July 2015 – Pernille Ripp

My Classroom Without Students

July 31, 2015July 31, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I always feel funny posting pictures of my classroom because it is not cute, nor lively, nor exciting. It is utilitarian, empty without students, and we have space to roam. Perhaps, though, in its bareness is its beauty. It is a vessel for learning, waiting for my many students to fill it with personality and life. The 1 month countdown has begun, another year awaits…

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The front display as they come close to the room, most of the day I teach with an open door unless we get loud.

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This idea is adapted from the fabulous Jillian Heise who does a picture book a day with her 7th and 8th graders. I don’t know if we will do one every single day but I plan on doing as many as possible, so of course we need a place to showcase them.

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I don’t believe in the power of motivational posters, but this is I believe in, every single day.

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An empty bulletin board waiting to be filled with books. Every staff member at our school has a yellow “Just Read” poster to show students that we are a community of readers.

On the other side of the door is my “Read this summer” poster. This was updated as of last week.

This is almost the view from the door, slightly to the left of it. I have placed tables in pods for now but know that they will be moved however the students see fit when they arrive. Whatever they need to do with them to make learning accessible works for me. I love my window so much, most days we leave the light off. Students flock to sit in the window and read.

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View toward my desk. It is in the corner on purpose; I don’t want to sit behind it away from students. I work with students at the small round table when needed or they take it over. I am just starting to show off all of the new picture books.

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Also up by the front door, my old rocking chair and easel is where we will gather when we have our mini lessons. There are bean bags for the students to use, as well as carpet squares. I don’t ask students to sit on the floor unless they want to, what matters is that we can gather as a group and talk.

A slightly blurry picture of my non-fiction and graphic novel bookshelves. I am so excited my school got me these, less excited that I already filled them.

Probably one of the best things about our classroom; the picture books. How can you not just want to read them all?

There you have it, a tour of an empty classroom, waiting for the students to make it important.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

books, Literacy, Reading, students

Why Picture Books – 5 Reasons Why They Belong in Every Classroom

July 30, 2015 Pernille Ripp

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I don’t remember when I fell out of love with picture books, but I do remember wondering why any teacher would invest any money in them if they were not teaching young kids. After all, picture books are so expensive and there is not much to them. No, I would rather invest my money in chapter books, that is where you get the most value. So picture books? Perhaps a few selected mentor texts in my 4th grade classroom.

I don’t remember when I fell back in love with picture books. Perhaps it was the first time students laughed out loud with me at Chick and Pug. Perhaps it was the first time students held their breath with me when I read out loud Pete & Pickles. Perhaps when I cried while I read Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. Perhaps it was when those kids that hated reading so much would ask if they could borrow some picture books so they could read to their little sister, and then tell me all about their night the very next day. Whatever happened, I now know that picture books belong in every classroom, for every reader. Here is why.

Picture books give us a common language.

I love how we can read a picture book and then refer back to it again and again as we weave our threads of community throughout the year. The students remember it, they read it again, and the reminisce about reading it. In a short amount of time we create a foundation for the students to bond through and a way for us to be a part of their world. Even within my 45 minutes of instruction time, I know I can at least read a picture book out loud, most days. And if you don’t teach English, read one once in a while, students need community in all classes, not just the literacy ones.

Picture books can teach us complex matters in a simple way.

When my students became curious about the great Malcolm X, I read them Malcolm Little. When we spoke of the civil rights movement and the every day segregation that happened, I read them Ruth and the Green Book. When they feel completely alone, I read them The Invisible Boy. When we have to talk about what our actions do to others, we read aloud Each Kindness which with its less than perfect ending is a perfect mirror of what life is really like. These books don’t offer all of the knowledge my students need, but they give us a chance to start the conversation. There are so many curriculum picture books out there waiting for us to embrace them for the knowledge they give us, not written for the young reader but for mature kids that can take the information and do something with it. Don’t leave your students out.

Picture books can make us feel successful when we have lost our way.

I often teach students who don’t think they will ever be a strong reader. Who do not go home and read, who do not gravitate toward books, but instead spend them them flipping pages and waiting for the bell. I hand these kids stacks of picture books. I tell them to immerse themselves and come up when they are ready for more. There is no judgment from other kids, nor jealousy. Our picture books are waiting for anyone to read them.

Picture books relieve stress.

If a child is having a bad day, I can hand them a stack of Elephant and Piggie books and know that at some point a small smile will form. I can hand them anything fantastical that is nothing like their real life and for a moment they have a reprieve. How often do our students get a chance to escape the stress of their lives and still work? Picture books offer me that opportunity.

Picture books can make us believe that we can read well.

For the child who gave up a long time ago on reading. For the child who does not believe that school is for them. For the child who is angry, who is misplaced, who is lost; picture books can make the biggest difference. I once taught a student so angry he scared the rest of the class, but if I could get a stack of picture books in his hands before it was too late, send him to a quiet place, he deescalated. Picture books were not a threat, nor were they work. They were an escape and something that made him feel successful. If a child does not think they will ever read as well as the others, get them picture books, have them digest them slowly, see their progress and see them start to believe that they too can be readers, that they too can belong. There is no shame in picture books, not when we embrace them fully as teachers. Not when we make them a part of our classroom. Remove the stigma so that students can find success within their pages, rather than feel there are no books for them out there.

PS: To see some of new favorite picture books, go to the list part 1 and the list part 2. You have been warned, they are amazing.

Be the change, being a teacher, new year

As We Start Another Year

July 30, 2015 Pernille Ripp

There are journeys we start where that path is laid out, the route determined, the destination clear. While hard at times, they follow a set course and we plod along, knowing where we will end up. Knowing where our hearts will be once we finally get there. Then there are those journeys that start when something ends, when something abruptly happens and we have a moment of clarity and we realize that now another direction is needed. Sometimes these journeys start without us knowing and we don’t discover them until we are far on our path. Confused we wonder how we get here, where we are going, and why we didn’t know we were traveling anew. Those are the journeys that can change us the most.

We are travelers in education. Always searching for a path, always searching for a way. Tirelessly plodding along, sometimes pushing our students ahead of us, other times dragging them along. Our journey changes often, seemingly from year to year is a guarantee by now. We notice as the years pass, as summer inches closer and then ends. We notice when a crop of new students show up and then leave us. We notice seasons, months, and sometimes even weeks as we plan for our hopes and dreams.

Yet the daily journeys we take, the journey we begin and end within the span of 8 hours is often viewed as minor or insignificant, not worthy of our daily ponderings, not quite worthy of our dreams. After all, a day is simply a step, not a destination by any means. Yet, it is these journeys, the ones that happen every single day in our rooms that can matter the most to our students. To those children that travel along with us. A single day can change their course for many years to come. A single decision made by a teacher can change their path forever. We forget about that responsibility, probably a wise move in some ways, lest we drive ourselves crazy with the knowledge that even our small movements can cause oceans of change for others. Yet those journeys are the ones we should be watching.

Every day we have a choice to make; do I teach my students or do we learn together? Do we explore or do we wait for knowledge to find us? Do we stay on our path or do we change course? Do we support or do we hinder? Do we encourage or do we fault when missteps happen and our path gets rumpled? Do we always take the lead or can students show us the way? Do we listen to their voices when they tell us to change course or do we stubbornly stick to the path because we know best?

The day-to-day wrapped up in it mundanity offers us the perfect opportunity to make a change. Change doesn’t seem scary when you think of it as trying something for just one day. You can go one day without punishing. You can go one day without homework. You can try for one day to ask students what they want. You can try for one day to stop talking so much. One day does not seem like much, but it can be the seed to bigger change.

We have a choice of whether or not we notice the day-to-day or if we continue to plan as if we have unlimited time to reach every child. We don’t. We don’t know when the students we teach will no longer be ours. We don’t know when a child has moved beyond our grasp. So as we plan for the long, focus in on the short. Yes, keep the destination in mind, but don’t forget about the journey. What you do today has an incredible impact on what you will do tomorrow. Make each step count, make each step worthy of your time, and don’t forget that it is ok to get lost once in a while, as long as you bring your students with you as you try to find your way.

being me, conferences, education

It’s Time to Pass the Reins For #EdCampMadWI

July 29, 2015 Pernille Ripp

Four years ago, I caught a tweet from the incredible Jess Henze wondering if anyone would be interested in bringing an EdCamp to the Madison, WI area. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I immediately replied yes not knowing what to expect. Soon Kaye Henrickson and Emily Dittmar joined our team and for the past three years we have been the driving force behind this incredible event.

Now with huge moves (Goodbye Jess, Montana will love you), almost new jobs (Emily spreading her magic in Muskego) and crazy busy lives (how many things can Kaye magically organize?), we are ready to pass the reigns. This event should not die out, but instead should be taken over by a new team of amazing people that love EdCamp as much as we have.

So leave a comment, tweet us, or email us and let us know if you are interested. To the lucky people who take over, we will give you the domain, the background info and any support you need. If you are just curious, you can contact us as well.

I am so thankful to the three women I got to run this with. We have shared many emails, voxes, Google docs, laughs, and even frustration, but it has never been a chore working with you. You are why education has a chance to make a difference. You are true leaders and I am proud to have been a part of this with you.

being me, choices

You Have Two Choices

July 28, 2015 Pernille Ripp

This morning my car died. Right in the middle of traffic. On a highway exit. In rush hour. Yup. While my first instinct was to cry because how could this happen, my rational brain luckily took over and I called the police. When your car is blocking a lane of traffic, you don’t have that many options. So as I stood by the side of the road waiting for the sheriff, a lady stopped in front of me. She rolled her window and proceeded to scream: “Get back in your car! How dare you do this! Your hazards aren’t working and you are breaking protocol!” I was shocked, momentarily, then apologized to her, told her that the police had told me to exit the vehicle and that my hazards were indeed on. She didn’t care, she was clearly frustrated and drove away as the light turned from red to green.

Shaken, I glanced up as a semi-truck driver rolled down his window. “Great,” I thought. Instead he asked if I was ok. If I needed help and what had happened. I told him of the sudden death of the car, and he proceeded to stop his semi behind the little car, get out and check the car for me. He then asked me to get in so he could push it out of harm’s way. He didn’t know me, nobody told him he had to do that. He could have gone around, I am sure he was busy, but instead because he took the time, traffic could flow again and the car wasn’t stuck in the middle.

It took two hours but the car got to the shop thanks to a helpful sheriff and an even more helpful tow truck driver, and this experience left an impression on me.

When we are faced with obstacles in our way; which person do we become? Who do we choose to be? Because it is a choice. The woman who screamed at me had to make many choices; stop, roll down her window, formulate the words, and shake her head. The man who stopped to help had to make equally as many decisions. Had to spend a little more time, but because he saw a way to help the problem rather than complain, it was better for everyone involved. That’s a choice they made. That’s a choice we make every single day.

When we are faced with hurdles in our day, what do we do? Do we get angry, lose control, blame the problem? Or do we stop, reflect, and try to come up with a solution? I think it is easy to choose the first, but the second one is the way we actually solve the problems we face.

This afternoon, I emailed the company of the semi truck driver to let them know how he had helped a stranger. I told him thanks but I didn’t get his name. When our path gets hard, we always have a choice of how to react. Make sure to make a good one.

aha moment, being a teacher, first day, new year

3 Non-Ice Breaker Things to Do the First Week of School

July 28, 2015July 28, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I always wonder how students felt about doing the ice breaker activities I had planned for them. How I asked them on the very first day to let loose, lighten up, and live a little. How some of them seemed to light up while some barely went through the motions, no amount of coaching from me helping them. And some just stood there mortified. I figured a little embarrassment didn’t hurt them that much.

Then I was asked to do ice breakers myself. To share something I had never told someone else. To take part in a scavenger hunt where I had to do things I didn’t feel comfortable with. I didn’t feel like I knew people, I was mortified. That night I swore to myself never to do anymore ice breakers, at least not in the traditional sense.

Yet we still have to break the ice. We still have to plant the seeds of community. So while I have discussed what I will be doing on the first day of school already here, here are three more ideas for forming a community with your students.

How We Are Connected Web

I wish I could remember who taught me this one, but I cannot. You take a large piece of paper (bulletin board paper will do nicely) and then every students gets a sharpie. All students and you sit around the piece of paper and then write their name down in front of them. A students will then share something they like or dislike, if you agree with their statement you draw line from your name to their name. You then go around the paper until everyone has shared. In the end you will have a spiderweb image on your paper showing just how many things you have in common with each other.

Find A Picture Book

It is no secret that I am obsessed with picture books, so I love this way to get a hint at their personality. All this requires is a lot of different picture books spread out. Tell the students that they should find a picture book that speaks to them in some way, perhaps the cover reminds them of something, perhaps they remember it from their childhood, perhaps the story connects to them? Once everyone has found a book, have them gather in groups and share why they selected the book they chose. Students get a chance to speak about themselves and it is a great way for them to get excited about the books they will have access to.

The Circle

This is taken straight from our restorative circle program at school, an incredibly powerful program. All members sit in a circle and one person holds the talking piece. A question is asked such as; what is your favorite memory or something else non-threatening, and students take turns sharing and more importantly listening to each other. We use circles all throughout the year and the way they build community is extraordinary. Students learn to be a part of a protected environment where they can share whatever they need to share and know that their words are private within the circle.

Building community and getting to know students should not be something that embarrasses kids or leaves them riddled with anxiety. It should be a positive experience that sows the seeds for the community you will build the rest of the year. So be mindful of all of the students, not just those that you know will love the games. Make sure they all feel accepted or you may be causing more rifts than building connections.

Jenn Gonzales from Cult of Pedagogy just published “Icebreakers That Rock” – check out her post too for more inspiration.