Geography is a multidisciplinary field which requires the ability to teach the natural sciences to social scientists and vice-versa. This is rather unique in terms of scientific disciplines. My interdisciplinary background in environmental science and policy has helped me bridge the gap between physical and human geography in my teaching. In my experience, when students can relate to the material, they are more likely to engage with it and participate in class and this has been demonstrated to be particularly successful in STEM education. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I decided to develop outdoor learning activities that could be done from anywhere in the world. For example, I developed a geocache activity to teach students about how to use geographic coordinates and GPS. Such an activity took into consideration how students learn (i.e., through active learning) and allowed students to take part in practical learning outside the classroom, which is particularly relevant in the teaching of geography as it also teaches students about the natural world and sustainability. Geography educators should ‘have an active relationship with their subject that enables them to develop curricula in line with the values about geography’ (Brooks, 2006; pg. 353). I first went geocaching to determine the activity’s feasibility and then created an activity that would allow students to find geocaches in their own neighbourhoods around the world and share what they found. Students were asked how they had accomplished the task and what they learned about the spatial dynamics of geography. Developing this activity taught me to think outside the box to teach practical skills remotely without having to be in front of a computer screen and consider accessibility and inclusion in my teaching plans. This is just one example of my approach to inclusive teaching, and I'd like to help you learn as well!

Reference: Brooks, C. (2006) ‘Geographical Knowledge and Teaching Geography,’ International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 15(4), pp