Teacher
Development
Development
This is the process through which new teachers work under the guidance of experienced educators to adjust to the demands of the profession.
What is induction?
A formal program designed to support first-year teachers, often involving mentoring, feedback, and structured reflection.
What is a teacher mentoring program?
Tomorrow’s classrooms are expected to use more of this type of instruction, where technology helps tailor lessons to each student’s pace.
What is personalized or adaptive learning?
This school approach focuses on creating a supportive environment where teachers know students well and learning is shaped around individual needs.
What is personalized learning?
This is the largest professional organization and union for teachers in the United States, known for advocating for teacher rights, public education, and school funding.
What is the National Education Association (NEA)?
This ongoing learning teachers engage in after entering the classroom helps them improve skills, stay current in education, and support student achievement.
What is professional development?
This practice allows future teachers to watch experienced educators in action, helping them learn classroom strategies and instructional methods.
What is classroom observation?
This type of classroom design allows desks, seating, and learning spaces to shift for group work, independent work, or presentations.
What is flexible classroom layout or flexible seating?
This type of advisory system pairs students with one faculty member for regular check-ins on academics, behavior, and emotional well-being.
What is teacher advisory or advisory period?
This major teacher union has historically been more active in urban school districts and emphasizes collective bargaining and teacher labor rights.
What is the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)?
This term refers to the different stages, from beginning teacher to expert, that educators grow through over the course of their career.
What is the teacher career ladder?
This term describes when a mentor and novice teacher work together to discuss lessons, reflect on teaching, and set goals through structured feedback sessions.
What is collaborative reflection?
One major debate about tomorrow’s classrooms argues that increasing digital tools could harm learning unless teachers maintain this essential classroom element.
What is human connection / meaningful teacher-student relationships?
Research suggests that personalizing schools increases student engagement by supporting this key factor. The sense that students feel cared for, seen, and valued.
What is belonging or relationship-building?
This model of professional learning emphasizes teachers collaborating regularly to review student work, plan lessons, and analyze teaching strategies within a shared school culture.
What are professional learning communities (PLCs)?
Considered a key stage in teacher development, this phenomenon describes when teachers feel overwhelmed, often doubting their abilities during their early classroom experience.
What is the “reality shock” phase?
This document or form is often used during classroom observations to record data on teaching behaviors, methods, or student engagement.
What is an observation rubric?
Tomorrow’s classrooms are expected to shift from textbooks to constantly updated digital materials, a trend known as this type of learning resource.
What are open educational resources (OER)?
Personalizing schools often means reducing these, so students have more meaningful interactions and teachers can provide more individualized support.
What are class sizes?
An international, non-profit, nonpartisan association of professional educators whose jobs cross all grade levels and subject areas
What is The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
This term refers to the belief that teachers should critically examine their own decision-making, challenges, and instructional practices through systematic questioning and analysis.
What is reflective practice?
This teacher development practice involves observing classrooms, recording specific teaching practices, and comparing them across different educators to identify patterns or best practices.
What is clinical supervision?
Future classrooms often incorporate learning based on real-world problems and inquiry-based projects, rather than worksheets or memorization.
What is project-based learning (PBL)?
Personalizing schools also means giving students voice and choice in how they show what they’ve learned, often through projects, presentations, and portfolios.
What is student-centered assessment?
Educational associations influence policy by sending members to legislatures, funding campaigns, and issuing public statements — a practice referred to as this.
What is educational lobbying?