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.
What if kids had the right to ignore our feedback? Not because they’re stubborn or disengaged, but because they understand it—and decide to make a different choice.
Too often, feedback feels like a demand: Fix this. Change that. Do it this way. But writers? They get feedback, weigh it, and sometimes say, “No, I’m keeping this.” That’s not disengagement—it’s ownership.
Let’s Build Feedback Negotiation into the Process
Instead of expecting students to accept every suggestion, teach them to think critically about feedback—to question, challenge, and ultimately make their own choices.
1️⃣ Shift the Conversation – Before giving feedback, set the tone: 🗣️ “You don’t have to take every suggestion. Your job is to think about it.” Ask them: What do you want my feedback on? Where are you stuck? Make it a dialogue, not a directive. I’ve written about this before in the context of only looking at one thing in writing conferences.
2️⃣ Teach Kids to Push Back (The Great Way) – When students disagree with feedback, they need language to explain why. Try modeling this:
“I see what you’re saying, but I’m keeping this word because it’s my character’s voice.”
“I understand your point, but I want this to feel unfinished on purpose.”
“I’ll change this part, but I’m going to keep this sentence because it’s important to me.”
If we want students to engage with feedback, we have to let them practice rejecting it thoughtfully—just like writers do.
3️⃣ Make Choice Part of the Process – Instead of requiring students to change everything, try this: 🔹 Pick one piece of feedback to apply and one to challenge. Explain why. This simple step forces them to consider feedback instead of just following orders.
4️⃣ Celebrate Thoughtful Resistance – When students defend their choices, it means they care. That’s the goal. Instead of marking something as “wrong,” ask:
Why did you make this choice?
What effect are you going for?
How can you make this even stronger while keeping your vision?
Good feedback isn’t about control. It’s about conversation. And if we want kids to become confident writers, we have to teach them that their voices matter—even if that means telling us no.
I haven’t used this blog in a long time. With the move back to Denmark, navigating the world as a mom of neurodivergent kids, and just the world (waving hands around me), this blog hasbeen quiet. But with the decision to shut down my Patreon, I also might just come back here more. After all, my mind is still going a million miles a minute and perhaps, somewhere, someone could use a few of the ideas that I have. So hello again. It’s nice to be here.
Ever had a kid read your carefully written comment—something insightful, brilliant even—only to ask, “What does that mean?” Yeah. Me too.
If feedback is just for us, if it’s full of teacher-speak or rubrics no one actually reads, kids will ignore it. Not because they don’t care, but because it doesn’t feel like theirs.
Let’s fix that.
Instead of handing them a rubric, build it with them. Here’s how:
1️⃣ Look at real work – Show them examples (past student work, mentor texts, whatever fits). Ask: What makes this good? What makes it confusing? Let them lead.
2️⃣ List what matters – Write down their words. Not “clear transitions” but “It flows” or “I know what’s happening.” Keep it in their language, not ours.
3️⃣ Make it theirs – Turn their words into a checklist, an anchor chart, or a simple, student-friendly rubric. Let them help decide what matters most.
4️⃣ Use it. Every time. – When they write, when they revise, when they give each other feedback. Ask, “How does your work match what we said makes this strong?”
If we want kids to actually use feedback, it has to belong to them. Because the best feedback isn’t what we tell them—it’s what they understand enough to use.
As part of our 1st grade work in math, we are heading into place value, ten pairs, and addition.
So of course, one of the games we will be playing more than once, is Race to 100, a fantastic math game that can be used to teach addition, subtraction, place value and so much more.
As we prepared the game, we realized we needed dice and instead of adding stickers to regular dice, we figured we could have some 3D printed.
Enter my husband and his trusty 3D printer.
Math manipulatives
He printed me 18 individual dice with the numbers: -1, +1, +1, -10- and +10, +10
There are many variations of the game, the sky is the limit with this one. I will be playing it using these instructions courtesy of Bard – love that AI.
The Race to 100
Objective:
Be the first player to reach the number 100 on the hundred chart using a single die with the numbers -1, +1, -10, and +10.
Materials:
A hundred chart or large sheet of paper with the numbers from 1 to 100 written in columns
One die with the numbers -1, +1, -10, and +10 – for older kids, you can use two dice.
Game pieces (such as small colorful blocks or tokens) for each player
Set-Up:
Each player chooses a game piece and places it on the number 1 on the hundred chart.
Gameplay:
Players take turns rolling the die.
If the player rolls a -1, their game piece moves backward one space. If this happen on their first turn, they just stay where they are.
If the player rolls a +1, their game piece moves forward one space.
If the player rolls a -10, their game piece moves backward ten spaces.
If the player rolls a +10, their game piece moves forward ten spaces.
Players cannot move their game piece beyond the number 100. If they roll a number that would cause them to exceed 100, their game piece remains on its current space.
The first player to reach the number 100 on the hundred chart wins the game!
While I know this will only be relevant to some of you, I figured I would share it in here too. Especially because all it takes is a regular printer and 3D printer and then you have the game.
I love these end of the year lists that come out, especially now that I sit in Denmark and don’t get to see quite the same amount of books written in America as I normally would.
So I figured why not share some of my favorite graphic novels, starting with this gift guide in case you are looking for that perfect gift for yourself or another reader.
Maisie is on her way to Fancon! She’s looking forward to meeting her idol, Kara Bufano, the action hero from her favorite TV show, who has a lower-leg amputation, just like Maisie. But when Maisie and her mom arrive at the convention center, she is stopped in her tracks by Ollie, a cute volunteer working the show. They are kind, charming, and geek out about nerd culture just as much as Maisie does. And as the day wears on, Maisie notices feelings for Ollie that she’s never had before. Is this what it feels like to fall in love?
Huda and her sisters can’t believe it when her parents announce that they’re actually taking a vacation this summer . . . to DISNEY WORLD! But it’s not quite as perfect as it seems. First Huda has to survive a 24-hour road trip from Michigan to Florida, with her sisters annoying her all the way. And then she can’t help but notice the people staring at her and her family when they pray in public. Back home in Dearborn she and her family blend right in because there are so many other Muslim families, but not so much in Florida and along the way. It’s a vacation of forced (but unexpectly successful?) sisterly bonding, a complicated new friendship, a bit more independence, and some mixed feelings about her family’s public prayers. Huda is proud of her religion and who she is, but she still sure wishes she didn’t care so much what other people thought.
Pedro Martín has grown up hearing stories about his abuelito—his legendary crime-fighting, grandfather who was once a part of the Mexican Revolution! But that doesn’t mean Pedro is excited at the news that Abuelito is coming to live with their family. After all, Pedro has 8 brothers and sisters and the house is crowded enough! Still, Pedro piles into the Winnebago with his family for a road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home, and what follows is the trip of a lifetime, one filled with laughs and heartache. Along the way, Pedro finally connects with his abuelito and learns what it means to grow up and find his grito.
Sixth grade isn’t as great as Rex thought it would be. He’s the only kid who hasn’t had a growth spurt, and the bullies won’t let him forget it. His closest friend is unreliable, at best. And there’s a cute girl in his class, who may or may not like him back. With so much going on, everything is a blur — including Rex’s vision! So when he discovers that he needs glasses, and his family can only afford the ugliest pair in the store, any hope Rex had of fitting in goes completely out of focus.
Charlie has a foolproof plan for the first day at her new middle school. Even though she’s used to starting over as the new kid—thanks to her military family’s constant moving—making friends has never been easy for her. But this time, her first impression needs to last, since this is where her family plans to settle for good. So she’s hiding any interests that may seem “babyish,” updating her look, and doing her best to leave her shyness behind her…but is erasing the real Charlie the best way to make friends? When not everything goes exactly to plan—like, AT ALL—Charlie is ready to give up on making new friendships. Then she meets the Curlfriends, a group of Black girls who couldn’t be more different from each other, and learns that maybe there is a place for Charlie to be her true self after all.
Ignacio “Iggy” Garcia is an Ohio-born Colombian American teen living his best life. After bumping into Marisol (and her coffee) at school, Iggy’s world is spun around. But Marisol has too much going on to be bothered with the likes of Iggy. She has school, work, family, and the uphill battle of getting her legal papers. As Iggy stresses over how to get Marisol to like him, his grandfather comes to the rescue. The thing is, not only is his abuelito dead, but he also gives terrible love advice. The worst. And so, with his ghost abuelito’s meddling, Iggy’s life begins to unravel as he sets off on a journey of self-discovery.
Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl at school—and then there’s Viola. Viola is Livy’s anxiety brought to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to push back against Viola’s relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she strikes up new friendships at school. Livy hopes that Viola’s days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head stronger than ever. Only when Livy learns how to ask for help and face her anxiety does she finally figure out living with Viola.
Dan’s always been a good kid. The kind of kid who listens to his teachers, helps his mom with grocery shopping, and stays out of trouble. But being a good kid doesn’t stop him from being bullied and feeling like he’s invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe. At first, he’s right. He’s stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, and he doesn’t know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him―first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers… and first love.
This book tells the true stories of five brave teens fleeing their home countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guinea, on their own, traveling through unknown and unfriendly places, and ultimately crossing into the US to find refuge and seek asylum. Based on extensive interviews with teen refugees, lawyers, caseworkers, and activists, Tracy White shines a light on five individual kids from among the tens of thousands of unaccompanied minors who enter the US each year. In stark black and white illustrations, she helps us understand why some young people would literally risk their lives to seek safety in the US. Each one of them has been backed into a corner where emigration to the US seems like their only hope.
Mia is still getting used to living with her mom and stepfather, and to the new role their Jewish identity plays in their home. Feeling out of place at home and at her Jewish day school, Mia finds herself thinking more and more about her Muscogee father, who lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Her mother doesn’t want to talk about him, but Mia can’t help but feel like she’s missing a part of herself without him in her life.
Soon, Mia makes a plan to use the gifts from her bat mitzvah to take a bus to Oklahoma—without telling her mom—to visit her dad and find the connection to her Muscogee side she knows is just as important as her Jewish side.
Seventh-grader Viv never looks forward to picture day. It’s just another day where she wears a boring braid and no one notices her. (Her two best friends, Milo and Al, don’t count, of course.) But enough is enough. This year, she’s taking matters into her own hands. Literally. Viv grabs a pair of scissors, her phone for live-streaming, and, well, bye-bye braid. Suddenly Viv is an over-night influencer at Brinkley Middle School. Everyone wants her help planning their next big moment—from haircuts, to dance proposals, activist rallies and mathlete championships. She hardly even has time for her friends anymore. It’s exactly how she dreamed of reinventing herself…right?
A new year of school is starting, and Brit finds herself struggling with feelings for a seemingly rude boy from class who might have a soft side. Meanwhile, Christine can’t deny that she likes her best friend Abby…as more than just a friend. The only question is, does Abby have feelings for Christine, too? And will their feelings for each other mess things up in their friend group? Misunderstandings, betrayal, and jealousy are bound to get in the way. But hey! Look on the bright side: They’re in this together. Always.
Darrin Bell was six years old when his mother told him he couldn’t have a realistic water gun. She said she feared for his safety, that police tend to think of little Black boys as older and less innocent than they really are.
Through evocative illustrations and sharp humor, Bell examines how The Talk shaped intimate and public moments from childhood to adulthood. While coming of age in Los Angeles―and finding a voice through cartooning―Bell becomes painfully aware of being regarded as dangerous by white teachers, neighbors, and police officers and thus of his mortality. Drawing attention to the brutal murders of African Americans and showcasing revealing insights and cartoons along the way, he brings us up to the moment of reckoning when people took to the streets protesting the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. And now Bell must decide whether he and his own six-year-old son are ready to have The Talk.
Shakti is used to being the new girl at school. She and her two moms have moved more times than she can count. With her unborn baby brother on the way, Shakti hopes her family has found their forever home in Amherst, Massachusetts, and that she can finally make friends.
On her first day of seventh grade, she meets Xi and they bond over their shared passion for manga (and pizza with mayo). But the three meanest girls in school—Harini, Emily, and Kelly (aka “HEK”)—are determined to make life miserable for Shakti and her new friends.
When Shakti and Xi discover HEK casting spells in the woods, they fear what might happen to the other kids at school. Drawing on ancient Indian magic, Shakti seeks the aid of Durga Ma to stop HEK. But instead, Shakti accidentally conjures Kali Ma, the destroyer—Durga Ma’s dangerous twin. Kali Ma punishes HEK by transforming them into monsters and curses the entire town. As more and more people begin to fall ill, including Shakti’s mom, will Shakti be able to harness her own strength, power, and empathy to save those she loves—and put an end to all the hate?
Feng-Li can’t wait to discover America with her family! But after an action-packed vacation, her parents deliver shocking news: They are returning to Taiwan and leaving Feng-Li and her older siblings in California on their own.
Suddenly, the three kids must fend for themselves in a strange new world–and get along. Starting a new school, learning a new language, and trying to make new friends while managing a household is hard enough, but Bro and Sis’s constant bickering makes everything worse. Thankfully, there are some hilarious moments to balance the stress and loneliness. But as tensions escalate–and all three kids get tangled in a web of bad choices–can Feng-Li keep her family together?
Sarah has always struggled to fit in. Born in South Korea and adopted at birth by a white couple, she grows up in a rural community with few Asian neighbors. People whisper in the supermarket. Classmates bully her. She has trouble containing her anger in these moments―but through it all, she has her art. She’s always been a compulsive drawer, and when she discovers anime, her hobby becomes an obsession.
Wondering why this blog is more quiet? It’s because I am much more regularly sharing and creating in my Patreon community. And right now, you can get a free trial. What might you find there? Units such as the one I just posted below.
Giving students, and ourselves, further tools for how to navigate visual literacy is a must in today’s society. After all, most impressions that we get these days are not just from words alone but are accompanied by one or more images.
So why not approach the teaching of visual literacy through one of the most beloved formats of texts; graphic novels? After all, I see many teachers who are not quite sure how to teach this or even how to fully read graphic novels in order to sink into their depths, surely there are students who have the same gaps.
So I spent some time pulling together a 10-day unit plan for this concept, where students are invited to read their own graphic novels and go on a journey of exploration.
In this plan, we’ll not only unravel the mysteries of graphic novels but also nurture critical reading, visual analysis, and creative skills.
So what is in this unit?
Day-by-Day Lesson Plans: The unit offers a structured 10-day plan, complete with detailed activities, guiding questions, and vocabulary. You can follow this plan as-is or adapt it to fit your classroom needs.
Flexible Assessment Framework: The unit includes optional assessment frameworks, such as peer feedback and visual narrative presentations. You can choose which assessments align best with your learning objectives.
Diverse Mentor Texts: The unit utilizes inclusive mentor texts, including “New Kid” by Jerry Craft and “American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang. However, there are so many other graphic novels you can use. Make sure you choose mentor texts that resonate with your students’ interests and backgrounds.
Promoting Cultural Awareness: The unit places a strong emphasis on exploring cultural themes and perspectives within graphic novels, fostering cultural awareness and inclusivity.
Creative Expression: Through activities like creating visual narratives, students are encouraged to express their creativity and develop visual storytelling skills.
Reflection and Celebration: The unit concludes with a reflection on key takeaways and a celebration of students’ achievements, reinforcing the value of graphic novels and visual storytelling.
As always, this is meant to be a helpful tool that you can make your own. I would love to know if you can use this, and also if there are things I can change. I have broken it into pages so that you can print them for easy reference if you want.
To access the unit-plan, become a member of my Patreon community by going here. Like I said, a free trial is available to access resources.
I never thought I would step out of the classroom as a teacher. There was no vision of my future that didn’t have me being a teacher, yet taking a break from physically teaching and working in marketing as a brand writer has been an incredible experience. Not only am I now 100% certain that I want to get back in the classroom, but I have also gotten to test so many of the writing strategies I have taught students throughout the years, expanded my own knowledge of the corporate tech world, and had to push myself way beyond my comfort zone. Starting over in a career at 42 is not for the fainthearted.
But this was something I would have never done had it not been for how awful I felt last school year. I needed to become something else in order to preserve what I was.
But still, seeing ourselves through the many roles we play means we often get stuck in the self-consistency fallacy – the belief that our past choices and behaviors must dictate our future. Just as watching the same play with the same actors repeating the same lines would grow tiresome, sticking rigidly to who we think we are can hinder personal and academic growth.
And so it made me think, of course, about the very kids in our care who only see themselves as one thing – a kid who doesn’t read, someone who is bad a math, someone where school doesn’t work. But they can be so much more. As educators, we know it is vital to help students realize that they have the power to change not only their academic trajectory but also their identities and passions. And we tell kids this all the time, often to very deaf ears. After all, it is easy to tell someone that they can be whoever they want to be, but often we have no way of knowing how to change.This is where teaching them about the self-consistency fallacy can help.
The self-consistency fallacy, also known as the continuation bias, path dependence, or battle against determinism, exerts a powerful influence on our lives. It often compels us to make choices based on our past roles and interests, even when our desires and aspirations have evolved. Similarly, it can limit our relationships, health choices, and overall life direction. However, it is essential to recognize that we are not bound by our past decisions and beliefs. We are dynamic beings capable of change and growth—a verb, not a noun according to Anne-Laure Le Cunff, who recently wrote about the self-consistency fallacy which started all of my thoughts.
To help students overcome the self-consistency fallacy, we must foster an environment that encourages reflection and expansion. By posing questions, we can challenge students to let go of preconceived expectations and explore new horizons.
This also ties beautifully in with the identity work we can have students do throughout the year. A great place to start is by taking students through some or all of these questions starting with who they are now, how people see them, and how they would like to be seen. Of course, these can be modified to fit the age group you teach.
What are some of your strengths and talents that you value about yourself?
How do your friends and family describe you? Do you agree with their perceptions of you?
Are there any aspects of yourself that you would like to change or improve? Why?
How do you think others perceive your interests and passions? Is there anything you want to explore further?
Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve been hesitant to try because of how others might see you? Why?
How do you express your true self in different environments, such as at school, with friends, or at home?
Do you feel comfortable expressing your thoughts and opinions openly? Why or why not?
Are there any societal or cultural expectations that have influenced how you present yourself to others?
Imagine the ideal version of yourself. How would you describe this person? What traits or qualities would they possess?
What steps can you take to align your current self with the person you aspire to become?
Are there opportunities that you have dismissed because they don’t align with your existing trajectory?
What new paths could you explore if you were not bound by your past choices?
If you could start from a blank slate, who would you be? What would you be interested in? How would you be known?
Asking students to consider how they are seen and whether they agree with that opinion is an important place to inspire change. Is how they are known who they want to be? Are there other parts of themselves they would like the world to know about? Are there parts they would like to not be known for?
It is crucial for students to understand that the most significant opportunities for learning and growth often emerge from unexpected tangents. Encourage students to embrace the “weird” projects that pique their curiosity, explore fun ideas that may not have apparent professional benefits, and engage in collaborations unrelated to their career aspirations. Encourage them to break free of the stereotypes that often confine them.
By venturing beyond their comfort zones, students can cultivate a diverse range of experiences that will shape their unique stories. But even more importantly, they can change their static notions of who they are.
As educators, we have the privilege of guiding students along their educational journeys. By addressing the self-consistency fallacy, we can help students realize that they possess the agency to shape their academic and personal trajectories. By encouraging reflection, asking thought-provoking questions, and embracing change, we can inspire students to explore their true passions, foster growth, and build the foundation for a fulfilling future.
PS: Are you looking for coaching, in-person support, or virtual presentations? I am available and would love to support your work. Whereas I am physically located in Denmark now, I can travel if needed. In fact, I was just in North America in February 2023 and plan on bouncing back and forth. If you would like me to be a part of your professional development, please reach out. I am here to help. For a lot more posts, resources, live and recorded professional development, please join my Patreon community where most of my sharing takes place these days.
Pernille Ripp 