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| image from icanread |
Why don’t we start a learning revolution this year? It doesn’t have to be grand, it doesn’t have to be huge, but a step toward a revolution, a step toward bigger changes. They say every journey starts about with one step so why not start today?
Perhaps we don’t put away all of our supplies and leave some out for the students?
Or our desk faces the wall rather than the class so we are not tempted to teach from behind it.
How about not making the copies of those work sheets?
How about leaving walls blank in our rooms or not writing the rules out?
How about sharing an idea with a colleague, maybe even someone who is not in the same grade as us?
Perhaps share a success, something that made you really proud without trying to hide the fact that you did that.
Perhaps this will be the year students will be allowed to move freely or not sign out to go to the bathroom?
Perhaps this will be the year where you don’t grade everything but instead talk to students about their goals and their path, giving them ownership of their learning.
How about letting go of our complicated punishment systems?
Throw out the gold stickers.
Throw out our preconceived notions of the students we will teach and how to teach them best.
Throw out those ideas that we so want to work but that perhaps just don’t.
Throw away old hatred, misconceptions, and bitterness toward colleagues.
Throw away the fear of change but stand up for what we believe in.
Don’t be afraid, let’s start today.
Pernille Ripp 
…perhaps abolish homework!
The teachers from @KnoxGifted in Chandler, AZ have been toying around with offering electives to elementary students. We have a skeleton in place that would allow 3rd through 6th graders work together with several teachers and mentors on big (think PBL) problems over the course of 9 weeks. At the end of this session, students could then choose another elective. To deal with time and scheduling we are thinking about using several of the TED-Ed topics and tailoring themto our needs. Our school is a gifted STEAM school of choice in our public school district. It's time start taking risks.
I LOVE this!!!! I am a second career teacher not in it for the money (although I should be) and have already incorporated a few of these in my plans for this year. Yay for revolutions!
Inspirational, Pernille! Thank you, again, for your encouraging words, wisdom, and perspective… ~Celina
I just stumbled on your blog yesterday.It is so refreshing to hear a bold voice. My "revolution" this year is to give my class choice seating (no assigned desks). Their books ect. will be kept in their cubbies and each day they will select their space to learn.
Have you ever been a teacher?!
Jeremy, I am a teacher, why do you ask?