#103 Katrina Davey on Why Teaching Humanities Is Not Just General Knowledge

#103 Katrina Davey on Why Teaching Humanities Is Not Just General Knowledge

Katrina Davey, an experienced Humanities teacher, curriculumwriter and former faculty leader, cuts through the idea that teaching lower-secondary humanities only requires “general knowledge”. Drawing on her book Humming Along, she explains why humanities teachers are often asked to work as both specialists and generalists across history, geography,civics, economics, and more. A key thread is the “knowledge-rich” curriculum: Davey welcomes it, but argues that facts need concepts such as change, significance and sustainability to give them purpose. This is a sharp conversation about out-of-field teaching, disciplinary rigour and why humanities matters for how students understand the world and who they become. Links: www.katrinadavey.com [https://katrinadavey.com/] https://ambapress.com.au/products/humming-along [https://ambapress.com.au/products/humming-along]  https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-davey/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-davey/]

#102 What’s involved in a mid-PhD-candidature review about out-of-field teaching?

Find out what's involved in a mid-candidature review as I review my exploration into out-of-field teaching over the past 2.5 years.

#101 Dr Kathy O’Sullivan: Why numeracy is a life skill everyone needs beyond the maths classroom

Numeracy may be a cross-curriculum priority in youreducation system — but what does that actually mean for teachers who don’t teach maths? Dr Kathy O’Sullivan from the University of Galway in Ireland argues that when schools expect every teacher to support numeracy, most teachers are effectively teaching it out of field. In this conversation, she explains why numeracy is often misunderstood as ‘basic maths’, why tick-box approaches fail, and how teachers can start recognising numeracy opportunities within their own subjects. This ep also explores what systems can do better — from sustained professional learning to stronger preparation in initial teacher education. Links: Dr Kathy O’Sullivan ·       https://research.universityofgalway.ie/en/persons/kathy-osullivan/ [https://research.universityofgalway.ie/en/persons/kathy-osullivan/] ·       ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8078-3206 [https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8078-3206] Numeracy research and frameworks -      The "N" Framework: A Teacher KnowledgeFramework for Numeracy across the Curriculum https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/numeracy/vol18/iss2/art2/ [https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/numeracy/vol18/iss2/art2/]-      Numeracy in the 21st Century – model by MerrilynGoos and colleagues https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-model-for-numeracy-in-the-21-st-century-Goos-Geiger-Dole-2014_fig1_317731661 -      Numeracy across the Curriculum book byAustralian Teacher Educators https://www.routledge.com/Numeracy-Across-the-Curriculum-Research-based-strategies-for-enhancing-teaching-and-learning/Goos-Geiger-Dole-Forgasz-Bennison/p/book/9781760297886 [https://www.routledge.com/Numeracy-Across-the-Curriculum-Research-based-strategies-for-enhancing-teaching-and-learning/Goos-Geiger-Dole-Forgasz-Bennison/p/book/9781760297886] Numeracy resources and teaching tools ·       Gapminder data visualisation tools https://www.gapminder.org [https://www.gapminder.org/] ·       Nrich maths tasks https://nrich.maths.org [https://nrich.maths.org/] ·       Peter Liljedahl numeracy-rich tasks / thinking classrooms resources https://buildingthinkingclassrooms.com [https://buildingthinkingclassrooms.com/]   Australian numeracy examples ·       Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership https://www.academy.vic.gov.au [https://www.academy.vic.gov.au/] ·       Australian Department of Education numeracy resources (examples of numeracy across curriculum materials) https://www.education.gov.au/australian-curriculum/support-literacy-and-numeracy

#100: What I wish I knew before I started teaching out of field

Out-of-field teaching is rarely one neat experience. One lesson, one junior class, one senior subject, one term or five years all place different demands on teachers. This 100th episode draws on teacher interviews, podcast conversations, PhD thinking and recent research to explore what may help when teachers are assigned to subjects they were never trained to teach — from finding the big ideas and learning the pedagogy, to borrowing strategically, using honestycarefully, and protecting professional identity when the assignment becomes more than a short-term fix. For the links, please go to my Substack article of the same name. There's TOO many reference links to post in this Spotify field, alas.

#99 Jack Pennoyer IWSI America Career Pathways Mentor on Teaching Beyond the Classroom

Out-of-field teaching isn’t just about subjects — it’s about stepping into learning spaces where you don’t have all the answers yet. Career pathways mentor (and qualified teacher) Jack Pennoyer has spent more than a decadedoing exactly that, working across special education, transition programs and employment pathways. In this conversation, he reflects on what actually makes someone effective at teaching or mentoring when the credential or subject expertise isn’t the whole story. For teachers feeling out of field around career readiness, inclusion or soft skills, there are some powerful takeaways here. Jack Pennoyer's LInkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-pennoyer681/