Primary teaching is a huge passion of mine; I can make a positive and lasting impact on a young persons development mentally and emotionally through education. I have had 3 incredibly beneficial school placements. Each one had offered opportunities to be a contributing member of the school while also learning and passing on knowledge in my classroom, it has reaffirmed my decision to be a teacher. I would recommend Flinders University as a mature age, single parent, former builder because not any point in this degree did I feel like I had to do it on my own. Flinders has been one of the best decisions I could have possibly made and one that I will always be proud of. If I can do it successfully, anyone can!

I chose Flinders University because of the reputation of its School of Education and remember many inspiring and dedicated staff. By facilitating bigger picture thinking, Flinders gave me the thirst to learn and develop. It inspired me to follow a deeper learning journey which has ultimately led me to postgraduate study. Since graduating, I have been asked to speak at national and international conferences and work alongside the people I strive to be like. I am now in a position where I work at the university level and try to inspire students in the same way that Flinders did for me.

I chose to study education at Flinders because I love working with kids. I was also attracted to completing a double degree in such an amazing atmosphere you experience at Flinders. My overseas placement at the Australian International School in Kuala Lumpur was the best experience I’ve had during my course. We enjoyed sightseeing on weekends around the city and a visit to Langkawi. I learnt a lot about teaching in a multicultural school, the students came from all over the world! This opportunity provided me with valuable learning and was an amazing experience that I recommend to all education students!

I chose to study teaching at Flinders to influence the lives of young people and give them a male role model at school. Flinders also has a great connection with the school I graduated from and the convenience of being able to study close to home - with onsite car parking and class flexibility has allowed me to continue working and coaching. During my studies, I had the opportunity to experience the Grampians National Park with a group of 60 students where we completed activities such as rock climbing, abseiling and kayaking. The experiences I’ve had at Flinders have prepared me to be the teacher I want to be.

As a full-time Director and Teacher, flexibility was extremely important when choosing my Masters degree. With only a few key deadlines and no set class times (e.g. lectures), I studied at my own pace and when it suited me. Flinders Library also offers a ‘Send It’ service so any books that I needed were couriered out to me within a day or so. Teachers were easily accessed and very responsive, while the online community was a fantastic place to connect with like-minded educators.

I majored in Health and Physical Education, which enabled me to experience hiking and camping trips– from Mt Crawford to the Grampians. The placement was the culmination of four years of studying educational contexts, learners and their development, and curriculum design. It also allowed me the opportunity to try, to fail, to try again, and succeed – under the watchful eyes of established professionals. Once a Flinders University student, always a Flinders University student; I have never felt uncomfortable reaching out to my past teachers for support.

The Master of Education (M.Ed) at Flinders University was an ideal way to take my teaching and educational leadership skills to the next level. This included both consolidating existing and developing further knowledge and abilities in curriculum development, assessment practices, and in leadership and management. In addition, the M.Ed allows you to choose from a broad range of face-to-face or online topics, either full or part-time, that both suit your professional needs and understand that educators need to fit study around school and family commitments.