How can you teach interdisciplinary subjects more effectively?

3 Use project-based learning

Project-based learning is a pedagogical approach that involves engaging your students in authentic, meaningful, and collaborative projects that address real-world issues or questions. This approach is ideal for teaching interdisciplinary subjects, as it allows your students to apply their knowledge and skills from different disciplines, and to develop their creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork abilities. You can design projects that are relevant to your subject, such as creating a website, a podcast, a poster, or a campaign, and that require your students to conduct research, collect and analyze data, produce and present their work, and reflect on their learning process.

4 Encourage student choice and voice

Another strategy to teach interdisciplinary subjects more effectively is to encourage student choice and voice in your classroom. This means that you give your students some autonomy and flexibility in choosing their topics, resources, methods, and formats for their projects or assignments. You also invite your students to share their opinions, experiences, and interests related to the subject, and to participate actively in discussions, debates, and feedback sessions. By doing so, you can increase your students' motivation, engagement, and ownership of their learning, as well as foster a culture of diversity, respect, and curiosity in your classroom.

5 Provide scaffolding and support

Teaching interdisciplinary subjects can be demanding and complex for both you and your students. Therefore, you need to provide scaffolding and support throughout the course to help your students cope with the challenges and difficulties they may encounter. Scaffolding refers to the guidance, resources, and tools that you offer your students to help them achieve their learning goals and complete their tasks. For example, you can provide rubrics, checklists, templates, examples, or feedback to help your students plan, organize, execute, and evaluate their work. Support refers to the emotional, social, and academic assistance that you give your students to help them feel confident, comfortable, and valued in your classroom. For example, you can create a positive and safe learning environment, establish clear and consistent expectations and rules, acknowledge your students' strengths and achievements, and address their concerns and needs.

6 Collaborate with other teachers

Finally, one of the best ways to teach interdisciplinary subjects more effectively is to collaborate with other teachers who are teaching the same or related subjects. By collaborating with other teachers, you can share your ideas, experiences, and resources, and learn from their insights, feedback, and suggestions. You can also plan and coordinate your curriculum, activities, and assessments, and create cross-curricular connections and opportunities for your students. Collaborating with other teachers can also help you cope with the workload and stress of teaching interdisciplinary subjects, and enhance your professional development and satisfaction.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?