GTET 2 key terms

The range of tasks a learner can complete with guidance from a more capable person but cannot yet do alone. Instruction aimed just beyond independent ability promotes growth.

Temporary supports such as models, prompts, or partial examples that help a learner complete a task. Supports are gradually withdrawn as competence grows.

A sequence describing how thinking changes with age: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational. Readiness for abstract reasoning develops gradually rather than on a fixed timetable.

A view that learners build understanding by connecting new information to prior knowledge and experience. Teaching emphasizes active inquiry, discussion, and problem solving over passive reception.

Engagement driven by interest, curiosity, or satisfaction in the activity itself rather than by rewards or punishment. It tends to sustain effort longer than external incentives.

The belief that ability can improve through effort, strategy, and feedback. Teachers who model this view help students treat errors as information rather than as fixed limits.

What a learner already knows and believes about a topic, including misconceptions. It strongly shapes how new material is interpreted and should be activated before instruction.

Ongoing checks of student understanding used to adjust teaching while learning is still in progress. Examples include exit tickets, questioning, and quick written responses.

An evaluation of learning at the end of a unit, course, or period, used to report achievement. Results typically inform grades, placement, or program decisions rather than immediate lesson changes.

Specific, actionable information about what a learner did well and what to improve next, tied to clear criteria. It is more useful for learning than a score alone.

A scoring guide listing criteria and levels of performance, often with descriptors. It clarifies expectations and supports consistent, transparent judgment of student work.

Using evidence from assessments, observations, and records to plan or revise teaching. It involves identifying patterns, grouping students purposefully, and checking whether changes work.

The extent to which an assessment measures what it is intended to measure and supports the interpretations made from scores. Threats include unclear items and content that does not match objectives.

The consistency of assessment results across occasions, raters, or item sets. A reliable measure is stable, though stability alone does not guarantee it measures the right thing.

The match between what is taught, what is assessed, and the stated learning objectives. Strong alignment ensures that scores reflect progress on intended content and skills.

Planning that begins with desired learning outcomes, then determines acceptable evidence of learning, and only then designs activities. It keeps instruction focused on intended results.

A specific, observable statement of what students should know or be able to do by the end of a lesson or unit. It usually names a performance and a condition or criterion.

Deliberately varying content, process, product, or environment in response to student readiness, interests, and learning profiles. It keeps shared goals while adjusting how students reach them.

A proactive planning framework offering multiple means of engagement, representation, and action or expression. It aims to reduce barriers for all learners from the outset rather than retrofitting supports.

A change in how a student accesses content or demonstrates learning, such as extended time or a read-aloud, without altering the expected standard. It removes barriers without changing what is measured.

A change to what a student is expected to learn or the level of performance required, such as reduced content or simplified objectives. It alters the standard rather than just the access route.

A legally required written plan for an eligible student with a disability, specifying present levels, measurable goals, services, accommodations, and placement. It is developed by a team and reviewed regularly.

The principle that students with disabilities should learn alongside peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal only when supports cannot make inclusion successful.

Teaching choices that make all students, including those with disabilities or language needs, full participants in shared classroom learning. It combines accessible design with targeted supports.

Descriptions of a multilingual learner's developing ability to understand and use the language of instruction, often spanning entering through bridging stages. They guide language supports and expectations.

Teaching grade-level content in accessible language, using visuals, modeling, and structured language practice. It develops both subject knowledge and academic language simultaneously.

A tiered, proactive system that teaches and reinforces expected behavior, using data to identify students needing additional support. Most students succeed with universal practices.

Approaches that repair harm and rebuild relationships after conflict through dialogue, reflection, and agreed next steps. They focus on accountability and community rather than punishment alone.

Repeated, explicitly taught procedures for common activities such as entering, transitioning, and turning in work. Predictable routines reduce lost time and minimize off-task behavior.

Recognizing how stress and adversity affect learning and behavior, then responding with safety, predictability, choice, and relationship-building. It avoids punitive reactions to stress-driven behavior.

Designing instruction and interaction that acknowledge, value, and connect with students' cultural backgrounds and experiences. It reduces mismatches between home and school expectations.

The ethical and legal duty to protect student information, sharing it only with those who have a legitimate educational need. It includes secure handling of records and careful conversation.

The legal obligation of educators to report suspected child abuse or neglect to designated authorities promptly. Reporting is required even when the suspicion is uncertain.

A structured process for resolving professional dilemmas by weighing obligations, policies, student welfare, and consequences. Consulting colleagues and documenting reasoning are common steps.

Teaching matched to children's age-related capabilities, individual differences, and social and cultural contexts. It balances challenging expectations with realistic support.

Responsible, safe, and ethical use of technology, covering privacy, respectful communication, digital footprint, and evaluating online information. It is taught through modeling and guided practice.

The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create messages in varied formats, including online sources. It includes judging credibility, bias, and purpose.

Using digital tools purposefully to support learning goals rather than as an add-on. Effective integration changes what students can do, such as collaborate, model, or receive timely feedback.

Devices, software, or services that help a student with a disability access learning or demonstrate knowledge. Selection follows an individualized review of needs and tasks.