Author: Pernille Ripp

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA, 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. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.
Be the change, homework

Why the Grade X 10 Minutes for Homework is a Fail

Pernille Ripp

Note: Some of my older posts did not survive the transfer from Blogger to WordPress, thus these are older posts that still bring up valid points.

As I prepared for my first orientation day powerpoint as a new teacher, I knew I had to fill in homework expectations and how much parents could count on.  I was reminded to use the old formula 10 minutes times the grade of the child, excellent, 40 minutes of homework for a 4th grader.  Now this is what my brain should have thought;  “Wait a minute Pernille, 40 minutes of homework, a night?  Plus 20 minutes of expected reading with parent initials?  And a book report every 6 weeks?  And math tests every 3?  Not to mention science and social studies quizzes, which really are tests but just with a friendlier name.  What in the world am I saying?”  Except,  I didn’t and the rest, as they say, is history. Those kids had homework coming out of both ears because that is what I thought teachers did; assign work.  40 minutes seemed fair and reasonable and why shouldn’t it be?  Aren’t we in the business of making students accountable and responsible?  Aren’t we teaching them how to be effective workers, preparing them for the real world?

Except homework is really not thoughtful when you just spew the formula.  Homework then becomes the brainless act of repetition, not metacognition that we all should be striving for.  Homework becomes the incessant chore we all seem so hellbent on making it.  I know we are trying to raise responsible children, but is homework really the only way we can do this?  Can we not accomplish those same goals of responsibility, time management, and work habits without the insane amount of homework?  Can we, as educators, realize that perhaps we do not have the right to infringe on students’ lives outside of class up to an hour or more every night?  Haven’t students already given us 7 to 8 hours of work?

I, for one, limit my homework giving and not because I am a hippie that doesn’t believe in hard work.  We do work hard in my classroom, in fact, my students relish how much we get done in a day because it means they are managing their time.  It means they are creating a work ethic that says give school your undivided attention for a whole day and you will be rewarded with free time.  Do your job here right and then you don’t have to worry about it as much outside of school.  And a formula can never encompass that.

So it is time we give up on the formula.  It is time we realize that homework is not something we have to give just to give the kids work, that there are other ways to teach students motivation, time management, and effective work habits  There are other ways to ensure all of the curriculum is covered and that knowledge is garnered.

This year, on the first day, I will tell the parents that there may be work outside of school and that it will differ from day to day.  I will tell the parents that my mission is to keep work inside of my classroom so that the students may breathe a little bit.  I will tell them there that will be projects, there will reading, sure, but there will also be time to be a kid, to live a little.  No homework doesn’t mean no learning, it means school was kept at school and that is a good thing.

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Uncategorized

From the Mouths of Babes – My Students Discuss Homework

Pernille Ripp

Note: Some of my older posts did not survive the transfer from Blogger to WordPress, thus these are older posts that still bring up valid points.

Thanks to a wonderful Time For Kids article this week, my students engaged in a 30 minute discussion on whether or not teachers should assign homework (we ran out of time or it could have gone longer).  I started out taping the discussion, hoping to share it, but the camera stifled them, so I turned it off and instead just listened and asked a couple of questions.  And the result?  Well, it was mixed.

Many students believed that homework was a necessary evil at first, and by that I mean, they think they should be assigned it so they can learn responsibility.  However, when I asked them whether they could be taught responsibility in a different manner they all agreed they already were responsible in school.  After that they started changing their mind.  Some highlights for me were:

  • We already work our hardest at school and deserve to be done with school when the bell rings.
  • We are tired when we get home so homework does not represent our best work.
  • Some times our parents cannot help us and we end up more confused.
  • Teachers do not own our time outside of school, but why do they think they do?  They can’t for example order us to go to Target.
  • I want to have a life outside of school and pursue my activities.
  • It is ok to have homework during the week but never during the weekend or during holidays.
  • If a student works hard during the day and is responsible, they should be able to not have homework after school.
  • It is ok to assign reading and special projects but they have to be super fun and have student choice.
  • Homework does not teach us responsibility but instead teaches us to get it done fast.
  • Homework should not be graded since it is just practice.
  • Homework should be assigned because school has to come first and that is our job.

I love the level of thinking I am seeing in these students as they develop their discussion habits. They are figuring out when to speak and reacting to each other’s comments.  I also love how they are evaluating the world and learning to speak their minds.  I believe the camera stifled them because some were nervous in stating their opinion, after all, they are only 5th graders, what do they know?

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blogging, reflection, Student-centered

A Student Reflects on Blogging and Time

Pernille Ripp

As you know my students are avid bloggers and this year is no different.  Their thoughts about the world, their lives, and what we do are reaching students and adults around the world.  Although they have a blogging challenge every week, many times my students choose to blog on their own whatever their thoughts may be.  I was thrilled to see this reflective post from Rose, as she battles with a question that many of us battle with.

Rose writes:

It’s not what it sounds like.I’m writing on my IPAD again, and I was just thinking, blogging is hard. I know I sound crazy, but it kind of is, you would think that you just hop on the computer and write about exciting events. maybe that happens to other people, but I think it can be difficult to balance it all. To blog, you need something exciting that is worth writing about, but you can’t write about things if you are out doing those exciting things.

I run on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 2-ish hours, and I dance every other Wednesday  I could sit here typing all about how we learned a mini dance to Applause. I could say how I ran over two miles on both Tuesday, and Thursday. Bu when I get home, I’m tired from doing those things. Or I just don’t have time. Don’t get me wrong, I love blogging, even on my old IPAD. I wouldn’t stop. But it is hard, sometimes.

Mostly the time part, I barely have the time or energy to blog sometimes, never the less comment!! All the people commenting on my, and my friends blogs, my figurative hat is off to you. How do you do it? I believe I will go comment on some blogs now, because I have the time and energy.

If you’ve the time, then please comment and honestly, tell me how you do it, how you manage to read blogs, comment on blogs, and presumingly, blog. I really would like to know.

So how do we do it?  Where do we find the time and why is it important?  You can comment here or directly on Rose’s blog.

 

 

global read aloud

Sign up for Global Read Aloud 2014

Pernille Ripp

I know it is really early but no time like the present to think about the Global Read Aloud for next year.  So if you are thinking you want to sign up, please fill out the form.  This will also add you to the Google group so that you can get updates as needed, even though it will probably be a while before I send anything out.  Also, here is your chance to give me your suggestions for next year.  Books will not be selected until May or June so that newly published books have a chance of being read and suggested.

If you are a publisher or an author that is interested in having your book be part of the project, the easiest way is to get me to read it.  You can contact me at p (at) globalreadaloud (com)

Podcasts

The Amazing Teacher Podcast

Pernille Ripp

Once in a while I get asked to share my thoughts with other educators via their podcasts.  I love doing this because it always forces me to think about what it is I am doing and also whether or not I am staying true to my educational philosophy.  When Sam Rangel, whose blog I love, asked me to be his first guest on his new podcast “The Amazing Teacher” I didn’t know if I would be a good candidate.  After all, i don’t walk around thinking I am amazing.  But what i did know that if I could even help one person change the way they teach then it would completely be worth my time, and besides, I would get to discuss education with Sam which was a bonus.

 

So today, the new podcast was revealed.  Please head over here to listen to it, hopefully I can offer you at least one small idea.

Uncategorized

We Now Interrupt Our Regularly Planned Lesson

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

We were supposed to be getting ready for student-led conferences.  I was supposed to also be reading aloud.  we were supposed to be talking writing then.  But all I could think of was the big pile of book sitting on the bean table, screaming for me to introduce them.

The kids had already poked around.  Some had cautiously asked if they were for the library.  One child had squealed in delight when she saw an old friend.

So I stopped everything.  Asked them for their eyes and ears, reminded them to grab their thoughtful logs and flip to their “What I want to read next” list.  And then I began.  12 new Roald Dahl books begged for me to share my love for them and so I did.  Even though I thought they had all read them, how could they not?

After 25 glorious minutes of introducing the 30 new books, one student raised her hand, “Can we take them now?”  “Sure…” and before the last sound had escaped my lips, 27  students were surrounding me, hungrily grabbing that book that they wanted.  Rocks, paper, scissors happened over particular books, other children weren’t quite sure.  So as I pushed one book after another into the hands of waiting students, I knew.  This is why we stop the program, this is why we deviate from the plan, because are great books to be read and shared, and sometimes that can’t wait.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day.  First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” will be released this fall from PLPress.   Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

 

 

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