Introduction:
The world of education is filled with its own unique language, often referred to as “Teacherese”. For those who are new to this lingo, it can sometimes feel like you need a translator to understand what is being said. In this article, we’ll explore 12 common Teacherese expressions and provide their translations to help demystify this educational jargon.
1. Differentiation
Teacherese: “I’m differentiating the lesson for my students.”
Translation: The teacher is adapting the lesson to meet the diverse needs and abilities of their students, ensuring each learner can engage with the material in a meaningful way.
2. Higher-order thinking skills (HOTS)
Teacherese: “We’re focusing on higher-order thinking skills in this unit.”
Translation: The teacher is emphasizing the development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills as opposed to rote memorization or basic comprehension tasks.
3. Formative assessment
Teacherese: “I’ll be conducting formative assessment throughout the lesson.”
Translation: The teacher will be continuously evaluating student learning during the lesson, using feedback to inform their teaching and make any necessary adjustments.
4. Bloom’s Taxonomy
Teacherese: “This activity covers the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.”
Translation: The activity involves more complex cognitive processes, such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, rather than just memorization or understanding.
5. Inquiry-based learning
Teacherese: “We’ll be engaging in inquiry-based learning for this project.”
Translation: The students will explore and investigate a topic or problem in an open-ended, student-centered manner, using questions and research as driving forces in their learning process.
6. Scaffolding
Teacherese: “I’ll be providing scaffolding to support student learning.”
Translation: The teacher will offer temporary guidance or support to help students build on their prior knowledge and move toward independence in their learning.
7. Backward design
Teacherese: “I used backward design to create this unit.”
Translation: The teacher started by identifying the desired learning outcomes and then planned learning activities and assessments to achieve those outcomes.
8. Learning styles
Teacherese: “It’s important to consider different learning styles in our lesson planning.”
Translation: Teachers should be aware of and adapt their instruction to accommodate the varied ways students learn best, such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learning.
9. Summative assessment
Teacherese: “The students will complete a summative assessment at the end of the unit.”
Translation: The students will be evaluated based on their overall understanding of the material after a period of learning, typically through exams, papers, or projects.
10. Guided practice
Teacherese: “We’ll be doing guided practice before moving on to independent work.”
Translation: The teacher will lead learners through a set of tasks or problems with support and direction before allowing them to work on similar tasks independently.
11. Peer feedback
Teacherese: “Students will be participating in peer feedback during this activity.”
Translation: The learners will share constructive criticism and advice with one another to help improve their peers’ understanding and performance.
12. Growth mindset
Teacherese: “We’re promoting a growth mindset in our classroom culture.”
Translation: The teacher is encouraging students to embrace challenges, persevere through difficulties, and view mistakes as opportunities for growth rather than signs of failure.
Conclusion:
Now that you’re familiar with these 12 common Teacherese expressions and their translations, you’re well-equipped to navigate the world of education with ease and understanding. Remember that the key to mastering this language is continued exposure and experience, so always stay curious and keep expanding your educational vocabulary!
