How many subjects (other than your own) could you teach if called upon to do so?

[CruiseSpeed]

I'm an English teacher, and I've never - in almost twenty years in this career - been timetabled to deliver a subject other than my own. I was chatting to a Food Tech teacher today who was floundering with the KS3 English and Geography she's been landed with this year, and it got me thinking about which subjects I could make a decent fist of teaching if called upon to do so, and which ones I'd not have the first clue about.

I'd have a cheerful go at:

• Drama (up to KS4)
• History (up to KS4)
• Geography (up to KS3)
• RE (up to KS4)
• Food Tech (up to KS4)

Not a chance:

• Languages
• Maths
• PE
• Music
• Art
• Design Technology
• IT

I'm not sure what this says about either my teaching skills or my general knowledge to be honest, so am curious as to whether many teachers reckon they could have a bash at most subjects, or if, like me, they have a rather shamefully brief list.

noble it's definitely not just you. We collapse the timetable a few times a year to do pshe, where we all have to teach it to our forms. The entire maths department live in fear of the lesson plan coming out with "discuss" and "debate" the topic. The scientists and computing teachers feel the same. I think the tech teachers are almost as fearful of it too. The history, geography, English, re teachers look at us in confusion as we wibble in the corner making a huge fuss about a debate in pshe.

I'd have a bash as most subjects for y7, but I'd probably be terrible at most of them. I think I could teach literacy at my school because that's 1 lesson a week focusing on spelling and grammar, which is rules and there's right and wrong, which I like. I don't like ambiguity.

Geographer here. I also teach Geology and Environmental Science and I teach BTEC travel and tourism.

I have also taught history and RE to Ks3

My subject is Drama, but I've had both a part and full timetable of English (up to GCSE) in the past.

Other subjects I've been timetabled to teach during my career so far are:

Dance (KS3&4)
Media (KS4)
Citizenship/PSHE (KS3&4)
Enterprise (KS3)
Geography (KS3)
Integrated Studies - basically all the humanities plus ICT (KS3)

On top of that I've done long-term supply in the following subjects - all only KS3:

Music
Art
French
ICT
Science (mostly biology)

The only subjects I'd refuse to teach would be Maths and any MFL other than French. I'd consider KS3 for pretty much any of the other subjects (with support from a subject specialist), but it's not something I would ever seek out.

I did manage to have 3 years where all I taught was Drama; that was blissful and I'd love to find a post where I could have that again.

We aren’t qualified to swap between primary and secondary at all in scotland, that’s really interesting if you are elsewhere.

seven201 snap. I teach D&T (RMT and Graphics) as it was. I now teach Textiles and Food also but not a big leap, I sew and cook at home. Although over my career I have taught Business studies GNVQ ( I insisted that the Sixth Form College paid for evening classes so I could gain an A'level, GCSE English, Child development, because I returned from Maternity leave, KS3 Science that was dreadful as I was basically given a text book and had no idea of the pedagogy also PCSHE. My employers get their monies' worth.

Well this thread is nothing if not proof that we need subject specialists in our schools.

There's a general sense that teachers are generally willing to have a go at another subject if directed to do so, but the consensus seems to be that this would be a suboptimal experience for the pupils at best and and absolute car crash at worst.

I know that schools are often left with little choice in the current climate. If it's a choice between Maths or Science being taught by an unknown supply teacher or an unqualified cover supervisor, then a Geography teacher looks like the most palatable option.

But - Christ! -this feels like educational Armageddon. In one school near me I think that they only have two Maths specialists in the whole department. This can't go on, can it? At some point the r&r crisis has to be addressed in meaningful way. We can't keep propping any warm body in front of a class of kids and expect anything resembling an education to take place

This can't go on, can it? At some point the r&r crisis has to be addressed in meaningful way. We can't keep propping any warm body in front of a class of kids and expect anything resembling an education to take place

Well, sadly that’s been happening for ages and parents don’t seem that bothered on the whole.

Start introducing 4.5 day weeks though and people might start complaining about the situation in schools. To be honest though-judging by some of the posts on tht thread last week, some parents would far rather schools put a warm body in front of their child than dare to consider an alternative.

The problem seems to be that in education there is a recruitment and retention crisis but also a funding crisis. Schools are having to make massive cuts (eg the 4.5 day weeks) to stay afloat which is hardly going to help entice subject specialists to come or stay.

My subject is History but over 20 years I've also taught English, geography, RE, ICT, PSHE and art.

Physics degree but obviously we do all three Sciences. ( those being the same subject and all)
I did half Maths/half Science in my NQT year.

I have to do one lesson of PSHE a fortnight but its all planned and printed for us.

Other Science staff have to do health and social care which sounds a nightmare for marking.

I helped out in English as a TA and taught a small group.

I would hate to do any humanities or MFL.