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.
Facilitating Questions A teaching strategy designed to encourage learners to think continuously to make a given problem-solving process easier.
Faculty A school’s instructional, leadership and support staff who have the responsibility of creating curriculum, instructing students, and managing a division or department of a university.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) An application that U.S. citizens can use to apply for financial aid, which can be used to pay for college expenses.
False Negative When an assessment or screening demonstrates that the child does not have a target problem despite manifesting symptoms of that problem. False negatives lead to a delay in services and a prolonged issue for these children and their families.
False Positive When an assessment or screening leads to a referral for an issue that the child does not actually have.
Family Assessment A stage of early intervention that helps to identify, prioritize, and target the needs of a family to make a solid plan for necessary services.
Family Dynamics The ways in which family members interact with and relate to one another.
Family Interview A child-care professional’s interview of parents or primary caregivers to assess a child’s mastery and development needs regarding daily routines.
Family Questionnaires Written surveys that parents or other caregivers of young children are asked to complete to give needed information to child-care providers.
Family Reports Information on a student provided by someone in the student’s family.
Family’s Developmental Stage The normal developmental stages that a family goes through that have a direct impact on the family’s functioning and needs. Major life events such as the birth of a new child can dramatically impact their psychological resources and their developmental stage.
Family-centered Practice Service providers whose approach includes collaboration with the families of children they serve. The service provider responds to the family’s concerns and priorities.
Family-professional Partnerships A relationship between families and professionals working together toward the best outcome for a student in a spirit of trust and mutual respect.
Fantasy Analogy A problem-solving process in which participants are asked to consider outlandish, fantastic or bizarre solutions which may lead to original and ground-breaking ideas.
Fear of Success When girls and women forego success because they are afraid to “fail at being female.”
Fellowship Financial support that is given by an institution, typically to graduate students, that can be used to pay for college expenses.
Fiction A story that is made up and is not based in reality.
Field Experiences Commonly known as practica or practicums, are the opportunities given to each pre-service teacher to gain contact in their future professions by observing and working in classrooms within the schools.
Field Observations Sometimes called field experiences, are part of a teacher-education program in which the teaching student is allowed to participate in and observe a K-12 classroom, with the classroom’s teacher and the student’s instructor.
Filter Something used to block words, gestures or pictures that will hurt or offend others, or interfere with accomplishing a goal.
Financial Aid Monies given to students to assist them in paying for their college expenses.
Fine Motor Skills Are described as small movements attributed to the use of the hands. Children under five are especially in need of exercises in building fine motor skills as it prepares them for writing and the everyday actions we partake in as adults.
First Person Experiences A project-based teaching idea in which students take on the identities of people actively involved in an event or era they have chosen to research.
First Person Experiences An inquiry-based project in which individual students conduct research on a course-related topic of their choosing and present their findings in the format of their choice.
First-Generation College Students Are students whose parents or legal guardian have not completed a bachelor’s degree, which means that they may not understand how to navigate higher education. They often hail from low-income households and are required to work while attending school, to finance their education. Juggling work and the demands of college simultaneously can often be grueling, leading to decreased attention to classwork. About 90 percent of first-generation lower-income students will not graduate within six years.
Five-Factor Theory Is a theory proposing that schools with effective leadership, ongoing monitoring, safe environments, clear vision, and high expectations of students and teachers have a higher likelihood of being more effective
Fixed Mindset A student’s belief that they cannot grow and improve their capabilities.
Fixed-Interval Schedule A reinforcement schedule which involves rewarding a desirable behavior only after a specified amount of time.
Fixed-Ratio (FR) Schedule A reinforcement schedule which involves rewarding a desirable behavior only after a specified number of behaviors.
