7 tips to teach science confidently when you’re not a science teacher

Stepping into a science lab when you’re not a science teacher can be daunting at the best of times, and terrifying at the worst. Between difficult concepts, lab equipment, and experiments, it’s easy to feel out of your depth. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to be a science expert to teach science effectively. With the right tools and preparation, you can create engaging, meaningful learning experiences for your students.

In this blog post I will explore 7 tips for helping you succeed in the science lab and feeling more confident as a science teacher when you’re not a science teacher!

how to teach science when you’re not a science teacher

7 Tips for teaching science when you’re not a science teacher

1. Build confidence

One of the most difficult things about teaching out of your subject area is that lack of confidence. You know you don’t have the content knowledge or understanding that your colleagues have, and that your student expect. 

But that doesn’t mean you can’t deliver a lesson with confidence! My biggest tip here is to use scaffolded, well structured resources to help guide you as well as your students. 

Student workbooks are a great way to do this. They provide some information, cloze passages you can read through together as a class, and activities. And the best part? They come with full teacher answers! 

Having resources with full teacher answers will give you the confidence that you are steering your students in the right direction. 

2. Be ok with not knowing

Even as an experienced science teacher, students still ask me questions that I don’t know the answer to. If you’re not a science teacher, this is bound to happen.

In these situations it is better to be honest than to try and fake it – students will lose confidence in you very quickly if you just try and fudge your way through. However, being open that you don’t know and modelling to them how you might go about finding out, will help build trust with your students.

3. Lean into the observation and inquiry

Science is a subject where if a student asks a question, you can ask one straight back! It doesn’t always have to be on you to lecture or to feed them the information. Ask students to make observations, hypothesize and investigate. If you’re not a science teacher this is a great way to support student learning without feeling burdened with the need to know everything.

4. Utilise videos

There are some fantastic videos online that you can access for free that you can use to teach the finer details of a concept. Rather than using a video to introduce a topic, you do that bit and use a video to delve deeper into the content you may not be as well versed in. 

Feel free to check out my own YouTube channel here. 

5. Prioritize Safety in the Lab

Even if you’re not a science teacher, you can still run safe and effective practicals. A few golden rules:

• Always check school protocols first – every school has its own safety guidelines.

• Wear PPE – safety glasses, closed shoes, and lab coats or aprons.

• Supervise actively – keep moving around the room to prevent accidents before they happen.

• Know the emergency procedures – eye wash, fire blanket, spill kit, and emergency exits.

• Keep it simple – choose low-risk experiments or modelling activities if you’re not feeling confident enough.

6. Utilise the expertise of those around you

If you’re unsure about a practical, consult your lab technician or a more experienced colleague – they’re your best allies. If I have a lab I haven’t done before, I’ll often organise a time to watch another teacher do it, or ask a lab tech to join me in the lesson. 

7. Prioritize learning the content

When you are short on prep time, it is important to use it to help review the content you need to teach. You can use prepared resources, purchase resources, utilise a textbook or videos etc for the actual lesson – but to help you feel more confident and to ensure the lesson goes where you want it to, it is important that you prioritize learning the content yourself.

You don’t need to be a science specialist to create meaningful, engaging lessons. If you’re not a science teacher but have been thrown into the deep end, you can support students in their learning by focusing on safety, curiosity, and the big ideas.