Geography Initial Teacher Education
The passion for geography, a passion for learning and a desire to critically explore our world are core ingredients within our learning community. Add in experienced mentors and tutors and the mix is right to nurture the next cohort of inspiring geography teachers.
Develop your own teacher identity
We support you in becoming a critically aware practitioner and in refining your own teacher identity and educational philosophy. The idea of geography as a school ‘subject’ is central to our course. By this we mean that the course enables you to understand how your own passion for geography translates into interesting, challenging and worthwhile learning for young people.
Access fantastic learning opportunities
You will have input from subject-based experts both in university and in schools. Many of our mentors are former students who know and understand our programme. Mentors and academic experts, in fields such as GIS and meteorology, contribute to our university teaching.
Take part in active learning
University-based sessions are active and engaging, encouraging you to share ideas about how and what to teach. At the same time you will develop your professional understanding about what it means be a great geography teacher.
Experience, plan and deliver high quality fieldwork
A five-day fieldwork programme in the Peak District will develop your skills, knowledge and understanding around practical fieldwork. This experience in invaluable in supporting your future teaching career
Become an active professional
We are responsive to an ever-changing national education context and we engage with that developing landscape – both in our subject and in wider education.
Follow a high-quality learning programme
Our programme is jointly planned and regularly refined by us and practicing experts, who we work closely with, to ensure that you are well equipped to begin your teaching career.
Be involved in the wider geography community
You are encouraged to be part of wider professional networks such as the Geographical Association (GA), and retain a professional interest in developments in geography as a discipline. Past students have attended the GA’s annual conference and presented their teaching ideas and written articles for the GA journal, Teaching Geography.
The School of Education and School of Geography are a University of Nottingham affiliated branch of the Geographical Association.
I have a passion for nurturing creative, exciting and brilliant emerging geographers – practitioners who are critically aware, reflective, love their subject and want to create high quality learning for, and with, their pupils! I love the passion for learning that younger colleagues share and their willingness to explore learning and take risks which positively impacts on their own emerging practice.
Mal Kerr
Secondary PGCE Geography Course Leader
See all staff profiles
The schools and society module really opened my eyes to how important teachers are, not just in the classroom, but pastorally and within wider society. We learnt about different topics such as teaching refugee children, recognising abuse in its different forms, and safeguarding. This is all applied through the ‘Dearing Class’, which is used as a case study of students to be able to apply our learning into real life scenarios. .
Grace Marie Blinkhorn
Secondary PGCE Geography
See all alumni profiles