To be considered a competent educator, there are almost 2000 strategies, concepts, and terms that you must know. However, since teachers wear so many hats, who has the time to learn them all? Don’t worry; we have you covered. In this series, we will discuss all the teaching and learning strategies, concepts, and terms that you need to know to be considered an effective educator. There are over 70 articles in this series, so pace yourself. We recommend reading one piece per weekday, which will allow you to complete the series in three to four months. We hope you enjoy it.

Click here to read all the articles in this series.

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Federal legislation that provides Human Civil Rights protection to individuals with disabilities. It became law in July 1990.

Adaptability The ability of a child to change or adapt in response to new people or circumstances in their lives.

Adaptation A child’s ability to modify a skill to suit the environment. Adaptation is considered to be the highest level of achievement.

Adaptive Behavior An umbrella of skills that we acquire to function in everyday life.

Adaptive Behavior The social, practical and conceptual skills children must learn to perform everyday routines and activities.

Adaptive Learning Is a technology-based or online educational system that analyzes a student’s performance in real-time and modifies teaching methods based on that data. Think AI meets dedicated math tutor meets personalized engagement.

Admit Slips A simple tool used to ascertain student knowledge, which involves students writing, on one side of either a graphic organizer or an index card, their understanding of a particular topic and, on the other side, a question they have about that topic.

Advance Organizers A teaching idea which allows students to hear and pronounce words or phrases unfamiliar to them before listening to or reading a story. An example of advance organizers are chants.

Advance Organizers Activities and techniques that familiarize students with a given material before reading it or participating in a formal lesson in class on its content.

Aesthetic Reading A type of reading which centers on the affective aspects of reading.

Aesthetic Thinking An individual’s capacity to appreciate the arts, beauty in nature and elegant design.

Affect Emotion and feeling having psychological and neurological bases.

Affective Dimensions The feelings and emotional aspects of learning which includes particular attitudes and habits associated with learning. Examples include self-direction, motivation, critical thinking, perseverance, positive thinking, and self-esteem.

Affective Objectives The goals of a lesson or teaching strategy focused on the students’ attitudes and values.

African American Vernacular English (AAVE) A variation of standard English dialect, which has its system of phonological patterns and rules and is spoken by the people of many African American communities.

Age-equivalent Score A derived score based on adjusting a student’s raw score on a standardized test by a factor that reflects normal performance for a particular age.

Aggressive Responses A student engaging in inappropriate behavior to avoid participating in an activity. An avoidance response.

Aliterates Individuals who possess reading skills but choose not to read due to insufficient levels of positive attitudes, habits, and interests.

Alternate Form Reliability The degree to which the measurements of mastery on two different versions of an assessment agree. The consistency of two tests in assessing a skill or mastery of a topic.

Alternate-Choice Items Alternate-choice tests are the most common forms of objective tests. You will find variations of the popular true or false format (yes/no, agree/disagree, etc.). Alternate- choice tests are easy to score; therefore, they are time-savers for teachers. They are a quick way to evaluate students, and they also come in handy when students’ writing skills haven’t fully developed. For example, this technique may be used after studying a short story to “check for understanding” in younger students.

Alternate-Route Program Provides the opportunity for individuals to become teachers without a formal background in education. These routes may be of value to individuals who have not completed a formal teacher-training program at an accredited university or college but would like to be trained as a teacher. They are particularly well suited for those who have already received other qualifications.

Alternative Input Devices These tools are designed to allow students with disabilities to use computers and related technology easily. Some alternative input devices include touch screens, modified keyboards, and joysticks that direct a cursor through the use of body parts like chins, hands, or feet. Some up-and-coming technology in this area is sip-and-puff systems, developed by companies like Microsoft, to perform computer functions through the simple process of inhaling and exhaling. On-screen keyboards are another area of input technology that is providing K-12 learners with disabilities better use of computers and mobile devices for learning.

Alternative Teacher Education Programs Have emerged rapidly across the United States over the past two decades. These programs were precipitated by calls for changes in teacher education programs, as well as to relieve teacher shortages in certain subject areas and certain regions of the nation. All programs must meet state teacher education program standards and requirements.

Alternative Texts A student-created text that represents a new viewpoint compared to standard texts. This can include oral, written, visual, or imagined representations.