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.

Machine Learning Is defined as “a field of computer science that uses statistical techniques to give computer systems the ability to “learn” (i.e., progressively improve performance on a specific task) with data, without being explicitly programmed.” For example, in education, we see machine learning in learning analytics and artificial intelligence.

Magic Circle A teaching tool in which a group of several students stand in a circle and discuss a subject with questions and prompts from a teacher which encourage further thinking and learning.

Magnet Schools Were established to attract students to attend a school other than their assigned neighborhood school. Not only did these schools offer a distinctive curriculum; many also offered a first-rate education based on innovative approaches to teaching. Given these educational opportunities, many parents were persuaded to choose magnet schools for their children. There are thousands of magnet schools across the United States.

Main Idea The big picture of the story.

Main Ideas The statements in a passage that capture the key ideas concerning the central topic.

Mainstreaming Is the school policy of bringing disabled children into the “mainstream” of school and classroom life.

Maintenance The child’s ability to continue performing a skill in the same setting or a similar setting to the training situation.

Maintenance The conservation of behavior, for example, for its preservation and continuation.

Major The academic discipline that a student chooses to study during their undergraduate studies.

Makerspaces Are creative spaces located in communities, schools, and public and academic libraries. These areas are designed to engage participants in hands-on activities that teach twenty-first-century skills. The emphasis in makerspaces is placed upon educating students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects as well as digital and information literacy.

Making Connections A reading comprehension strategy where students use their prior knowledge to make connections to the text they are reading. Three types of connections exist in this category: text-self, text-text, and text-world.

Maladaptive Behaviors Antisocial behaviors such as aggression, withdrawal, and delayed social skill development.

Malfeasance This occurs when a teacher hurts or causes bodily harm to a student on purpose. For example, if a student is disrespectful to you and you strike that student, you’d better get yourself a good lawyer: you’ll probably be sued, be arrested, and lose your job. Remember, you’re in a position of power, and children are vulnerable. Society has no pity or tolerance for people who injure children.

Mand Model Method of teaching where the interactions are typically initiated by the educator.

Manipulatives Objects that a student can handle and which are designed to aid learning of topics such as shape, grouping, categorization, series, etc.

Mapping The representation of key ideas and their connections through a diagram or visual organizer.

Marginalization Being assigned to a position that is not generally accepted by the general population or a part of the mainstream.

Marxism Is an ideological and political movement first proposed by Karl Marx, a 19th-century philosopher. Marx held that the class system conflicted with the social, political, and educational realms. Logically and intelligently questioning the economic consequences of class hierarchy gives a better understanding of the world. Marxism calls for an education that creates a critical consciousness in students. It believes dominant classes control schools and use them to control the oppressed class socially. Marxism relies on content and methods that contribute to a person’s intellectual and physical development.

Mass Screening A large-scale screening used for early identification that attempts to assess every child in a specific population. This type of mass screening is often encouraged by the federal government and legislation.

Massed Practice A learning technique which involves the repetition of specific facts or skills over a concentrated period.

Master’s A graduate degree conferred by a higher education institution once a student completes the requirements for their degree program, usually requiring one or two years of full-time study beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Mastery-oriented An orientation in which an individual believes that he is in control of his outcomes, success or failure and that his effort makes a difference in reaching that outcome.

Materials List Is a list of supplies needed for the lesson.

Matriculate To register and enroll in a degree program at a higher education institution with the hopes that you will be able to earn a degree.

Matrix Identification Models Models that can be used to identify gifted children from minority or disadvantaged communities. These models combine information from multiple sources.

Maze Technique A variation of the cloze test, in which a reader selects from a choice of several words rather than delete words from a passage.

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) A uniform American medical school entrance assessment manage by the nonprofit Association of American Medical Colleges, which assesses verbal reasoning and writing skills and physical and biological sciences knowledge.