Shaping young minds: Talia Beater on teaching, values, and the future of learning

Inspired by the transformative impact teachers can have on a child’s life, soon-to-be graduate of the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) Master of Learning and Teaching Talia Beater has always felt called to the classroom.

After years working with young people in psychology and ministry roles, she knew it was time to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a primary school teacher.

As the recipient of the 2025 Barry Fields Memorial Scholarship, Talia was able to focus fully on developing the skills she needed to become an effective and compassionate teacher.

Now preparing for her first full-time role in 2026, she reflects with gratitude on the people and opportunities that helped turn her dream into reality.

Talia recently spoke to us about her journey.

You are studying a Master of Learning and Teaching. Why did you choose to study this at UniSQ?

I have always wanted to be a primary school teacher. However, there were circumstances when I finished high school that led me to pursue undergrad study in psychology instead. This provided opportunity to work with young people through different ministry roles including school chaplaincy and coordinating children’s programs at church. These moments in learning environments ignited my passion for working with young people and led me to consider further study in education. Because I had completed a Bachelor of Psychological Science four years prior and had experience working with children, I was able to streamline the study through a master’s program in Education. I decided to study with the University of Southern Queensland because of the trimester program structure that could be completed in less than 1.5 years and offered flexible online learning around my work commitments.

What does the role of an educator mean to you and what would you like to get out of your studies the most?

As an educator, I love the meaningful interactions with students to help them grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Throughout the course of my studies and ministry involvement, I have met so many dedicated teachers who genuinely care about their students and will go above and beyond to encourage them to be creative and curious thinkers. Now that I have completed my studies, I hope to meaningfully integrate important values – such as kindness, empathy and integrity – in the primary classroom learning environment.

What do you hope to do after graduating? Do you want to teach in the classroom?

I have recently completed my final placement and GTPA assessment in October! Since then, my teaching registration has been finalised, and I am currently working in a relief teaching capacity. This has been a great opportunity to build my confidence in behaviour management and being able to think quickly on my feet! I am thankful to have secured a full-time role in an independent primary school for 2026. As someone who has wanted to pursue a career in education for a very long time, I am very excited to start teaching and have my own class.

What’s been your favourite part of the Master of Learning Teaching at UniSQ so far?

As I reflect on my studies with UniSQ, I have thoroughly enjoyed the placement experiences to apply the learned course content and trial different teaching strategies. A huge chunk of teaching practice is learning how to be a critically reflective teacher in order to identify the strategies for learning that worked brilliantly and other ways that definitely didn’t work… but now I know not to implement next time! As nerve-wracking as teaching placements can be, I had made it my mission to see it as an opportunity to learn from experienced teachers by asking many questions and adding effective strategies to my ‘teaching toolkit’! Through the process of juggling study and work commitments, I have learned a lot about my own resilience, strengths and dedication to the profession in order to make teaching decisions that are grounded by personal values and evidence-based practice.

You are this year’s recipient of the Barry Fields Memorial Scholarship! How has it helped your studies with UniSQ?

It was a significant honour to receive the Barry Field Memorial Scholarship during my studies. As a postgraduate student, it was the only teaching scholarship that I met the criteria for. Therefore, I was hopeful and very surprised to receive the confirmation that I had been granted the scholarship. Furthermore, receiving this scholarship confirmed that I had made the right decision to pursue teaching as a mature-aged student who loved working with young people. The scholarship arrived at the right time to ease my concerns of having to take time off work to complete my final teaching placement. Finally, this scholarship was a boost in my confidence to finish my studies well in honour of the brilliant teacher that Barry Fields was.

What would you like to say to the donors of the scholarship in thanks and appreciation?

I would love to thank Mark and Tim, Barry’s two sons, who established the scholarship to recognise and honour their father’s dedication to the teaching profession. It sounded like Barry had a strong passion for education and loved building student confidence in learning, willing to help and sparked their curiosity. I hope to be a teacher like that. Their generosity to support and invest in future teachers provides the opportunity for students to receive quality education grounded in genuine care and value.

Learn more about UniSQ's Master of Learning and Teaching.