ITESS History specialisation
Prepare for a career teaching history in international secondary schools with the history specialisation at ITESS. You’ll grow into an engaging, inclusive, and culturally sensitive educator, with the knowledge, skills and experience needed to teach history.
What’s in it for you:
Gain practical teaching experience in international schools in each year of your studies
Develop a comprehensive understanding of world history and the connections and disconnections across societal and cultural boundaries
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 history and geography to give your students tools to positively engage with global challenges
Develop your skills in outdoor learning and connecting your subject to current events
Form your own vision on teaching social studies in an international classroom based on your experience and research
Customise your course and choose from over 100 minors for your elective semester
The programme
The Social Studies-History Specialisation curriculum focuses on world history, emphasising history as a narrative and the nuances that make history a complex and meaningful specialisation. You explore the intricate story of human existence, learning to connect individuals and societies across time and space. This creates a historical and geographical balance so you can connect to the numerous nationalities and their perspectives in the international classroom. You also learn to stimulate critical thinking skills to widen the scope of choices and empower your students. This enables you to foster an inclusive and culturally sensitive learning environment.
Build your foundational knowledge on world history through research projects, collaboration with peers and an assignment with other teaching disciplines to design innovative lessons. You’ll explore historical periods and events through the lens of key concepts: Empires, Revolutions, Ideologies, and Inequalities.
Learn to teach sensitive history, integrate subjects and use specific historical and geographical didactics to active and engage students positively in a multicultural classroom environment. You'll design a fieldtrip, dive into the history of a country of your choice, work with a real client on designing a social studies unit for an international school, and organise a symposium about social studies.
Carry out teaching practice in international schools, and have the chance to select minors to specialise in.
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:
curating an exhibition of your work for the Empires course
constructing a detailed encyclopaedia about a revolution and participating in a debate on the topic
Designing an innovative lesson in a multi-disciplinary team
Designing an imaginary fieldtrip to dive into a particular country’s history
Designing a social studies unit for client school
Carrying out research on a selected topic, and then writing a publishable academic article
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.
