increasingly, teachers find themselves expected to teach subjects which are beyond their areas of specialism. Whilst you may embrace the challenge, it can feel somewhat daunting. To provide you with some ideas and support, we’ve listed twelve tips below to help you increase your knowledge and confidence when teaching a subject as a non-specialist.
1. Remember that first and foremost you’re a good teacher!
If you are a competent, confident teacher of one subject then you’re already half way towards being a competent teacher in a new subject, no matter how far removed it is from your specialism. Having a good working knowledge of how to manage a class and how to engage and inspire your learners is a great basis for teaching any subject – don’t lose sight of that!
2. Don’t underestimate the challenge
However, don’t be overly confident either. When the non-specialist subject we add to our timetable is relatively closely aligned to our area of expertise there can be a tendency to assume that the switch will be straightforward. If, for example, as an art teacher we’re asked to teach photography or fashion, or as a geography teacher we’re asked to teach history. Sometimes even subjects that are closely aligned in the curriculum can require quite different skill sets of students and may need a different focus and approach in your lessons.
3. Find a ‘buddy’
Fine someone who has taught your non-specialist subject before and ask if you can adopt them as a mentor. Having someone who you can turn to when you’re struggling can really increase your confidence.
4. Team teach
If possible, ask your buddy if you can observe them teaching – or perhaps you can consider team teaching trickier parts of the curriculum as you approach them for the first time. This can be a great way to draw on the knowledge of more experienced colleagues and can also be beneficial to students who experience two different approaches in the classroom.
5. Understand the mark scheme
Even if you’re teaching at a lower key stage which is not examined, having a good understanding of the success criteria of exams that students are eventually working towards can help you to ensure students develop the appropriate knowledge and skills throughout their exposure to the subject.
6. Ask colleagues for schemes of work, lesson plans and resources
Don’t reinvent the wheel. There may be existing schemes of work or resources that are held centrally in the department or that colleagues, either in your own school or another, have developed for teaching the subject. You’ll want to make sure you’re familiar with the plans, adapt them to suit your style and to best meet the needs of your cohort. There are also some great lesson plans available online which could provide you with some inspiration.
7. Join the subject association or online forums or chats
If your new subject has an association, it’s worth considering joining. This can be a great way to access expertise and resources which you’ll find valuable. Check whether your department already has a school or group membership to the association or ask if they’d be willing to cover the fee for you to join in order to provide you with some support. Sometimes you can join an association’s mailing list without paying to join the association; this can be a good way to keep on top of latest developments in the subject.
8. Identify key challenges in teaching the subject
Ask colleagues who’ve taught the subject before to help you understand where the common pitfalls are. Which areas do they find especially hard to teach? Which parts of the curriculum do students struggle with? Also, as someone who is new to the subject, you are likely to be able to identify areas which are appear trickier to grasp than others – use this experience to put yourself into the shoes of your learners and think about how best to gain a better understanding of difficult areas together.
9. Model learning
When we are new to a subject we have a unique chance to actively role model learning to our students. It’s okay for them to know that you are new to the subject too – use the fact that you’re learning together to generate discussion about how best to approach the learning and actively share the parts you’ve found harder to master and explore how you’ve overcome these challenges. Seeing your teacher as a learner too can be quiet inspiring as a student and can motivate them to learn.
10. Work a few weeks ahead
It can be hard to get ahead on planning, but where possible it’s really helpful to work a few weeks ahead of your students as the topics covered in a few weeks’ time may add to what you’re currently covering, or may form a natural topic of more advanced questions from able students.
11. Encourage students to lead the learning
Taking on the role of teacher is a fantastic way for students to develop and embed learning so do not feel that you have to lead every pat of every lesson. Instead, encourage students to take the lead and have them teach different topics back to the class. Taking on the role of expert can provide a real confidence boost and having to understand a subject well enough to teach our peers is a great way to ensure that the appropriate learning is in place.
12. Attend a course!
Of course, one of the quickest and easiest ways to get up to speed when teaching a new subject for the first time is to attend relevant CPD. Creative Education have a wide range of courses aimed at non-specialist teachers which can give you a real confidence and knowledge boost in those early days.
Our non-specialist courses are suitable for KS3 and 4 teachers looking to successfully apply their teaching experience to deliver lessons in unfamiliar subjects.
They are available in a range of subjects and cover key curriculum topics, popular lesson activities, common problem areas and how to interpret and use existing lesson plans.
Exclusive Update 