In this episode of Fraction of a Teacher, Jen and Francis unpack Teacher Standard 3 (demonstrating good subject and curriculum knowledge ) and what it actually looks like in real classrooms, not just on paper.

We reflect on:

• why not knowing everything can be a strength, not a weakness

• how teaching the way you learn can deepen understanding for students

• the gap between PGCE theory and classroom reality

• how confidence in subject knowledge grows over time (and why that’s okay)

Jen shares an honest reflection on her early fear of “not knowing enough” and how that mindset shifted once she realised modelling learning, mistakes, and thinking aloud was powerful for pupils.

We also look ahead to future-you teaching, asking:

• What topic do you want future you to be better at teaching and what’s one small step you can take now?

As always, this is a reflective, practical conversation for trainee teachers, ECTs, and anyone navigating the messy middle of learning to teach well.

Honest reflections.

Real classrooms.

One step forward.