells the marker what answers get points.
Common phrases
mark homework · mark exam papers · full marks · marking scheme · mark against the criteria
An official document that a school sends to parents, showing a student's grades, attendance and teachers' comments for a term or semester.
Where you use it
American English; British schools usually say school report or just report. Report cards go home or are sent out at the end of a grading period. Teachers write report card comments, which can take many hours.
Examples
Report cards will be sent home on the last Friday of January.
I try to write one positive comment and one goal on every report card.
Common phrases
report card comments · send home report cards · end-of-term report card · get a report card
A test that all students take under the same conditions, with the same or equivalent questions, and that is scored in the same way so results can be compared.
Where you use it
Common in discussions about national exams, school results and university entrance. Students take standardized tests; schools are sometimes judged by their test scores. 'Teaching to the test' is a common criticism.
Examples
The state uses standardized tests in reading and maths at the end of grades 3 to 8.
Many parents worry that standardized testing narrows what is taught in class.
Usage note
British spelling is standardised. The word is usually used for large-scale tests, not for a teacher's own classroom test.
Common phrases
take a standardized test · standardized test scores · standardized testing · teach to the test
Assessment done before teaching a topic or course to find out what students already know, what they misunderstand and where they need support.
Where you use it
Teachers give a diagnostic assessment or diagnostic test at the start of a year or unit, often as a short pre-test. A placement test is a type of diagnostic test that puts learners into the right level or group.
Examples
The diagnostic assessment showed that half the class had gaps in multiplication.
We start every unit with a short diagnostic assessment that does not count towards grades.
Common phrases
diagnostic assessment · diagnostic test · pre-test · placement test
An activity in which students give feedback on or score each other's work, usually using clear criteria or a rubric provided by the teacher.
Where you use it
Common in writing, projects and presentations. Teachers use or set up peer assessment; students peer-assess or give peer feedback. Self-assessment, in which students judge their own work, is often used alongside it.
Examples
Before they hand in the essay, students do a round of peer assessment using the checklist.
Peer assessment works better when you model what kind and useful comments look like.
A person who supervises students during an exam to make sure the rules are followed and nobody cheats.
Where you use it
American English; also a verb ('proctor an exam'). British English uses invigilator and invigilate. Online exams may use remote proctoring software. Teachers are often asked to proctor standardized tests.
Examples
Two proctors will be in each room during the state exam.
I'm proctoring the chemistry final on Monday, so I can't cover your class.
Usage note
In the UK, the same person is an invigilator. At some British universities, a proctor is a senior official responsible for discipline.
Adapting tasks, support, materials or outcomes so that students with different levels, needs and interests can all make progress in the same lesson.
Where you use it
A key expectation in lesson observations and job interviews. Teachers differentiate by task, by support or by outcome. People say a lesson had good differentiation or that a worksheet is differentiated into three levels.
Examples
The observer praised the differentiation: every group had a task at the right level.
Differentiation doesn't mean writing thirty different lesson plans.
Common phrases
differentiation by task · differentiation by outcome · effective differentiation · differentiated instruction
The study and practice of how to teach, including the methods, strategies and beliefs about learning that shape what a teacher does in class.
Where you use it
A formal word used in research, teacher education and policy. People talk about a teacher's pedagogy, effective pedagogy and subject-specific pedagogy. The adjective is pedagogical ('pedagogical approach', 'pedagogical knowledge').
Examples
The course combines subject knowledge with pedagogy for teaching young learners.
Research on digital pedagogy has grown quickly since 2020.
Usage note
Pronunciation varies: the last syllable is usually /dʒi/ (like 'gee'), but /ɡi/ is also heard.
A classroom activity in which students work together in twos, for example to discuss a question, practice a dialogue or check each other's answers.
Where you use it
Very common in language teaching and active-learning classrooms. Teachers set up or organize pair work and tell students to 'work in pairs' or 'check with your partner'. Lesson plans often mark interaction as T-S, S-S or PW.
Examples
After the listening, do some pair work: compare your answers with a partner.
Pair work gives shy students a chance to speak without the whole class listening.
Common phrases
set up pair work · work in pairs · pair work activity · think-pair-share
Learning activities in which students work together in small groups, usually three to six people, to complete a task, solve a problem or create something.
Where you use it
Teachers organize, monitor and manage group work, and often assign roles such as timekeeper or note-taker. Common instructions: 'Get into groups of four', 'Work in your groups'.
Examples
During group work, I walk around and listen before I give any help.
Give each member a role so that group work doesn't depend on one strong student.
Common phrases
group work activity · organize group work · small group work · get into groups · assign roles
Temporary support that a teacher gives to help students complete a task they could not yet do alone, removed step by step as they become more independent.
Where you use it
Very common in teacher training and observation feedback. Teachers provide or use scaffolding, such as sentence starters, examples, hints or graphic organizers. The verb is scaffold ('scaffold a task'). The idea is linked to Vygotsky's work on learning.
Examples
Sentence starters are a simple form of scaffolding for weaker writers.
As the term goes on, I reduce the scaffolding so students plan their essays alone.
Usage note
The image comes from building work: scaffolding (iskele) is put up around a building and taken down when it is finished.
Common phrases
provide scaffolding · remove the scaffolding · scaffold a task · scaffolded activity
An approach in which students take an active role in their learning, for example by discussing, investigating and making choices, while the teacher guides rather than lectures.
Where you use it
A key phrase in curriculum documents, teacher training and job interviews. Its opposite is teacher-centered (or teacher-led) teaching. Learner-centered means the same and is common in language teaching.
Examples
In student-centered learning, students often talk more than the teacher.
The school wants to move towards more student-centered learning in science.
Usage note
British spelling is student-centred; American spelling is student-centered.
Learning in which students do things and think about what they are doing, such as discussing, solving problems or explaining ideas, instead of only listening.
Where you use it
Common in schools and universities, especially as a contrast to traditional lectures. Teachers use active learning strategies or techniques, such as think-pair-share, quick polls and problem-solving tasks.
Examples
Even in a fifty-minute lecture, you can add short bursts of active learning.
Our active learning workshop showed teachers how to replace long explanations with tasks.
Common phrases
active learning strategies · active learning techniques · promote active learning · active learning classroom
The ability to analyze information, question ideas, judge evidence and reach well-reasoned conclusions instead of simply accepting what you read or hear.
Where you use it
Appears in almost every modern curriculum as a key skill. Teachers develop, encourage or promote critical thinking, and tasks are designed to build critical thinking skills. Often grouped with creativity, communication and collaboration as '21st-century skills'.
Examples
Comparing two news reports about the same event is a good way to practice critical thinking.
The new curriculum puts more emphasis on critical thinking and less on memorization.
A structured form of group work in which students depend on each other to complete a shared task, while each student is still responsible for their own learning.
Where you use it
A well-known approach in teacher education. Techniques include jigsaw, think-pair-share and numbered heads. Collaborative learning is a close, broader term; cooperative learning usually means activities with defined roles and structures.
Examples
In this cooperative learning task, each student reads one section and teaches it to the group.
Research suggests cooperative learning works best when every member is individually accountable.
An approach in which students learn by working over an extended period on a real-world project or question and then present a final product to an audience.
Where you use it
Often shortened to PBL. Teachers design or run PBL units, and students research, plan, create and present. A project lasts days or weeks and usually crosses subject boundaries.
Examples
In our project-based learning unit, students designed a playground for a local park.
Project-based learning takes more planning, but students remember the content far longer.
Usage note
PBL can also stand for problem-based learning, a related approach often used in medical and engineering education. Check which one a text means.
Common phrases
project-based learning unit · driving question · final product · present to an audience
An approach in which students learn by asking questions, investigating, gathering evidence and drawing their own conclusions, with the teacher guiding the process.
Where you use it
Common in science and social studies teaching and in international programs. Teachers design inquiry tasks or units, and students carry out an inquiry. The teacher's role is often described as a facilitator. British spelling is often enquiry-based learning.
Examples
The unit uses inquiry-based learning: students start with the question 'Why do some bridges last longer?'
Inquiry-based learning works best when students already have some basic knowledge of the topic.
Common phrases
inquiry-based approach · carry out an inquiry · guided inquiry · inquiry question
Learning information by repeating it until it can be remembered, often without understanding its meaning or how to use it.
Where you use it
Usually has a negative tone in discussions about teaching, though some facts, such as times tables, are often learned this way. People say students learn by rote or that a system relies on rote memorization.
Examples
Rote learning helped them pass the test, but they couldn't apply the formulas to new problems.
The reform aims to reduce rote learning and encourage deeper understanding.
Common phrases
learn by rote · rote memorization · rely on rote learning · rote learning methods
The ways a teacher organizes the class, time, space and student behavior so that everyone can learn in a calm, focused and safe environment.
Where you use it
A core topic in teacher education, job interviews and observation feedback. People talk about good, strong or effective classroom management, classroom management strategies and classroom management skills.
Examples
Her classroom management is excellent; the students know exactly what to do when they come in.
Newly qualified teachers often say classroom management is the hardest part of the job.
A short list of clear expectations about how students should behave in a class, often agreed together and displayed on the wall.
Where you use it
Teachers set, establish, agree on and enforce classroom rules, usually in the first days of the school year. Rules are best written positively ('Listen when others speak') rather than as a list of don'ts.
Examples
On the first day, we agreed on five classroom rules and everyone signed the poster.
Classroom rules only work if you apply them consistently.
Common phrases
set classroom rules · agree on classroom rules · enforce the rules · break a rule · follow the rules
Actions by a student that interrupt teaching or stop other students from learning, such as shouting out, talking constantly or refusing to follow instructions.
Where you use it
Used in behavior policies, incident reports and meetings with parents. Teachers deal with, manage or reduce disruptive behavior. Low-level disruption (UK) means small but frequent interruptions like chatting or tapping.
Examples
Most disruptive behavior in my class happens during transitions between activities.
The policy explains step by step how staff should respond to disruptive behaviour.
Usage note
British spelling is behaviour; American spelling is behavior. Behavior is usually uncountable: say 'bad behavior', not 'bad behaviors' in everyday school talk.
Repeated behavior meant to hurt, frighten or exclude someone who finds it hard to defend themselves; it can be physical, verbal, social or online.
Where you use it
Every school has an anti-bullying policy. Staff report, investigate, prevent and tackle bullying. The person who bullies is a bully; the verb is bully ('He was being bullied'). Online bullying is called cyberbullying.
Examples
All reports of bullying must be recorded and passed on to the head of year.
We talked about the difference between a single argument and bullying.
How involved, interested and active students are in their learning, shown by their attention, effort, participation and curiosity.
Where you use it
A frequent phrase in observation feedback, school reports and research. Teachers increase, boost or maintain student engagement; observers comment on high or low engagement. Students can be 'engaged' or 'disengaged'.
Examples
Student engagement went up noticeably when we started using real local data in maths.
The observer noted strong student engagement during the group task.
Common phrases
increase student engagement · high levels of engagement · student engagement strategies · keep students engaged
Giving something pleasant, such as praise, a reward or privileges, right after a desired behavior so that the behavior is more likely to happen again.
Where you use it
A term from behaviorist psychology, now widely used in classroom management. Teachers use positive reinforcement through specific praise, points, stickers or positive notes home. Specific praise ('You checked every answer') works better than general praise.
Examples
Positive reinforcement changed the atmosphere: I started noticing students who were doing the right thing.
The school's behavior policy is based on positive reinforcement rather than punishment.
Usage note
Negative reinforcement is not punishment: it means removing something unpleasant to encourage a behavior.
Common phrases
use positive reinforcement · specific praise · reward system · positive behavior support
A plan, usually decided by the teacher, that shows where each student sits in the classroom.
Where you use it
British term; Americans usually say seating chart. Teachers make, change or stick to a seating plan to manage behavior, mix abilities or support students who need to sit near the board. Substitute teachers rely on it to learn names.
Examples
I changed the seating plan after half term to separate a few chatty pairs.
Please leave a seating plan for the substitute teacher.
Common phrases
make a seating plan · change the seating plan · seating chart · stick to the seating plan
A fixed way of doing a regular task in class, such as entering the room, collecting homework or moving into groups, that students learn and repeat until it becomes automatic.
Where you use it
Teachers establish, teach and practice routines, especially at the start of the year. American teachers often use the word procedures. Clear routines save time and reduce behavior problems.
Examples
Our first classroom routine is simple: come in quietly, sit down and start the task on the board.
Spend the first two weeks practicing classroom routines until they run without reminders.
Common phrases
establish routines · entry routine · classroom procedures · practice the routine
A punishment in which a student must stay at school during a break or after school hours, usually under a teacher's supervision.
Where you use it
Common in British and American schools. A teacher gives or sets a detention; a student gets, has or serves a detention, or is 'in detention'. Schools often need to inform parents before an after-school detention.
Examples
He got a lunchtime detention for using his phone in class again.
After-school detention runs from 3:30 to 4:15 on Wednesdays.
Common phrases
give a detention · get a detention · after-school detention · lunchtime detention · in detention
Doing the work or activity that the teacher has set and paying attention to it, rather than chatting or doing something else.
Where you use it
Common in classroom management and observation notes. Teachers keep students on task; students stay on task. The opposite is off task. Before a noun it is often hyphenated: 'on-task behavior', 'time on task'.
Examples
Most of the class stayed on task for the full twenty minutes.
Walking around the room is one of the easiest ways to keep students on task.
Common phrases
stay on task · keep students on task · off task · on-task behavior · time on task
Learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for a child to learn than most children of the same age, so that the child needs extra or different support at school.
Where you use it
A British term, usually shortened to SEN, or SEND when disabilities are included. Schools say a pupil 'has special educational needs'. In the US the usual words are special education and students with disabilities.
Examples
About one in six pupils in the school has special educational needs.
The SENCO coordinates support for pupils with special educational needs.
Usage note
In UK schools the teacher in charge of this support is the SENCO (special educational needs coordinator).
Common phrases
pupils with special educational needs · special educational needs coordinator · SEN support · identify special educational needs
An approach in which all children, including those with disabilities or other barriers to learning, learn together in ordinary schools and classes with the support they need.
Where you use it
Common in policy documents, international reports and teacher training. Schools promote, support or practice inclusive education. The adjective inclusive also describes classrooms, schools and teaching ('an inclusive classroom').
Examples
Inclusive education means adapting the school to the child, not the other way round.
The training focused on practical strategies for inclusive education in large classes.
Usage note
Inclusion is broader than mainstreaming: it means changing the school so that every learner belongs, not just placing a child in a regular class.
Common phrases
promote inclusive education · inclusive classroom · inclusive practice · inclusive school
A lasting condition that affects how a person learns or processes information; its exact meaning differs between American and British English.
Where you use it
In the US, learning disability usually refers to specific conditions such as dyslexia that affect reading, writing or maths. In the UK it usually means a general reduced intellectual ability, while dyslexia is called a specific learning difficulty (SpLD).
Examples
Students with a diagnosed learning disability can receive extra time on tests.
The charity supports adults with a learning disability to find work.
Usage note
The two examples above show the US meaning and the UK meaning; check which system a text comes from before translating it.
Common phrases
specific learning disability · students with learning disabilities · diagnosed learning disability · learning difficulty
Individualized Education Program: a written plan for a student with special educational needs that sets out their goals, the support and services they will get, and how progress will be measured.
Where you use it
In the US, public schools must write an IEP for each eligible student with a disability and review it at least once a year in an IEP meeting with parents. Teachers say a student 'has an IEP' or is 'on an IEP'.
Examples
Three students in my class have an IEP, so I check their goals when I plan each unit.
The IEP meeting is on Tuesday with the parents, the counselor and the special education teacher.
Usage note
In England the closest equivalent for pupils with greater needs is an EHCP (Education, Health and Care plan).
Common phrases
have an IEP · IEP meeting · IEP goals · write an IEP · review the IEP
A change in how a student learns or is tested, such as extra time, a quiet room or larger print, that removes a barrier without changing what the student is expected to learn.
Where you use it
Common in US special education and IEPs. Schools provide or make accommodations for students. British schools often say reasonable adjustments or access arrangements for exams. Usually countable: 'two accommodations'.
Examples
His accommodations include extra time on tests and a copy of the teacher's notes.
Testing accommodations must be approved before the exam period starts.
Usage note
An accommodation changes how a student learns; a modification changes what the student is expected to learn. Outside schools, accommodation usually means a place to stay.
Placing students with special educational needs in regular classes with their peers for some or all of the school day.
Where you use it
Found in older American texts and in many international documents. Today inclusion or inclusive education is the preferred term in most English-speaking countries. A student can be mainstreamed into a class, and a mainstream school is an ordinary school.
Examples
With mainstreaming, she spends most of the day in a regular fourth-grade class.
Mainstreaming works well for him in maths and art, but he receives reading support separately.
Common phrases
mainstream school · mainstream class · be mainstreamed · mainstreaming policy
A lifelong learning difference that mainly affects reading and spelling, especially recognizing and decoding words; it is not related to intelligence.
Where you use it
A person has dyslexia or is dyslexic. Schools screen for it, and students with a diagnosis may get support such as extra time, coloured overlays or reading software. In the UK it is called a specific learning difficulty (SpLD).
Examples
Students with dyslexia may read the questions aloud in a separate room.
She was diagnosed with dyslexia in second grade, which explained her slow reading.
Common phrases
have dyslexia · be diagnosed with dyslexia · dyslexia screening · students with dyslexia
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a developmental condition marked by ongoing difficulty with attention, and often by high activity levels and acting without thinking.
Where you use it
A person has ADHD or is diagnosed with ADHD. Diagnosis is made by doctors or psychologists, not by teachers; teachers describe what they observe in class. Schools may provide support such as movement breaks or tasks broken into short steps.
Examples
Two students in the class have ADHD, so I give instructions one step at a time.
The parents shared a report from the specialist who diagnosed his ADHD.
Common phrases
have ADHD · be diagnosed with ADHD · students with ADHD · ADHD symptoms
Having a natural ability or intelligence that is much higher than most people of the same age, in general or in a particular area such as maths or music.
Where you use it
Common in phrases like gifted students, gifted programs and gifted and talented (G&T), a UK and US label. Schools identify gifted learners and offer enrichment or acceleration. Some writers prefer 'high-ability' or 'more able'.
Examples
Gifted students also need challenge in the regular classroom, not just in a special program.
She was identified as gifted in maths and joined an advanced group.
Common phrases
gifted students · gifted and talented · gifted program · identify gifted learners
A separate room in a regular school where students with special educational needs receive individual or small-group teaching for part of the day.
Where you use it
Mainly American. Students go to or are pulled out to the resource room, and the resource teacher works with them there. It is often part of a mainstreaming or inclusion model.
Examples
He spends two periods a day in the resource room working on reading.
The resource room teacher and I plan the maths homework together.
Common phrases
resource room · resource teacher · pull-out support · go to the resource room
The person in charge of a school, responsible for its staff, students, budget and day-to-day running.
Where you use it
The standard American word, also used in many international schools. The deputy is the vice principal or assistant principal. In the UK the usual word is headteacher or head. Students are sent to the principal's office for serious problems.
Examples
The principal visits every classroom at least once a month.
I need to speak to the principal about the trip before we tell the parents.
Usage note
Do not confuse principal (head of a school) with principle (a basic rule or belief); they sound the same.
Common phrases
school principal · vice principal · assistant principal · the principal's office
Being present at school or in class, or the record of how often a student has been present; schools track it every day.
Where you use it
Teachers take attendance (US) or take the register (UK) at the start of the day or lesson. Schools monitor attendance and contact parents when it is low. Good attendance and attendance rate are common phrases in reports.
Examples
Please take attendance in the first five minutes and enter it in the system.
His attendance dropped sharply after the winter break, so we called his parents.
Common phrases
take attendance · attendance record · attendance rate · poor attendance · monitor attendance
One of the two main parts into which a school or university year is divided, each usually lasting about four or five months.
Where you use it
Standard in American schools and universities and in Turkish university contexts in English. Courses run for a semester; people say fall semester and spring semester. British schools usually divide the year into three terms instead.
Examples
The new curriculum will be introduced in the fall semester.
Report cards go home at the end of each semester.
Usage note
In UK schools the usual word is term (autumn, spring and summer term); semester sounds American there.
Common phrases
fall semester · spring semester · end of the semester · this semester · semester break
A plan that shows which lessons happen at which times on each day of the week, for a class, a teacher or a whole school.
Where you use it
British and international usage; American schools usually say schedule. Teachers check their timetable, and the school timetable is drawn up before the year starts. A timetable clash means two lessons are at the same time.
Examples
My timetable is heavy on Tuesdays: six lessons with only one free period.
The new timetable gives every class two hours of PE a week.
Usage note
Turkish 'boş ders' is a free period (UK) or prep period (US) for the teacher, not a 'free lesson'.
Common phrases
school timetable · draw up a timetable · timetable clash · free period · on the timetable
A short meeting between a teacher and a student's parents or guardians to discuss the student's progress, behavior and next steps.
Where you use it
American term; British schools hold a parents' evening, where parents meet each teacher for a few minutes. Teachers schedule, hold or prepare for conferences and often bring work samples and grades.
Examples
Parent-teacher conferences are next week, so please sign up for a time slot.
At the parent-teacher conference, I showed her parents how much her writing had improved.
Common phrases
hold a parent-teacher conference · parent-teacher conference schedule · parents' evening · meet with parents
A trained professional at a school who helps students with personal, social, academic and career issues and supports their well-being.
Where you use it
The standard American term; the older form guidance counselor is still heard. Teachers refer students to the school counselor or talk to the counselor about a concern. British spelling is counsellor.
Examples
If a student tells you something worrying, inform the school counselor the same day.
The school counselor helps final-year students with university applications.
Usage note
A counselor (danışman) is different from a councillor (belediye meclis üyesi); they sound the same.
Common phrases
refer a student to the counselor · guidance counselor · school counseling service · see the counselor
The teacher responsible for a particular class or group, who takes attendance, shares school news and looks after the students' general progress and well-being.
Where you use it
American and international-school term; homeroom is the short daily session when students meet this teacher. British schools use form tutor and form time, or tutor group. Parents often contact this teacher first.
Examples
Please send absence notes to your child's homeroom teacher.
As a homeroom teacher, I see my class for fifteen minutes every morning.
Common phrases
homeroom teacher · homeroom period · form tutor · tutor group
A regular meeting of a school's teachers and other staff, usually led by the principal, to share information, plan and discuss school matters.
Where you use it
Teachers attend or have staff meetings, often weekly after school. Department meetings are smaller meetings for teachers of one subject. Staff is a collective noun: say 'a member of staff' or 'staff members', not 'a staff'.
Examples
There's a staff meeting at 3:45 in the library to discuss the new assessment policy.
The principal announced the inspection date at Monday's staff meeting.
Usage note
The staff room (öğretmenler odası) is where teachers work and rest between lessons; it is also written staffroom.
Common phrases
attend a staff meeting · weekly staff meeting · department meeting · member of staff · staff room
A teacher who takes a class for a day or longer when the regular teacher is absent.
Where you use it
American English; often shortened to sub. British schools say supply teacher for someone from outside, and cover for lessons taken by another teacher at the school ('I'm covering 9B'). Teachers leave sub plans or cover work for absences.
Examples
We'll have a substitute teacher on Friday while Ms. Kaya is at the conference.
Leave clear instructions for the substitute teacher, including where the worksheets are.
Common phrases
substitute teacher · sub plans · supply teacher · cover a lesson · cover work
Kindergarten through twelfth grade: the whole range of school education before university, from about age five to eighteen.
Where you use it
Common in the US and Canada and in international education and edtech. It is read 'K through twelve' and used before nouns: K-12 schools, K-12 education, K-12 teachers. It contrasts with higher education.
Examples
The company sells reading software to K-12 schools across the country.
She has worked in K-12 education for fifteen years, mostly in middle schools.
Usage note
K-12 is not normally used for British schools, which talk about primary and secondary education and use Year 1 to Year 13.
A way of teaching that combines face-to-face classes with online learning, so that part of the work happens in class and part happens on digital platforms.
Where you use it
Used by schools, universities and training providers. Courses are delivered through or designed for blended learning. Hybrid learning is similar but often means some students are in the room while others join online at the same time.
Examples
The course uses blended learning: two classroom sessions a week plus online tasks.
Blended learning works best when the online part is planned as carefully as the lessons.
Education in which students and teachers are not in the same place and lessons, materials and communication happen online or by other remote means.
Where you use it
Universities offer degrees by distance learning. During school closures, the phrase remote learning was used more for school pupils. People study by or through distance learning and take a distance learning course.
Examples
She completed her master's degree by distance learning while working full time.
Distance learning was hardest for families who shared one device between several children.
Common phrases
distance learning course · study by distance learning · remote learning · online learning
Software that schools and universities use to share course materials, set and collect assignments, run quizzes, track grades and communicate with students online.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to LMS. Moodle and Canvas are well-known examples, and Google Classroom is used in a similar way. Teachers post, upload or set things on the LMS; students submit work through it.
Examples
All assignments must be submitted through the learning management system, not by email.
I've uploaded the slides and the reading list to the learning management system.
Common phrases
post on the LMS · upload to the learning management system · submit through the LMS · LMS platform
A model in which students first study new content at home, often through short videos, and then use class time for practice, discussion and problem-solving with the teacher.
Where you use it
Teachers flip their classroom or a lesson, and people talk about a flipped approach or flipped learning. It depends on students actually doing the preparation, so teachers often add a short check at the start of class.
Examples
In my flipped classroom, students watch a ten-minute video at home and solve problems in class.
The flipped classroom model gave me more time to help students one to one.
Common phrases
flipped classroom model · flip a lesson · flipped learning · flipped approach
A large touch-sensitive display or board connected to a computer, on which the teacher and students can show, write on and move digital content.
Where you use it
Often shortened to IWB. Many teachers call it a smartboard, after a well-known brand. Teachers use, write on or display things on the interactive whiteboard, and students come up to the board to drag, match or annotate.
Examples
I put the warm-up on the interactive whiteboard so students can drag the words into place.
Every classroom in the new building has an interactive whiteboard and a document camera.
Common phrases
interactive whiteboard · use the interactive whiteboard · smartboard · IWB software
Short for educational technology: digital tools, software and devices used to support teaching and learning, and the industry that makes them.
Where you use it
Informal but widely used in schools, the media and business. People talk about edtech tools, edtech companies and edtech startups. In academic writing, educational technology or technology-enhanced learning is more common.
Examples
Before buying any edtech tool, the school checks how it handles student data.
She left teaching to design maths games for an edtech company.
The ability to find, evaluate, create and share information safely and responsibly using digital devices, software and the internet.
Where you use it
Appears in curricula, policy documents and job descriptions. Schools teach, develop or build digital literacy, often alongside media literacy and online safety. It covers more than using a computer: judging sources and protecting privacy are part of it.
Examples
Checking whether a website is reliable is a basic digital literacy skill.
Our digital literacy lessons include a unit on spotting fake news.
Common phrases
digital literacy skills · develop digital literacy · media literacy · online safety
Using elements of games, such as points, badges, levels, leaderboards and challenges, in learning activities to increase motivation and participation.
Where you use it
Common in edtech and teacher training. Teachers gamify a lesson or a unit, often with quiz apps or point systems. Some teachers warn that leaderboards can discourage weaker students.
Examples
Gamification worked well for vocabulary practice: students earned badges for each level.
The workshop covered gamification and how to avoid making every lesson a competition.
Usage note
Gamification adds game features to normal tasks; game-based learning means learning by playing an actual game.
Common phrases
gamify a lesson · gamification elements · points and badges · leaderboard
Training, courses and other learning that teachers take part in during their careers to improve their knowledge and teaching skills.
Where you use it
Often shortened to PD in the US and CPD (continuing professional development) in the UK. Schools organize PD days, and teachers attend PD sessions, workshops and conferences. Job ads often mention 'opportunities for professional development'.
Examples
Friday is a professional development day, so there are no classes for students.
This year our professional development focuses on assessment for learning.
Common phrases
continuing professional development · professional development day · professional development session · opportunities for professional development
The period of a teacher-training program when student teachers teach real classes in a school under the guidance of experienced teachers.
Where you use it
British term, often shortened to TP. American programs call it student teaching or a practicum. Trainees go on, do or complete teaching practice, and are observed and given feedback by a mentor or tutor.
Examples
During my teaching practice, I taught two Year 9 classes for six weeks.
Teaching practice was the moment I knew I really wanted to be a teacher.
Common phrases
do teaching practice · teaching practice placement · student teaching · practicum
A teacher who specializes in one subject, such as maths, history or music, and teaches it to different classes.
Where you use it
Common in secondary schools, where each subject has its own teacher. In everyday speech people usually name the subject: 'my chemistry teacher', 'the maths teachers'. A primary teacher usually teaches most subjects to one class.
Examples
The class teacher and the subject teachers meet once a term to discuss each pupil.
From fifth grade, students have a different subject teacher for each lesson.
Usage note
Do not translate 'sınıf öğretmeni' as 'class teacher'; in English, class teacher can mean any teacher responsible for a particular class.
Common phrases
subject teacher · subject knowledge · subject specialist · head of subject
A student who is training to become a teacher and has not yet started working as a qualified teacher.
Where you use it
A formal term used mainly in research and teacher-education programs. In everyday speech people say student teacher or trainee teacher. A teacher who is already working is an in-service teacher, and training for them is in-service training.
Examples
The study surveyed 300 pre-service teachers about their views on inclusive education.
Pre-service teachers observe experienced colleagues before they teach their first lesson.
An experienced teacher who supports, advises and observes a trainee or new teacher, helping them develop their teaching.
Where you use it
Trainees and new teachers are assigned a mentor and have regular meetings with them. Mentor is also a verb ('She mentors two new teachers'), and the person being mentored is the mentee. Mentoring is a key part of teaching practice and induction.
Examples
My mentor observed one lesson a week and we talked about it the next morning.
Each trainee is paired with a mentor from the same subject department.
Common phrases
assign a mentor · mentor meeting · school-based mentor · mentoring program · mentee
A visit in which a colleague, mentor or school leader watches a lesson in order to give feedback, support development or evaluate teaching.
Where you use it
Teachers are observed or have an observation; observers carry out observations and give feedback afterwards. Formal observations are planned and graded or recorded; informal ones such as drop-ins or learning walks are shorter.
Examples
I have a formal lesson observation with the deputy head on Thursday.
Peer lesson observation lets teachers learn from each other without any grading.
Common phrases
formal lesson observation · peer observation · observation feedback · be observed · learning walk
The habit of thinking carefully about your own teaching, what worked, what did not and why, in order to learn from experience and improve.
Where you use it
Central to teacher education. Trainees keep a reflective journal or write a reflection after each lesson; experienced teachers reflect on practice in professional development. The phrase reflective practitioner is linked to the work of Donald Schön.
Examples
Reflective practice helped me see that my instructions were often too long.
The course assesses reflective practice through a weekly teaching journal.
Common phrases
reflective practice · reflective journal · reflect on your teaching · reflective practitioner
A program of support, training and assessment for teachers in their first year or years of teaching, or for any staff member who is new to a school.
Where you use it
New teachers complete or pass induction, usually with a mentor and regular observations. In England, early career teachers (ECTs) follow a two-year statutory induction. Schools also run a shorter induction day or week for all new staff.
Examples
During her induction year, she had a reduced timetable and a weekly meeting with her mentor.
New staff have a two-day induction before the students arrive.
Common phrases
induction period · complete induction · induction program · new staff induction · early career teacher
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn education & teaching vocabulary
Read real texts from the field: published curriculum documents from English-speaking countries, school inspection reports, education journals and teachers' blogs. Notice how teachers describe lessons, pupils and assessment.
Learn British and American school words in pairs, such as timetable and schedule, term and semester, mark and grade, headteacher and principal, so you understand both systems.
Practise the language you actually say in class: instructions like 'Hand in your worksheets' or 'Let's go over the answers' are easier to remember when you say them aloud.
Keep a list of Turkish school terms that have no exact English match (karne, nöbetçi öğretmen, BEP, sınıf rehber öğretmeni) and write the closest English expression next to each one.
Learn verbs together with their nouns: you write a lesson plan, set homework, give feedback and assess learning. These partnerships make your English sound like a teacher's.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a curriculum and a syllabus?
A curriculum is the whole program of learning for a school, a level or a subject: what should be learned, in what order and how it is assessed. A syllabus is narrower: the content and schedule of one course, often written by the teacher. In Turkish, curriculum is usually 'öğretim programı' or 'müfredat', and syllabus is 'ders izlencesi'.
How do I say 'sınıf öğretmeni' and 'branş öğretmeni' in English?
A 'sınıf öğretmeni' is a primary school teacher (UK) or an elementary school teacher (US). A 'branş öğretmeni' is a subject teacher, or more specifically a maths teacher, a history teacher and so on. Avoid 'class teacher' for 'sınıf öğretmeni': in English it can simply mean the teacher in charge of a particular class.
Is 'make an exam' correct?
Not in the sense of 'sınav yapmak'. Teachers give, set or administer an exam, and students take or sit an exam (sit is British). If you mean preparing the questions, say write or prepare an exam. Afterwards, teachers mark (UK) or grade (US) the papers.
How do I say 'karne', 'veli toplantısı' and 'nöbetçi öğretmen' in English?
A karne is a report card (US) or a school report (UK). A veli toplantısı is a parent-teacher conference (US) or a parents' evening (UK); for a meeting with all parents at once, 'parents' meeting' also works. For nöbetçi öğretmen, English-speaking schools say a teacher is on duty, for example on break duty or lunch duty.
Should I use British or American English in a school?
Both are correct; what matters is the system you work in. British-curriculum and many international schools say pupils, term, timetable, marking and headteacher, while American schools say students, semester, schedule, grading and principal. Learn both sets so you can understand colleagues and documents from either side.
