Mrs Kylie Bardetta’s passion for teaching began while working as a learning support assistant in the Newcastle Maitland Diocese for five years.

Kylie is a Second-year Bachelor of Educational Studies student within the Charles Sturt School of Education.

“I feel incredibly valued within my school and by the teachers I work with, but I felt like I wasn't fulfilling my potential, and that I had more to give,” she said.

After witnessing casual teachers employed during the Covid-19 pandemic rely even more on their learning support staff like Kylie due to the need to keep classrooms consistent and familiar for students, she knew she could be a part of positive change in the classroom on a bigger scale.

"I only became aware of the Charles Sturt Collaborative Teacher’s Aide Pathway course when my husband mentioned it to me,” she said.

“He was really the driving force for me to study, so I did a bit of research and applied for the course during a mid-semester intake.

“Through this Teacher’s Aide Pathway program, I’ve been able to significantly reduce my study time which is a major drawcard; I wouldn’t have been able to do this otherwise.”

Time constraints resulting from the 46-year-old Newcastle local’s personal life have meant the shortened study option and online access was ideal.

“I am a super organised person anyway, but adding study into the mix of work, a shift working husband, sporting commitments for my son, and supporting my two daughters with their wellbeing meant I really needed to take it up a notch,” Kylie said.

“Things like meal planning is essential - I can tell you what we are eating three Thursdays from now.”

Kylie also manages life with an autoimmune disease. Slotting in study around this schedule has been both daunting and challenging, but also rewarding.

“I have had to reassess my expectations of what is achievable some days, and I have felt at times that I haven’t been able to do my best because of this,” she said.

“But I am incredibly lucky that my husband Damien has been my biggest support when it comes to encouraging me to maintain my focus and helping me to implement self-care into my routine.”

Despite her already-busy schedule, Kylie currently works four days a week at a Catholic primary school and has recently started volunteering in a refuge centre’s homework hub supporting students with English as an additional language or dialect (EALD).

As she now embarks on her journey towards teaching, her mantra of replacing judgement with compassion has been a significant guide throughout her studies.

This way of thinking, although positive, came from a particularly challenging experience which has had a profound impact on Kylie’s life.

“My life prior to children was spent working for a building society, where I was involved in an armed holdup,” she said.

“Despite therapy to work through the obvious trauma of it, there are still lingering impacts.

“It has taught me to meet people where they are at and try to replace judgment with understanding. We don't really know what other people are dealing with, so I feel compassion is more helpful than judgement.”

The mum of three is now encouraging others to push through their reservations and prioritise their future.

“I feel incredibly rewarded each time I reach the end of semester, it’s a great sense of achievement,” Kylie said.

“I remind myself that I was so sure I couldn’t do it, and yet each time I make it through in one piece.”

Upon completing her studies, Kylie hopes to start work as a casual teacher or job share in an early primary classroom, before securing a permanent teaching position in either the public or Catholic school system.

ENDS