Rebecca Johnson
John Paul II Catholic School, TAS
Naniyilipata
Early Career Teacher
John Paul II Catholic School is located in Rokeby in Tasmania, a community where many families face complex challenges and disadvantage. Classroom teacher, Rebecca Johnson, is driven to help reduce student disadvantage through a focus on a number of inspiring literacy and home learning initiatives.
One initiative Rebecca employed was using Multilit’s InitiaLit program which raised her prep cohort’s average literacy knowledge score from 49% to 93%. She also created a Tier 3 intervention program together with the school’s speech pathologist and literacy coordinator, leading to significant improvements in phonological awareness. To help upskill other teachers in this area, Rebecca participated in personal coaching sessions with teaching expert Toni Hatten-Roberts and shared her insights with staff from over 30 schools across Tasmania.
To further embed literacy gains, Rebecca is engaging families through face-to-face ‘parent-teacher learning conferences,’ which provide strategies to support home learning for their children. She plans to host a showcase evening in the school’s new library, where students will present their work to parents and the parish community, strengthening school and community ties. Rebecca’s aim is to sustain and expand community involvement and engagement to benefit all her students.
Her passion for teaching, which began as a gymnastics coach at 15, drives her focus on evidence-based literacy strategies in low socioeconomic schools to improve Tasmania’s literacy rates.
Rebecca’s resourcefulness in supporting students with disabilities and her goal to become a principal in a disadvantaged area underscores her commitment to educational equity and student success.