ITESS Geography specialisation
Prepare for a career teaching geography in international secondary schools with the geography specialisation at ITESS. You’ll grow into an engaging, inclusive, and culturally sensitive educator, with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to teach human and physical geography with a historical and geographical balance. This will mean you will be able to connect with all the nationalities and their perspectives in your international classroom.
What’s in it for you:
Gain practical teaching experience in international schools in each year of your studies
Develop a comprehensive understanding of geography and spatial relations on a local, regional, continental and global level
Learn to teach in a meaningful and active way, and design lessons that connect to the cultural diversity within your classrooms
Intertwine your knowledge of geography and history to give your students tools to positively engage with global challenges
Develop your skills in creating and conducting fieldwork activities
Learn to use Geo ICT in your lessons
Customise your course and choose from over 100 minors for your elective semester
The programme
With the Social Studies-Geography Specialisation programme, you develop your intercultural understanding and global teaching skills, so you are ready to meet the challenges of a diverse international classroom with empathy and adaptability. The curriculum focuses on human and physical geography, creating a historical and geographical balance by providing nuance that will enable you to create an inclusive learning environment.
Specific subjects include:
the position of different continents in a globalising world using different geographical concepts, perspectives and dimensions
(social) demographic processes
urban and rural processes
the influence of plate tectonics on the geomorphology
basic relations in weather and climate phenomena
the geomorphology of global landscapes
the physical factors affecting human geography of different continents
Using Geo ICT in your lessons (ArcGIS, Storymaps, Google Earth)
Build your foundational knowledge of geography and didactics. You focus on one or two continents and look at both human geography (such as migration, demography, globalisation and culture) and physical geography (landscapes, climate and geology).
Further build on your subject knowledge and didactical skills. You also work with science students during the ecology and suitability courses.
Develop your research skills and pursue your own particular interests. At this point the History and Geography specialisations come together in a single cohort.
Develop your research skills and pursue your own particular interests. At this point the History and Geography specialisations come together in a single cohort.
Practical approach
The programme is designed to provide a balanced mix of theoretical knowledge and practical experiences, so you are thoroughly prepared you for the complexities of teaching in international school settings. You'll undertake practical assignments that focus on application, reflection and skill refinement. You'll develop the confidence and competence needed to thrive in diverse classrooms by engaging in simulated class lessons where you get feedback from peers and instructors, role play, where you get to adapt your approaches to different teaching contexts, and through multifaceted projects that incorporate different skills and tools needed in the international classroom.
Practical assignments include, for instance:
Field trips exploring geology in Germany (year 1) as well as ecology and historical geography
Classroom simulations with peer feedback
Research into physical geography, ecology and water management, places of conflict, and historical geography
Designing an innovative lesson for a target group of your choice
Is this the degree for you?
If you're confident this degree is the one for you, then why not apply online straightaway? Or pick one of the other options to help you take the next step.
