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

#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/

#98 Research for Educational Impact | Margaret Jakovac

If you’re new to this podcast — or just want an update on my PhD research into out-of-field teaching — this episode’s probably a good place to jump in. I share a profile piece I recently wrote for Deakin University’s Centre for Research for Educational Impact (REDI) about the research, the questions driving it, and some of the tensions around teacher identity and teaching beyond your formal area of expertise. Jakovac is my legal surname, although I write professionally and record this podcast under the Paton moniker. Links: Official information page for would-be participants to my PhD project https://blogs.deakin.edu.au/success-stories-ooft-maths-science/phd-research-project-a-netnographic-exploration-of-self-perceptions-of-success-of-out-of-field-teachers-of-mathematics-and-science/

#97 Trust, mentoring and pedagogy: Dr David Bryan on what out-of-field teachers really need

Dr David Bryan brings more than four decades of classroom, leadership and governance experience to a candid conversation about out-of-field teaching. A school founder and veteran educator, he argues that teaching is “messy and complex” — and that success depends less on credentials and more on strong pedagogy, trust, mentoring and leadership that walks the corridors. Drawing on real school stories, Bryan reframes out-of-field teaching as a system and design challenge, not a teacher failing. Links: Curiosity Invited podcast (David Bryan’s podcast) https://curiosityinvitedpodcast.com/ [https://curiosityinvitedpodcast.com/] David Bryan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bryan-b2868b25 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bryan-b2868b25] Canvas Rebel profile: Meet David Bryan https://canvasrebel.com/meet-david-bryan/ [https://canvasrebel.com/meet-david-bryan/] University at Buffalo feature on David Bryan https://careerdesignstudio.buffalo.edu/blog/2024/10/31/how-i-used-my-phd-in-communication-to-start-a-school-and-a-podcast/ [https://careerdesignstudio.buffalo.edu/blog/2024/10/31/how-i-used-my-phd-in-communication-to-start-a-school-and-a-podcast/] New Roads School (theschool he co-founded) https://www.newroads.org/ [https://www.newroads.org/]