The current issue (Spring 2026) of 'Teaching Geography' features a very useful article by Daryl Sinclair.
Daryl himself describes the article in a LinkedIn post, details of which are shared below:
He lives and works in Germany.
In geography, the language we choose draws circles around people and places.
Some circles invite students in; others limit what they can imagine about themselves, the world, and the future.
𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬?
My latest article in the Geographical Association's 'Teaching Geography' Journal explores how the labels, hierarchies and models we rely on can unintentionally narrow students’ understanding of people and places.
"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬."
When we treat models as fixed truths, we risk drawing circles that exclude and limit rather than invite and inspire. The article shares research, student accounts and classroom strategies that help us move toward more inclusive, context‑aware geography teaching.
𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬?
My latest article in the Geographical Association's 'Teaching Geography' Journal explores how the labels, hierarchies and models we rely on can unintentionally narrow students’ understanding of people and places.
"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬."
When we treat models as fixed truths, we risk drawing circles that exclude and limit rather than invite and inspire. The article shares research, student accounts and classroom strategies that help us move toward more inclusive, context‑aware geography teaching.
I worked with Daryl on the new 'Discover Geography' series.
This starts coming out in less than a week's time, which is very exciting.
It will be good to catch up with him face to face at the GA Conference in April in Sheffield.
If you are not a subscriber to 'Teaching Geography', which recently celebrated its 50th birthday, you can join the GA, and subscribers to this journal can see digital copies of back issues as well as receive the physical journal itself three times a year.
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