Do you teach a school subject or stage for which you're not qualified? Then this fortnightly podcast is for you. I'll be talking with experts about out-of-field teaching practice, research, policy, success stories and innovation. Transcript: Welcome to this new podcast about and for out-of-field teachers. That’s when K-12 educators teach a subject without the necessary qualifications, according to the Out-of-Field – Teaching Across Specialisations Collective. And it’s happening a LOT due to the increasing school teacher shortages in Australia and globally. I’m Margaret Paton, a former out-of-field teacher based in Australia and I’m also known as Margaret Jakovac when I put my novice academic researcher hat on. By trade, I’m an education writer and my words appear in The Australian Educator and The Australian Teacher Magazine. Despite training as a primary or elementary school teacher, I preferred high school teaching. That’s how I landed in the out-of-field teaching space. Teaching Japanese was a hoot – I don’t know this language, but thanks to the substantive teacher leaving detailed lesson plans, and having smooth learning routines for her classes, it was a hoot. Teaching metal fabrication was my personal minefield. I couldn’t connect that to anything I knew, which was gnawingly obvious to the students. There’s no way I could reign in their behaviours to get them on task. So, this podcast is part-therapy for me as out-of-field teacher for over seven years, on and off, which was at times harrowing. I also want to share success stories about out-of-field teaching done well –where school contexts offer the support such teachers need. I want to move beyond the deficit model of out-of-field teachers. It’s a fascinating space, and I hope you’ll think so, too. Each fortnight, I’ll share my interviews with out-of-field teachers, as well as researchers, policymakers and even entrepreneurs who explore this space, and offer insights and possible solutions. We’ll talk about: · the history of out-of-field teaching – did you know the US banned it for a few years this Millennium? · What’s the state of play now? · how can out-of-field teachers harness signature pedagogies to be on the front foot as they walk into classrooms · You’ll learn how a beginning teacher successfully lobbied her principal, so she never had to take an out-of-field class – she had some convincing research to back up her claims, and a · As well, we’ll check out what are the hot areas of research and, how can you keep tabs on them, and much more. This podcast is created in Central West NSW, Australia, on the lands of the Wiradjuri people. I would like to acknowledge the Wiradjuri people who are the Traditional Custodians of the Land. I would also like to pay respect to the Elders, both past and present, of the Wiradjuri Nation and extend that respect to other Indigenous Australians who are listening. So, look out for the first episode in a couple of weeks. I’ll talk to a researcher who’s an international expert in this area, with many symposia, conferences, books, research papers and projects to her name. Associate Professor Linda Hobbs from the School of Education at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia, is the first cab off the rank. And a discloser – she’s my university supervisor! Please be sure to subscribe, so you get these insights straight into your news feed. Thank you
