ABSTRACT
This chapter firstly considers just how ‘special’ subjects are, what it is that makes subject specialism important, and why teachers in PCE can benefit from being ‘dual professionals’. We then consider the huge array of subject-based qualifications and courses which are available in PCE, and how grouping them into ‘subject families’ could be a helpful way of making more sense of them all as specialist areas. We then continue by asking what being a ‘specialist’ can mean to you as a teacher, and the values and practical approaches which can help to place your subject at the centre of what you do. We ask you to think about the particular responsibilities that your specialist subject gives you as a teacher, and explain some of the techniques for ‘putting over’ your subject, or communicating it effectively to your students. The chapter closes with some thoughts about how learning technology could make developing your subject specialism and networking with others more possible in the future.
