In profile: Francesca Taliano

What do you like best about your current role?

Turning up every day full of energy and ready to play sport all day long!

My students are always excited and ready for whatever I throw at them. I love seeing how my students grow in confidence, develop new skills and have fun. Radford students are the best at showing sportsmanship towards each other and assisting other students who lack confidence in PE.

Can you tell us about your role and current projects?

I am currently teaching PE from Pre-K through to Year 6. This is wide in scope, but I can really see how skills can grow and develop over time. From starting with basic skills, such as throwing and catching with the younger years, through to playing modified games with the older years, I can really see how important physical activity is for all children.

What did you do before joining the Radford community?

I became a tennis coach at the age of 15 and after school I studied a Bachelor of Sports Coaching and Administration at a sports college in Sydney.

I coached tennis in some of Sydney’s top private schools and became the Head of Tennis at my old high school. I was lucky enough to be chosen to coach in Barcelona, Spain, at a tennis academy for two months. After my coaching success, I moved to Canberra to study a Masters of Secondary Teaching majoring in Physical Education.

What do you enjoy outside Radford?

I love heading to local markets, catching up with friends, discovering hidden walking tracks and playing tennis. I love cooking traditional Italian food that my Nonna taught me to make. I also love travelling to Sydney to spend time with my parents and two sisters (who are also school teachers!).