When Tarlia Moyle-Clough arrived at school with her dog, it was overwhelming.
It wasn’t exactly from the kids – they’d been told a student-teacher was starting who had a guide dog.
Even so, there were still excited exclamations from young onlookers as Tarlia made her way around campus.
It’s hard not to attract attention when your dog is wearing little, pink crocs for comfort because it’s on its feet most of the day.
Everyone was mostly respectful – they knew not to approach it. The dog was working. But the whole experience was still overwhelming.
In case it isn’t clear already, Tarlia was born legally blind, meaning she had more obstacles than most to navigate, including during that first placement.
For a lot of people, feeling so overwhelmed may have been enough for them to start questioning whether education was the best career path for them.
Not Tarlia – her enthusiasm for the role is invigorating.
“I love working with kids,” Tarlia says. “I love supporting them.
“Their natural curiosity and their excitement about whatever subjects they’re interested in – that’s what I love.”
Tarlia has always loved working with children so when she finished high school in Hervey Bay, she enrolled in TAFE to become a teacher aide.
She loved it – so much she went on to further her studies, enrolling in Diploma of Education (Primary) at UniSC Fraser Coast to take her qualifications to next level.
“I loved learning bits and pieces of the theory,” Tarlia says. “When you apply it in the classroom, it’s like a switch is flicked.”
Early Childhood senior lecturer Dr Anne Drabble says Tarlia’s experience captures why placements are such a vital part of teacher education
“Our research shows when pre-service teachers step into classrooms, they begin to connect the theory they learn at university with the complex realities of working with children and school communities,” she says.
“Those experiences help develop their professional identity and confidence as educators.
“Students such as Tarlia also remind us that placements are spaces where diversity and inclusion become real, lived practices rather than ideas.”
A lot of people use the Diploma as a stepping stone into a Bachelor of Education degree, which is what Tarlia initially intended.
But she has enjoyed working as a teacher aide so much, she’s content where is at the moment.
“I feel like on a personal level, being a teacher aide means I can work more closely with the kids and navigate them through any struggles on a one-to-one basis, rather than having to focus on 28 children in the classroom,” she says.
Despite her first placement feeling overwhelming, Tarlia went into her next one with trademark enthusiasm and focus.
“I loved being there,” Tarlia says. “I really felt part of the community – like I’d been working there for years.”
Having been born with Oculocutaneous Albinism, Tarlia has 6/60 vision, meaning she’s had to develop some tricks to help her in the classroom.
“If there are a few kids trying to talk to me at once, I need to get control so there’s only one person speaking at a time because that’s all I can focus on,” Tarlia says.
“But they’re really good – they do understand.
“It's funny, actually, because I feel like kids get disability a lot more than adults do – they're more accepting. Once you explain it to them, they just get it.”
When she talks about working with the children, it’s clear that enthusiasm to help, guide and teach is genuine.
“It’s really important for the kids to trust you as a person,” Tarlia says.
“The first thing I do is create a bond by getting to know the kid – they need to know you’re there to help them.
“When you do build that connection, it’s really rewarding.”
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