A challenge of today's teacher preparation programmes is to educate teachers about families formed through international adoption and of the challenges they face, in order to meet their educational needs. This population has a unique developmental history affected by pre- and post-adoption conditions which stand to impact on learning experiences at school, yet this population is rarely mentioned in textbooks and discussed in teacher preparation programmes. It is of concern that teachers may only bring the knowledge they have acquired through life experience to their classrooms. As thousands of children have been adopted into developed nations, it is crucial for teachers to understand the educational challenges of this population and have access to current research to inform practice. This paper aims to highlight key differences that international adoptees bring to the classroom through a review of contemporary research, and subsequent discussion of the possible implications for teacher preparation programmes.