Teacher - Secondary School - History
Help young people learn about all sorts of historical events, from the French Revolution to the Battle of Bannockburn.
About the job
What it's like
Do you have a keen interest in history? Could you use your passion to inspire young people to learn about past events and ways of life? If so, you may have a future as a history teacher!
Working in a state or independent school, you could teach students who are between 11 and 18 years old. Some history teachers are based in a college or learning centre.
As a history teacher, your main task is bring past human activities and achievements to life for pupils. You'll use your knowledge to help young people appreciate the history, heritage and culture of Scotland, Britain and beyond!
But you won't just equip your pupils with a top-class historical knowledge. You'll also help them develop skills in evaluating a range of different sources and evidence.
History teachers work with pupils of all abilities! You'll prepare young people to take National Qualifications and Highers in your subject.
You'll inspire pupils to take pride in their achievements, both in and beyond the classroom. It's your job to help them build good relationships with other students and teachers, playing a positive part in school life and the local community.
Sometimes, you'll deal with challenging behaviour! It can be difficult to get some teenagers to take part in educational activities. So, you'll need to be imaginative and enthusiastic to keep them interested.
You'll occasionally attend meetings and training courses. History teachers work closely with colleagues to plan school timetables. Occasionally, you'll collaborate with other professionals, such as educational psychologists and social workers.
Your tasks might include:
preparing lessons and teaching materials
delivering history lessons about a range of different subjects
assessing pupils’ progress and marking their work
setting homework and marking it once young people have submitted it
organising relevant field trips to historical sites, events and social activities
discussing pupils' progress with parents and carers
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Teach in Scotland – find out everything you need to know about working as a history teacher
The General Teaching Council for Scotland – explore the independent regulator for teachers
Education Scotland – check out curriculum information, advice and resources for teachers across the country
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Education
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- motivating others
- mentoring
- coaching
- ethical
- social conscience
- respecting
- empathising
- written communication
- verbal communication
- supporting
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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English
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History
You'll need a degree to teach History at a secondary school in Scotland.
University
Step 1: You'll earn a degree in a relevant subject. Your degree must contain a significant amount of History content, as you'll need to show you have a broad historical knowledge before you can start teaching. Relevant degree subjects include:
History
History and Politics
Scottish History
History and International Relations
History and Sociology
History and Philosophy
Politics
International Relations
Social Sciences
Humanities
Philosophy
Classical Studies or Ancient History
Archaeology
Medieval Studies
Step 2: You'll then study a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) in History. Your PGDE takes one year to complete and includes work placements.
Use the My World of Work course search to find degrees and PGDE opportunities.
College
Not got the grades you need to go to university? Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you progress to more advanced study. Useful subjects include:
Social Sciences
History
History and Heritage
History and Politics
Politics
Philosophy
Sociology
Geography
Some university courses will expect you to have classroom or youth work experience before you apply. Volunteering is a fantastic way to gain this experience – search for teaching, childcare or youth work opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
All teachers must be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland.
As well as teaching history, you may be expected to support literacy, numeracy or health and wellbeing within your school.
Find the right course for you
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