Lisa Johnson

85 Gamble Road
Carrum Downs, 3201
0412 763 565
lisa.johnson28@hotmail.com
5th October, 2016
Ms. Gail Doney
Wallarano Primary School
38-64 Wallarano Drive
Noble Park, 3174
Dear Ms. Gail Doney:
It is my pleasure to apply for the advertised position of Graduate Generalist Teacher at Wallarano Primary
school.
I am currently studying at La Trobe University and have applied for provisional registration with VIT. At the
end of this year I will have completed my Graduate Diploma in Teaching (P-12) and will complete my
registration for employment eligibility.
While I lack full-time experience in the teaching field, I believe that my life experiences as a member of the
workforce, an academic, a student-teacher and a mother hold me in good stead as I begin my teaching career. I
consider myself to be an intelligent, motivated and enthusiastic individual. I am passionate about teaching and I
pride myself on my ability to develop productive and mutually respectful relationships with students, parents
and colleagues alike. My personal aim as a teacher is to inspire students to become lifelong learners in their own
right, and to exceed expectations wherever possible.
Please find below a brief CV and my responses to the Key Selection Criteria. Note that I have examples of
lesson plans, assessments inquiry units, academic results, written references and my own research/writing
available upon request.
I am available for an interview at your earliest convenience, and I thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,

Lisa Johnson
La Trobe University
0412 763 565

LISA JOHNSON
85 Gamble Road
Carrum Downs, 3201
0412 763 565
lisa.johnson28@hotmail.com

Educational Philosophy
I am invested in engaging students in their local and global communities. My vision is that
students achieve a better understanding of the world in which they live and are empowered to
create their own future through the choices they make and the opportunities they create for
themselves. It is important to me that students become deep reflective thinkers who view
themselves as capable. I strive to encourage a sense of ethical and responsible citizenship in my
student, fostering in them the confidence and knowledge required for them to become the
leaders of tomorrow. I believe that critical questioning, creative thinking and positive social
engagement are vital parts of a positive and engagement classroom environment.
Relevant Experience
2016-present: Master of Teaching (P-12)
La Trobe University

Full time Masters student, achieving HD level grades in all coursework to date
VCE placement teaching Year 11/12 Psychology at Mornington Secondary College
Middle years placement teaching Grade 6 at Aspendale Primary School
Early years placement teaching Grade 3/4 at Eastwood Primary School (an integrated
school for the deaf)
Fieldwork, including school camps, individual student supervision and the development
and implementation of a film-making extra-curricular club

2013-2015: Bachelor of Psychological Science

Monash University
Full time Bachelor student, achieving a D/HD average in all coursework
Results achieved while working part time as a pizza maker and as a full-time mother to
one child, a daughter with mild left hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy
2009-2012: Maritime Warfare Officer
Royal Australian Navy
Completed 6 months of New Entry Officer training, consisting of leadership skills,
teamwork, military history, lateral thinking, critical analysis, wellbeing and physical
training.
Completed 1 year of training at HMAS Watson, focusing on warfare, navigation and
command.
Completed a tour on the HMAS Perth, engaging in international warfare exercises with the
American and NZ military forces
Conducted humanitarian aid work in Samoa, helping to build a school for the local
community
Conducted border patrol operations based out of Darwin
Other Experience
Certificate III in Customer Contact while working in the telemarketing industry
Operations Manager of Australian General Engineering
High results in VCE, scoring within the top 10% of the state (90.55).

Referees
Amanda Jones
Leading Teacher
Mornington Secondary College
Ph. 5970 0200
Leading Teacher and Year 11 co-ordinator, Amanda was my mentor for my first set of teaching
rounds (Year 11/12 Psychology).
Lisa Phillips
Teacher/Team Leader
Aspendale Primary School
Ph. 9580 3255
Teacher and Grade 6 Team Leader, Lisa was my mentor teacher for my second set of teaching
rounds (Grade 6).
Matthew Bird
Teacher
Aspendale Primary School
Ph. 9580 3255
Matthew was the teacher who I worked alongside with in the open-plan, team-teaching
environment at my second placement school.
Shai Minifie
Teacher
Eastwood Primary School
Ph. 9870 6103
Shai will be my third mentor teacher, with my placement commencing on the 10 th of October and
finishing on the 7th of November.

Key Selection Criteria

KSC1: Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of initiatives in student learning including the
Principles of Learning and Teaching P-12 and the Assessment and Reporting Advice and the ability to
implement curriculum programs consistent with their intent.
Throughout my post-graduate work, I have endeavored to ensure that my planning has been informed
by empirically supported initiatives in teaching and education. Within the context of the Standards, I will
create a classroom environment that encourages the development of independent thinking students, while also
using natural and logical consequences in order to deter undesirable behaviour. I will challenge my students,
but will differentiate lessons in order to ensure that the level of difficulty is appropriate to varying student
abilities. In my classroom, I will aim to apply genuine encouragement and affirmation of student behaviour, a
collaborative approach to behavioural management and the creation of mutual respect between myself and the
students. I have also learnt the importance of flexibility in a classroom and have developed the ability to adapt
my lesson plans to the ever-changing interests of a group of students.
Principle 1 The learning environment is supportive and productive.
Coming from a background in Psychological Science, the wellbeing and emotional support of my
students is an area of particular interest for me. I will endeavor to naturally incorporate aspects of
wellbeing into the key learning areas of numeracy and literacy. For example, during my Grade 6
practicum placement, I created a lesson sequence in which students gathered data pertaining to their
class (utilizing the Adolescent Measure of Empathy and Sympathy [AMES]), created graphs and
analyzed the results. These activities addressed key outcomes in the Australian Curriculum/AUSVELS,
while also serving as a springboard for discussion as to how we could demonstrate more empathy and
sympathy in supporting our classmates.
I will create a learning environment of mutual respect and honesty between myself and my students in
order to create a supportive environment in which students feel they are heard and that their opinion is
valued.
I will differentiate lessons in order to ensure that every student, regardless of current ability, is both
challenged and engaged. This will give every student the opportunity to be productively occupied in
each lesson.
Principle 2 The learning environment promotes independence, interdependence and self-motivation.
Having spent time as an Officer in the Royal Australian Navy, the concepts of independence,
interdependence and self-motivation are extremely important to me. I will encourage my students to
take responsibility for their own learning. I will make every effort to give them the tools to do this. For
example, in my Year 11/12 Psychology classes, I created presentation in which key terms were
underlined in red. My students understood that they were expected to get those terms down at a
minimum. That said, I also encouraged them to always do more than the minimum that was required
to pass. I explained that this was a function of independent learning, which encourages students to take
control of their own education.
I believe that teamwork is paramount to creating a classroom environment that is productive,
supportive, engaging and positive. As such, I incorporate team-building exercises into my lessons at
every opportunity. For example, on my Grade 6 rounds I had every student write something about
themselves on a post-it note that they thoughts their classmates wouldnt know. At the start of each
lesson, I would read out a few of these notes and students would try to guess who wrote it. This not only

served to engage students before each lesson, it also taught them that even after 6 years, there was still a
lot they could learn about each other.
I will encourage collaboration and cooperation by designing lessons that incorporate a mix of
independent, small group and large group activities.
I will also foster interdependence and teamwork in my approach to classroom management. For
example, in one of my classes on my teaching rounds, there was a couch that students would jostle to sit
on when we had floor time. I instigated the rule that unless every student could sit on the couch, then
none of them could.
As a student of Psychology, I am a firm believer in the use of meta-cognition in order to increase
student self-motivation. I believe that by teaching students little things like how their memory works,
why they get restless in the middle of long classes and the different learning styles that exist, the more
intrinsic their motivation and self-regulation will become.

Principle 3 Students needs, backgrounds, perspectives and interests are reflected in the learning
program.
I will plan my lessons with differentiation in mind to ensure that every student is working within their
own Zone of Proximal Development. My lessons will include rick tasks with a variety of activities
catering to different learning styles. To cater for differing capabilities of students, I will work with small
groups throughout various projects to ensure that the needs of all students are being met, whether
through intervention or extension.
I have enjoyed meeting and working with students from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds.
My second set of teaching round took place at an International Baccalaureate World School, authorized
to teach the Primary Years Program (PYP) so I have experience in creating globally-minded lessons
within an international framework. Additionally, I am fortunate enough to be conducting my early years
teaching rounds at an integrated school for the deaf. I will endeavor to instill in my students a strong
sense of community, empathy and a deeper understanding of how we interact with each other on a local
and global scale.
I will ensure that my lessons and units of inquiry are flexible and reflect the interests of my students. For
example, on my Grade 6 teaching practicum there was an excursion to the Australian Centre for the
Moving Image that the student enjoyed immensely. Capitalizing on their enthusiasm, I created a unit
of work based on visual texts and screenwriting. This ensured that students were engaged from the very
start, and resulted in a high level of critical thinking and self-motivation from the class as a whole.
Principle 4 Students are challenged and supported to develop deep levels of thinking and application
One way in which I will accomplish this is by the aforementioned use of meta-cognitive strategies in
my classroom.
I will cater my units of inquiry to students interests in order to foster creativity and imagination in my
classes. I believe that these skills are directly related to critical thinking.
I will actively teach the concept of critical questioning in my lessons, and reinforce this with the use of
critical thinking logs in literacy and abstract thinking tasks in numeracy.
In terms of literacy, I have seen firsthand the use of VCOP, Big Write, Seven Steps and Words Their
Way in the classroom. I have encouraged students to expand their vocabulary in order to better be able to
express their opinions on a deep-thinking level. On my Grade 6 rounds, I created Critical Thinking Logs
for students in the extension reading class. I used these logs to help encourage deeper appreciation of
texts, while also scaffolding students in critical questioning and critical reading.

I will utilize a project-based approach to learning and assessment in my classes in order to give each
student the opportunity to demonstrate deeper understanding, critical evaluation and practical
application of the concepts they learn in class.

Principle 5 Assessment practices are an integral part of teaching and learning.

Assessment and reporting forms an integral part of my teaching and the students learning. I believe that
assessment should be considered as a tool to help students learn better, rather than just achieve a better
mark. It should be considered as part of a continuum along with goals and feedback.
Assessment should not just be something that a student does at the end of a unit of learning. It should be
an integral part of the learning process. I will structure formative assessments in such a way as to
encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning, ask questions and engage with their
learning and also help students to get involved in the goal-setting process in accordance with any shortcomings or particular strengths identified during the assessment process.
I will use assessment to inform my lesson plans in terms of where students stand in terms of
progression, ensuring that my lessons are correctly differentiated in line with the most current
information I have about my students capabilities
I will encourage my students to use formative assessments as a means to create and monitor their
own goals and engage in self-directed learning
I will utilize assessment and feedback in order to be able to make judgements on student learning
measured against goals and standards.
Principle 6 Learning connects strongly with communities and practice beyond the classroom.
As a former Military Officer, I consider it a big part of my responsibility as a teacher to instill in my
students a sense of belonging and community beyond that of the classroom environment.
I will create issues-based lessons that are relevant to the local school community, and always be on the
lookout for ways in which project-based work and inquiry can be linked practically and naturally with
our community.
I also believe in the importance of teaching students a sense of responsibility for their local
environment. For example, I was fortunate to attend a sustainable schools conference with some of my
Grade 6 students as one of my fieldwork days. This experience taught me that is can be both easy and
highly engaging to involve students in local environmental and community projects. I would be very
interested in pursuing sustainability projects in addition to my classroom duties.
KSC2: Demonstrated understanding of how students learn and effective classroom teaching strategies and
the capacity to work with colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning.
While I am new to the teaching profession, I believe that I have a wealth of life experience that will
complement my entry to, and development in, a classroom teacher role. In my undergraduate degree, I
demonstrated a high level of deep reflective thinking, critical questioning, self-motivation and academic
commitment. My vision is to foster these same skills in my students throughout my teaching career. I have
excelled in my post-graduate studies, and have achieved a HD in almost all of my studies to date. More
importantly, I have discovered a deep-seating love of educating students. I believe that this enthusiasm will be
one of my greatest assets as I begin my teaching career. I have received high praise from all mentor teachers to
date, particular in the areas of planning, enthusiasm, engagement with students and classroom
management. I have planned both individual lessons and overarching units in both a Primary and Secondary
classroom setting. I have created diagnostic, formative and summative assessments with accompanying rubrics

that I have written myself. In my classrooms, I have utilised a wide variety of worksheets, lectures, ICT
presentations, games, interactive classes, group work, individual work, project-based inquiries and real-world
applications to complement my teaching skills.
Throughout my studies, and indeed over the course of my adult life, I have come to recognise the
importance of collegial support and collaboration in a wide variety of situations. Throughout my time at both
Monash and La Trobe Universities, I created and administered the social network forums groups for student
discussion and support. My time in the Military bolstered my respect for teamwork, and I believe that I am an
asset to any team I join, whether that be in a leading or supporting role. Throughout my placements I accepted
constructive criticism from colleagues and also surveyed students at the end of my rounds in order to gauge
their response to my teaching methods. I believe that fostering respectful relationships as one of the most
effective classroom teaching and management strategies. I am also a strong believer in 360 degree reporting in
order to ensure that improvement is not only constant, but is also relevant and appropriate.
In terms of continually improving my teaching and learning, I will aim to engage in professional
development at every given opportunity. I will ensure that I am up to date with the latest advances in Web 2.0
tools (such as Reading Eggs, Literacy Planet, Mathletics and ClassDojo for example), in order to create a fluid
and dynamic modern classroom. I think that being a student is a very important part of being a good teacher. It
is my intention to further my own studies by finishing off my Master of Teacher (P-12) further on in my
teaching career. This study will be completed in my own time while I work as a full-time teacher, however I
expect that my research into the natural integration of wellbeing into literacy and numeracy will serve to
improve not only my own teaching and learning, but also benefit the students in my care and the school I am
employed at. I am ambitious and excited to begin my long career in education, and will seek to continually
improve myself and evolve my methods in line with the latest empirical research, always looking for
improvement and leadership opportunities.
KSC3: Demonstrated ability to monitor and assess student learning data and to use this data to inform
teaching for improved student learning.
As discussed in KSC2 Principle 5, I believe that assessment and feedback are intrinsic to planning,
both on an individual teacher and departmental level as well as on a whole school level. Tracking and assessing
student achievement data is a continuous and deliberate process that takes place at all levels. I believe that my
background in Psychological Science holds me in good stead for assessing student learning data as a whole,
and drawing relevant conclusions which can further inform my teaching methods. I am proficient with both
Excel and SPSS for data analysis. In order to inform my practice to improve student learning, I will refer to the
concept that assessment has several facets that refer to assessment for learning, assessment as learning and
assessment of learning.
Assessment FOR learning: When planning placement lessons and completing my University
coursework, one thing I focused on was including a diagnostic assessment at the beginning of each new
topic. I used this assessment data in order to differentiate my lessons accordingly. Additionally, I
created marking rubrics which not only ensured that student assessment was in line with the current
standards and outcomes, but also set out clear expectations for student learning. I utilised mind
maps, Venn diagrams and brainstorming as formative assessments to guide student learning and
identify concepts on which I needed to spend more time.
Assessment AS learning: I believe that the most important element of assessment as learning is
feedback. I will ensure that the feedback I provide is goal-referenced (with assessment outcomes being
used to guide student goal-setting), ongoing, timely and relevant. I will also encourage my students to

regularly engage in self-reflection so that feedback becomes a means of improving student learning,
rather than simply telling them their results.
Assessment OF learning: I will ensure that my students are fully prepared for any assessments that they
will be required to undertake. I will use assessment data, and my knowledge of the assessment process,
to ensure that I am planning my lessons in accordance with the relevant curriculum outcomes. In my
coursework, I analyzed NAPLAN data in order to create class profiles and guide my lessons
differentiation. I believe that using the most up to date student data is vital to inform my teaching for
improved student learning. I will hold myself accountable for keeping this data up to date, and also for
informing both students and parents as to how I am using this data to encourage maximum academic
growth in my students. In line with the work of Patrick Griffin, I believe that ICT capabilities should
play a big part in ensuring that performance assessment is completed and reported on a far more regular
basis than the traditional mid- and end-of-year reports.

KSC4: Demonstrated high level written and verbal communication skills and high level interpersonal skills
including a capacity to develop constructive relationships with students, parents and other staff.
Effective communication skills are vital to my personal pedagogical stance, as I believe in the ultimate
importance of relationships in the teaching process whether it be through communication between colleagues,
between teachers and students or between teachers and parents. I believe that communication skills are a
particular strength of mine. On all of placement rounds, I have put a great emphasis on getting to know my
students and colleagues as quickly and efficiently as possible. In all cases, I have developed an excellent
rapport with my classes, based on mutual respect and open communication. As stated in my previous KSC
responses, I believe that team-building is a vital, ongoing and necessary part of creating a positive and
successful classroom environment. In order to create constructive relationships with my students, parents and
other staff I will:
Instill in students a practical understanding of the school values of respect, learning, teamwork and
honesty
Encourage students to develop a classroom Code of Conduct based on our mutual expectations
Employ the interactionalist approach to behaviour management: acknowledging positive behaviour
frequently and ensuring that consequences for negative behaviours are both fair and natural
Incorporate appropriate humor to create a warm classroom environment
Encourage students to question me within appropriate guidelines in order to bolster mutual relationships
and critical thinking. I believe that healthy debate is one of the cornerstones of deep-thinking. I
employed this strategy throughout my own time as a University student by participating in debating
competitions at a state, national and international level.
Employ empathy and incorporate well-being naturally into all appropriate curriculum areas
Make myself available in a variety of different ways. For example, one idea I implemented on my
teaching rounds was the Jotter Pads. I kept a number of notebooks on my desk and students could
write questions on them at any time. This gave shy students a chance to anonymously raise questions for
discussion. In my own class, I would use this as a stop-gap measure while teaching more effective longterm communication strategies in class. I would also make myself available to parents in a variety of
ways, understanding that some parents might prefer face-to-face contact while others may prefer e-mail
communication
Utilize ICT to improve/increase avenues for communication. For example, I might create an online
classroom environment for additional communication, for example using ClassDojo as a means to
involve parents in the day-to-day activities of the class.

I am comfortable with public speaking and I enjoy the challenges of presenting research to a group of
colleagues. I am punctual and courteous and I believe in mutual respect and self-development. I will fully
participate in the school community in an enthusiastic and professional manner. I am committed to being
approachable to staff and parents by being flexible, open and honest in all my dealings and creating trusting
relationships. I will always dress according to the requirements of the daily events of the classroom, whilst still
maintaining a professional appearance.
KSC5: Demonstrated commitment and capacity to actively contribute to a broad range of school activities
and a commitment to ongoing professional learning to enable further development of skills, expertise and
teaching capacity.
One thing that I think I bring to my students is my own lifelong love of learning. I believe that my own
passion for being involved in every facet of teaching and education will serve to encourage my students to
develop their own passions. Throughout my own schooling, I have always been involved in a number of extracurricular activities such as competitive debating, leadership, social event management and sports. While on my
teaching rounds, I created a club for students who wanted to create a short film for the Screen It film festival,
which I ran at lunchtimes and continued to be involved with after competing my placement. I will strive to be
fully involved in enrichment programs and extra-curricular clubs at the school. I believe that my background
lends itself particularly well to the areas of leadership, debating and public speaking. I have a great passion
for both written and visual texts that lends itself perfectly to film club style activities. Additionally, my
background in Psychology and my keen passion for student wellbeing will be an asset to your school.
As stated in previous KSC responses, I fully intend to continue to improve myself through professional
development and ongoing study. My passion for being both a student and a teacher means that I am fully
committed to continual professional development and self-reflection.
KSC6: Demonstrated knowledge and capacity to deliver 21st Century Learning design.
As stated in my previous KSC responses, my personal pedagogical stance includes a great deal of
teamwork and collaboration, both in the classroom and also with peers, parents and the general school
community. I believe that this places me in a strong position to deliver learning in line with the 21 st Century
Learning (21CLD) framework. It will enable me to work closely with colleagues, sharing and designing
learning experiences for students that are not only engaging but also make use of each others experiences and
expertise. I believe that I will be able to develop/deliver the six areas of 21CLD in the following ways:

Collaboration: I have covered this point quite extensively in my previous responses. However, it is
worth noting that in addition to collaboration with peers, I also have a great interest in creating
classroom environments that create a naturally collaborative learning experience. My placements to date
have all taken place in open-plan classrooms that allow for both individual and team teaching
experiences. My own education has required me to adapt to a great variety of learning spaces and
teaching styles including one-on-one instruction, small group classes, large lecture halls, situational
learning (particularly in a military setting) and a variety of different classroom environments. I am
highly adaptable and flexible in my teaching practices and I believe in creating a classroom
environment that incorporates visual elements along with an open-plan and interactive aesthetic in
order to embrace the individual learning needs of all students.

Knowledge construction: Throughout these KSC I have given examples of how I will deliver lessons
that appeal to a wide variety of learning styles, using up to date and empirically supported teaching
methods (such as meta-cognition strategies for example). I will utilise ongoing assessment and also selfreflection to ensure that my lessons are encouraging students to engage in meaningful knowledge
construction. Throughout my placements, I created classroom displays and anchor walls that brought
together visual, written, situational and practical elements in order to appeal to students with a wide
variety of learning styles. I have changed my lesson plans to reflect the interests of particular student
sets to increase engagement.
Self-regulation: As previously discussed, I believe in using strategies such as meta-cognition and selfassessment in order to enable students to take an ever-increasing degree of control over their own
learning. I will ensure that my learning activities provide enough time and opportunity for students to
develop self-regulatory skills, providing explicit opportunities for students to engage in self-monitoring
and self-assessment.
Real-world problem solving: I strongly believe that learning is most meaningful when students can
relate it to their own lives, communities and integrate new knowledge into their understanding of the
global environment. I will reflect this in my lessons, using real-world events to create organic problem
solving projects for my students. A particular advantage I believe I may have over other applicants is my
ability to think laterally and be adaptable to new situations with little to no notice. This was a skill
honed throughout my military experience. As such, I have an understanding of how to create
personalized learning opportunities in line with current and relevant events.
ICT for learning: I embrace ICT in both the planning of my lessons, and also in their
implementation, as I believe that technological savvy is a highly important skillset for students to
possess if they are to excel in our global world. I also believe that the use of ICT is engaging and
accessible to student with a wide range of both physical and intellectual disabilities. Having completed
blended learning courses in the past, I am extremely comfortable using online classrooms and forums
to communicate with students, parents and colleagues. Throughout my placements, I utilised ICT in a
wide variety of ways, including (but not limited to):
o The use of Kahoot for interactive diagnostic and formative assessment with immediate feedback
o The use of flip charts for presentation on an interactive whiteboard
o The use of PowerPoint in creating interactive presentations and games (such as Jeopardy and
Family Feud) on a wide variety of subjects
o The use of GoogleDrive and GoogleClassrooms to create assignments, upload documents. Hold
real time discussions and create group projects
o The use of podcasting, video-making and web site creation for assessments and project
covering a wide variety of subjects
o The use of Excel and SPSS software for data analysis to inform my own teaching practices
Skillful communication: I have already covered my belief in the importance of communication
throughout these KSC. However, one aspect of skillful communication that I havent covered is the
ability to communicate with students with a wide variety of disabilities and/or learning difficulties.
Throughout my placements, I had the opportunity to work with students with conditions such as
dyslexia, ADHD and physical disabilities. Additionally, my third set of teaching rounds was conducted
at an integrated school for the deaf, which also had a high percentage of disabled students. I have learnt
to interact with these students in an academic and social sense, and to base my differentiation on the
individual needs of each student in my care. Additionally, I believe I have a great amount of experience
that will allow me to offer emotional support and guidance to disabled students, both as a psychology
graduate and also as the mother of an eight-year old with mild left hemiplegic cerebral palsy.