Month: July 2015

being a teacher, first day, new year, reflection, Student

On the First Day of School

Pernille Ripp

recite-bjldbu

Today I was reminded of the stark reality that is the 45 minutes blocks of time that I teach in every day.  As I sat and planned my first quarter, or at the very least wrote down some of the ideas I have, I kept glancing at that first day; the one that seems so magical.  I have so many ideas.  So many things I would like to do on that very first day.  Yet, the 45 minutes really stifles a lot of creativity.  The 45 minutes really forces me to see what is most important.

On the first day of school I don’t want to do activities.  I don’t want to play games.  Nor do I want to fake my enthusiasm.

On the first day of school I don’t want to force student into awkward ice breakers, while they hope the teacher will forget it is their turn next.  I will not force them to bare their soul, nor to share their dreams.

On the first day of school, we will not have many things planned.  We will not spend precious time listening to me drone on.  We will not run around hectically trying to figure it all out.

Instead, on the first day of school we will sit quietly and listen to a book read aloud.  We will have the time to speak to one another.  We will cautiously start to feel each other out, find our friends, glance at the new people.

We will ask the questions about 7th grade that we have, not because we have to but because we will take the time if needed.  Students will set the rules of the classroom, as always, and it will take as much time as it needs.

The first day of school is meant to be a great experience, but that does not mean we cram it full of things to do.  That doesn’t mean that we put on our entertainer hat and try to juggle as many balls as we possibly can.  Instead, it means that we take the very first step to get to know these students that have been thrust into our lives.  That they take the very first step in trusting us and trusting the community.  That can only happen in a genuine way if we take things slow.  If we allow time to just be, to just sit, to just talk.  So as you plan for the very first day of school, plan for the quiet, for the reflection, for the conversation.  Don’t spend so much time planning for all of the things.  Because this isn’t about how to prove how fun you will be this year, it is about showing the kids that you care.

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, Passion, Reading, students

My New Favorite Picture Books Part 2

Pernille Ripp

As promised, I have more great new (to me) picture books to share.  This collection of funny, moving, and stunningly beautiful books are a must add to any classroom, not just the middle school one.  And yes, I purchased almost all of these myself, and yes, it cost a lot of money, but the experience it will provide my students with is worth it in the end.  I only feel bad because I am not sharing them as much with my own kids.

The Day I Lost My Super Powers by Michael Escoffier is a book that tells a familiar tale of childhood imagination.  I hope to use this to bring my students back to when they thought anything was possible and to reignite their passion for thinking they have the ability to make a difference in the world.

I love how A Perfectly Messed Up Story by Patrick McDonnell reminds me of Battle Bunny in all the best ways.  I love the message of working through adversity and the book is just downright funny.  My 3 year olds laughed at it, so I cannot wait to see what my 7th graders will do.

Orion and the Dark by Emma Yarlett is stunning. The story about a boy who is afrid of the dark is sure to elicit conversations about our fears and what we can do to conquer them.  I cannot wait for my students to discover all the details of this book.

To the Sea by Cale Atkinson is a book about unlikely friendships and loneliness, a theme that is so important to discuss with students.  I love the illustrations as well as they tell the story even more.

In the last 24 hours, we have read Shh!  We Have a Plan by Chris Haughton 5 times.  I think I loved it more each time.  Again the amazing illustrations tell half of the story and the simple language means that my youngest can read it by herself as well while giggling out loud.  You know a book is good when the minute you close it, the kids yell “Again!”

Language surrounds us all but by middle school certain words seem to lose their off limit-ness.  That’s why I love Little Bird’s Bad Word by Jacob Grant.  This book will give us a way to discuss what our language says about us as people and how our casual conversations can harm others.

I remember seeing a preview for The Cat, The Dog, Little Red, The Exploding Eggs, The Wolf and Grandma by Diane and Christyan Fox a year ago and then promptly forgot all about it.  Rediscovering it on my wish list I took a chance and ordered it, and I am so thankful I did.  This book is laugh out loud funny, even after you have read it once.  It speaks aloud so many of the questions my students have when it comes to the original fairy tales and will be a perfect match with our gruesome fairy tale unit (even though this book is not gruesome at all).

An amazing wordless picture book by Jon Arne Lawson and Sydney Smith that tells the tale of Sidewalk Flowers and what happens when we are too busy to notice the world around us.  As we discuss purposes for our devices, this will be a book to facilitate that conversation.

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.

MIEExpert15, student driven, technology

How About a Mystery Vox?

Pernille Ripp

quotescover-JPG-12

The power of Skype never ceases to amaze me and I have loved doing Mystery Skypes for many years now.  So as I started to plan for back to school I knew I wanted to participate once more in as many Mystery Skypes as possible, but I also wanted to try a different approach; the mystery Vox.

What is Voxer?  It is a free walkie-talkie app that allows you to leave messages asynchronously or even a 15 second video if you would like to other users around the world.  For more information or to download it, go here.

What is a Mystery Vox?  Using the power of Voxer, students would take turn leaving clues throughout the day, checking in when they could in order to try to guess the geographical location of the other classroom.  The questions still have to be in a yes or no format and students may still not google each other.

Why do this rather than Skype?  For me it allows multiple classes to collaborate throughout the day trying to piece together where a class is. It also works around the timezone issues that can limit where we do a Mystery Skype with.  Students will not have designated roles like they do in a Mystery Skype; anyone can guess, anyone can ask a question.  I also love that students can digest the clues before they ask the next question.  However, I still plan on doing lots of Mystery Skypes too!

How will this work?  Sign up below on the form and then go to the form responses to find a match.  Reach out and set up the day or week you would like to do this in.

To see the form responses and find someone, go here.

To see more about Mystery Skype, go here

What will this look like in my classroom?  I will have a running list of clues and answers on the board, as well as questions asked.  I will probably have students do this for me.  I may even put it in a Google doc.  I will alert kids to it throughout the day and ask them to come up with a question and an answer.  I will use my own voxer account as I do not feel like setting up another one, right now anyway, and my students will be the ones leaving the messages.  We will try to have it guessed within a day.  I think that is really it.

Any further ideas?

Be the change, being me, new teacher

I Would Be A Liar

Pernille Ripp

recite-hid9fm

I would be a liar if I told you that I am not amazed at the amount of Twitter followers I have.  I would be a liar if I told you I didn’t know how many people roughly subscribe to this blog.  It has astounded me for a long time that anyone, other than my mother and my husband,  find value in me.  Yet, those numbers don’t mean much if I let them mean too much.

Because we are bigger than the follower count we have.  We are bigger than the number of comments we get.  We are bigger than the favorites, the mentions, and even the likes that we can garner in our lives.  The more influence we artificially have on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram or whatever tool you use, the more we should be doing to lift others up.  Because all of those people are the ones that are holding up the very platform we stand on.

I do not take my job as a teacher lightly. I do not take my job as a writer lightly.  I do not take my job as a speaker lightly, nor for granted.  When I get to speak to others, it is something that I value on such a deep level that I tend to get emotional, because I am put in a position where I can possibly help others.  Help someone else not feel crazy.  Help someone else not feel so alone.  Help someone else by being a friend.  
When someone reads my blog, I am humbled.  When someone reaches out, I am honored.

So if you are a connected educator, whatever that may mean, I hope you are using your influence for good.  I hope that you are using your position, no matter how small you may feel it is, to lift others up.  To make connections.  To help others share their voice.

We all started with 0 followers.  We all started blogging for ourselves and no one else.  We all started from a place of hoping that someone would notice us and make our worlds better.  So make sure you are still noticing others, because this isn’t about us, it’s about the kids and making their education better.  And sometimes it seems that we forget that in the midst of our own seeming popularity.

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.

being me, conferences, connect

Have You Submitted Your EdScape Proposal Yet?

Pernille Ripp

I first heard about EdScape a few years back when my Twitter feed exploded with knowledge during the weekend of the conference.  For years I have wanted to go and be a part of this conference created by the amazing Eric Sheninger, but life seemed to continually get in the way.  Well, this year is my year.  Not only do I get to go to EdScape and learn with educators from all over the USA, I also am honored to be the opening keynote speaker.

So why should you come join me October 17th in New Jersey?  Because this amazing conference is an incredible space for learning, allowing us all to not just be inspired but also to come away with tangible things to do as we change education.  Because this conference is a one day don’t-want-to-miss event.  Because during lunch there will be an EdCamp.  Because this conference is $35 to attend – yup $35.  Even better, if you present, your registration is free,

So if you have an idea that you would love to share.  If you love presenting and meeting people.  If you want to come and inspire as well as be inspired, come to Edscape.  Submit your proposal before August 15th because I hope that you come and learn with me, I hope you come and share your amazing ideas, I  hope that we can connect.  I know I cannot wait.

To submit your proposal, go here

To register for the conference, go here

To see more about this amazing event, go here

being a teacher, books, Literacy, new year, Reading

My New Favorite Picture Books Part 1

Pernille Ripp

I Yam A Donkey by the incredible CeCe Bell.  Why this book?  Because it is laugh out loud funny while teaching grammar.

Wall by Tom Clohosy Cole.  There seems to be a surge in Berlin Wall books right now (I am currently reading Jennifer A. Nielsen’s A Night Divided which is excellent as well).  I love this picture book because it provides us with a way to broach a difficult topic with students.   WIth a simple story and beautiful illustrations, I am excited to share this one.

Ben Clanton’s Something Extraordinary is just that – extraordinary.  Once again a simple story unfolds leading us to rich conversations about imagination and how it can color our world.

The beautiful story of Last Stop On Market Street by Matt De La Pena is one meant to spur conversation about our lives, our assumptions, and how we view the world.  But the illustrations?  They tell an even richer story, one that I cannot wait to discuss with my students, many of whom have never ridden a bus or even been in an urban neighborhood.

How to Read A Story by Kate Messner will be one of the first picture books I share this year because it will open us up to a great discussion.  I cannot wait to see how my students read their stories.

I am always in favor of a picture book that allows us to discuss how we treat others, aprticualrly when teaching middle schoolers.  I love the story in Henry Hyena, Why Won’t You Laugh by Doug Jantzen and think it will resonate with many of my students.

You and Me by Susan Verde and illustrated by the incredible Peter H. Reynolds is a story that students will want to emulate.  We will use this as a way to do our sociogram exercise which will offer me insight into who is connected in our class, and who is not.  We cannot change loneliness for students if we do not know who identifies as such.

I have written before about Float by Daniel Miyares because it is an incredible wordless picture book about seeing the beauty in the world around us.  This is a must add among must adds.

Beastly Babies by Ellen Jackson is a simple picture book and it is not for the words but for the illustrations that I love it so much.  I love how wild they are and I think it will show students that you can be an artist in many different ways.

I debated whether or not to add The Newbies by Peter Catalanotta because I find it a bit creepy, and yet it is within the creepiness that the power of it lies.  I think my students will immediately gravitate toward this book and what happens when your wishful thinking comes true.

I have more picture books coming, I will share them in part 2 in a few days.

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.