100 Terms Every International Teacher Should Know

No.	Term	Definition
1.	Academic integrity	Honesty in learning and assessment.
2.	Academic language	Formal language used in school.
3.	Accommodation	Support that changes access, not goals.
4.	Accreditation	Official recognition of school standards.
5.	Achievement gap	Differences in outcomes between groups.
6.	Active listening	Attentive listening with responsive feedback.
7.	Adaptive learning	Instruction adjusted by learner performance.
8.	Advisory	Regular mentor group meeting time.
9.	Affective filter	Emotional barrier that blocks language learning.
10.	Agency	Learner choice and ownership.
11.	Alignment	Match between standards, teaching, assessment.
12.	Alternative assessment	Non-test evidence of learning.
13.	Analytic rubric	Rubric with separate criteria scores.
14.	Anchor chart	Posted reference chart for learning.
15.	Anecdotal record	Brief observation notes about students.
16.	Anticipatory set	Short opener to focus learners.
17.	Appropriate difficulty	Task level slightly above comfort.
18.	Articulation	Coordination across grades or programs.
19.	Assessment for learning	Formative checks to guide teaching.
20.	Assessment of learning	Summative evaluation of achievement.
21.	Attendance policy	Rules for presence and absences.
22.	Backward design	Plan from outcomes, then lessons.
23.	Baseline data	Starting performance measure.
24.	Benchmark assessment	Periodic measure of progress.
25.	Bilingual education	Teaching using two languages.
26.	Bloom’s taxonomy	Levels of cognitive learning objectives.
27.	Brain break	Short pause to reset attention.
28.	Bullying prevention	Measures to stop peer harassment.
29.	Classroom management	Strategies for orderly learning environment.
30.	Close reading	Careful reading for deep meaning.
31.	Co-teaching	Two teachers share instruction responsibility.
32.	Code-switching	Alternating languages or varieties as needed.
33.	Collaborative learning	Students learn through structured teamwork.
34.	Common formative assessment	Shared quick assessment across teachers.
35.	Competency-based learning	Progress by mastery, not time.
36.	Comprehensible input	Language slightly above current level.
37.	Concept check	Quick questions to verify understanding.
38.	Confidentiality	Protecting student information privacy.
39.	Constructivism	Learning built from prior knowledge.
40.	Content objective	What students learn in subject.
41.	Context clues	Text hints to infer meaning.
42.	Culturally responsive teaching	Teaching that affirms student cultures.
43.	Curriculum mapping	Documenting what is taught when.
44.	Data-driven instruction	Teaching decisions based on evidence.
45.	De-escalation	Calming strategies for conflict situations.
46.	Differentiation	Varying instruction for learner needs.
47.	Digital citizenship	Safe, ethical online behavior.
48.	Discourse markers	Words that organize spoken or written text.
49.	Domain-specific vocabulary	Subject-area terms and phrases.
50.	Dual-language program	Two languages used for instruction.
51.	Early finishers	Students who complete tasks quickly.
52.	ELL / ESL	Learner acquiring English as additional language.
53.	Equity	Fair support based on need.
54.	Essential question	Big inquiry guiding a unit.
55.	Exit ticket	Quick end-of-lesson check.
56.	Explicit instruction	Clear modeling and guided practice.
57.	Feedback	Information to improve performance.
58.	FERPA / data privacy	Rules protecting student records.
59.	Flipped classroom	Content at home, practice in class.
60.	Fluency	Smooth, accurate language use.
61.	Formative assessment	Ongoing checks to adjust teaching.
62.	Funds of knowledge	Home and community expertise students bring.
63.	GPA (grade point average)	Average of course grades.
64.	Grading policy	Rules for scoring student work.
65.	Gradual release	I do, we do, you do.
66.	Growth mindset	Belief abilities develop through effort.
67.	Guided practice	Supported practice before independence.
68.	Higher-order thinking	Analyze, evaluate, create beyond recall.
69.	Holistic rubric	Single overall score description.
70.	Homeroom	Administrative class group time.
71.	Homework policy	Expectations for work done at home.
72.	IEP (individual plan)	Legal plan for special education.
73.	Inclusion	Educating diverse learners together.
74.	Independent practice	Solo work to apply learning.
75.	Inquiry-based learning	Learning through questions and investigation.
76.	Instructional coach	Teacher mentor for improving practice.
77.	Intercultural competence	Skills for effective cross-cultural interaction.
78.	Intervention	Targeted support for learning gaps.
79.	Language objective	How students use language to learn.
80.	Learning outcome	Measurable skill or knowledge gained.
81.	Lesson plan	Structured outline of a lesson.
82.	Metacognition	Thinking about one’s thinking.
83.	Misconception	Incorrect understanding needing correction.
84.	Modeling	Demonstrating a skill or process.
85.	Modification	Change to learning goals or standards.
86.	Multilingual learner (ML)	Student learning in multiple languages.
87.	Norm-referenced test	Scores compared to other students.
88.	Observational assessment	Judging learning through watching performance.
89.	Office hours	Set time for student support.
90.	Parent-teacher conference	Meeting to discuss student progress.
91.	Peer assessment	Students evaluate each other’s work.
92.	Phonemic awareness	Hearing and manipulating speech sounds.
93.	Phonics	Sound-letter relationships for reading.
94.	Plagiarism	Using others’ work without credit.
95.	Portfolio	Collected work showing growth over time.
96.	Positive reinforcement	Rewarding behaviors to increase them.
97.	Proficiency	Overall level of language ability.
98.	Progress monitoring	Frequent checks of skill improvement.
99.	Project-based learning	Learning through extended real-world projects.
100.	Pronunciation	How speech sounds are produced.