Be the change – Page 42

Be the change, being a teacher, being me, reflection

A Vow to Myself

May 11, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I look in the mirror, studying every flaw so that I can later point them out to my husband. To make sure he knows that I know that I don’t look like when we first met, 13 years ago.

I see the flab, the stretch, the things that gravity have not been kind to and I squint, and I wish, and I wonder what can be done other than never showing any of these parts to anyone every again. Because who wants to see this version of Pernille? Who will ever think that this body is any good? And then it hits me. This body bore 4 children, 2 of them at the same time. These arms that I am wondering whether I should show are the same ones that hold my children, that hug my husband, that allow me to do so many things. These legs and my giant feet are what takes me through the world, that allow me to run after the kids, to rush to help, to climb the stairs to soothe a child with nightmares. This face with its wrinkles, eyes that are tired, skin filled with imperfections is what I use to share my love, my laughter, my happiness with anyone who crosses my path. This body is what allows me to be a mother, a woman, a teacher trying to change the world.

We are our own worst enemies. We point out every flaw we can find and flaunt it to the world so that everyone will know that we know we are not perfect. That others will know that we do not think highly of ourselves either, that we know we are nothing special. We do it in front of our children so that they can learn that as grown ups we are riddled with flaws that mean we are not as good as we once were. We tear ourselves down so that others don’t have to. We tear ourselves down so that we will not threaten others in their hunt for perfection.

We do this as teachers too, we get quiet when someone compliments us, mumble thanks, pass it off as if what we do is just something that happens and not something that we work so hard at. We don’t point out our own greatness but will gladly share our flaws. We invite others to criticize yet hardly ever share our strengths, our talents, our moments of glory that keep us coming back. We reflect on our teaching and only see everything that we failed at, every mistake we made, every thing that we wish we could change, and don’t see all the good that we do every single day.

This is my vow to stop. This is my vow to allow myself to feel good. Not just about my body but also about what I do. I work hard at being a good mom, I work hard at being a good wife, I work hard at being a good person, I work hard at being a good teacher. I will not wait for others to point out my moments of greatness, I will look for them myself. I will not stand in front of a mirror and tear myself apart anymore. The negativity stops with me and it stops today. Who is with me?

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” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

aha moment, Be the change, punishment

Instead of Punishment

May 7, 2014May 9, 2014 Pernille Ripp

He was waiting for me to yell at him.

To unleash my words of destruction, let it fall over his deaf ears, while he would continue to stare defiantly at me.

His chin was ready to catch my words, deflect them even if need be. His shoulders back, proud of what he had done even if it had broken more than three school rules.

I cleared my throat. he stood up taller.

Then I asked, “Why?”

A look of uncertain flashed through his yes but then quickly disappeared.

“Because I could. because I wanted to. Why? What are you going to do about it?”

“This isn’t like you,” I said. “This isn’t the kid I know. This isn’t the kid that is proving everybody wrong.”

His shoulders slumped a tiny bit and I knew there was a chance we could talk.

I have yet to punish a child into behaving. Don’t get me wrong, I tried for several years to punish all of them into being good.

I punished them with grades. I punished them with referrals, with shouting, with lost recesses and lost privileges. I punished them with phone calls home, meetings, and stern look upon stern look. Sometimes they straightened out for a bit, if I yelled loud enough. Other times they just got more certain of their path of destruction, smarter about the damage they inflicted.

I stopped punishing four years ago and started asking “Why?” instead. It wasn’t a miracle word, nor did it fix everything, but it planted a seed. A seed that can grow into a conversation. A seed that can blossom into trust, into community, into a deeper understanding.

I grew weary of punishment because it didn’t change the kid. It just made them more stubborn in their ways, it made them hate school, it made them hate me. I became a part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Sometimes I was the problem and I was the reason they were behaving so destructively.

Now, when a child has rough day, a rough month, or even a rough year, I first look inward. What am I doing to add more to the problem? What am I doing that fuels it? Then I reach out to the child; how can this be solved, what is really going on? I keep asking why until I find something that we can use to move forward. I am not there to fix a kid, I can’t fix anyone, but I am there to help them help themselves. I am here to help them grow. Punishment will never do that.

PS: Today, Zach, one of my incredible students posted this on his blog, I swear he read my mind

In my opinion, a good teacher needs to have three very important qualities. First of all, a teacher needs to be able to put situations into a student’s perspective. A teacher should be able to think “How would a student react to kid/teacher points?” or “Would my class enjoy this project?” or think similar thoughts. Sometimes, just putting something into a student’s eyes is the best way to solve it. Second, a teacher should be able to think ahead. You can’t plan a project if you don’t have enough time to do the project! A teacher should be able to think ahead and make a plan about what they will do each day in advance. Lastly, but certainly not least, a teacher should always ask “Why?”. Sometimes, teachers just assume that a student is not behaving without thinking about the condition. What if the student is having troubles at home so the student can’t get that homework assignment done. Or, what if the student is having a headache, so he can’t focus on his book. My one piece of advice is “Never assume a student is willingly misbehaving.”

So there you have it

Be the change, being a teacher, Reading, Student-centered

Who Cares About Reading Strategies?

May 1, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I saw him reading that bright green book, I snuck a closer look and recognized the cover. “Guinness Book of World Records” was perched on his lap. After independent reading, I asked him if he had any chapter books to read too. I don’t mind Guinness but I love when students have a little bit of everything to read. He told me no, and when I asked him why not, he said, “Reading is not my thing.”

This student has been taught every day in reading strategies. How to comprehend, how to figure out themes, how to connect and draw meaningful conclusions. He has diligently written post-its showing some thoughts, he has spoken to others about the books. He has discussed goals with his teacher. And yet, he doesn’t love reading, he doesn’t even like it, nor does he feel he needs to.

So then what does it matter if a student can tell me about theme? What does it matter if a student can give me text evidence? If there is no love of reading then what do we need reading strategies for? Sure, students may be equipped to move on in school and figure out the texts given to them. But the child who does not like reading will not reach for books to enlighten them, or books that will challenge them. They will not reach for books to transport them. Books will not be a needed companion. They will be okay with reading not being their thing and continue on that path. And I am not okay with that.

Who cares about reading strategies and teaching them if we are not uncovering at least a like of books? If we are not helping our students discover a book that they want to read, not because I told them to but because they want, whether it be fiction, nonfiction, or audio? Who cares about theme if a child thinks reading is torture? Who cares about connections when the most important one; the child connecting to the book, is missing?

Yes, we should teach students to be better readers but we should also help them uncover a love of books if it is missing. We should be professing our own love of books and urging them to find the right one that may convince them that reading bears value. Every year this should be our biggest focus, not the reading strategies, they come after.

Be the change, being a teacher

She Wants to Teach

April 24, 2014 Pernille Ripp

“Mom, I have an idea…”

Thea reaches for the marker and starts to write her ABCs on the whiteboard behind her. She is with me in school today for take your daughter to work and has been thinking hard the last few minutes.

“When the kids come back I’m going to teach them their ABCs…” she states, as if this is the most brilliant idea ever.

So I tell her it is time to go and she furiously scribbles a few more letters on the board. We get the kids, they settle in, and Thea marches to the front of the room as if she was born to be there. She waits and then points to a letter. “Umm, what’s this one?” she says. Hands shoot up as the kids grin. “You!” she points to one of my students who gets it right and Thea quickly tells them good. The next five minutes Thea is the teacher.

I stand back, feeling my heart break and swell at the same time. I have joked with others about how Thea wants to be a teacher and today she has once again shown me that it seems to be in her nature. That teaching may just be her calling as well.

I want to shake the dream out of her head. I want to stop her from becoming a teacher, from choosing this profession that can be so life consuming. I want to stop her from picking a job that will mean working the longest days for little pay. That will mean worrying at night about things out of your control. Worrying about test scores and politicians and how they will affect your life. Worrying about whether the parents like you, whether the students are learning, and whether you are truly prepared. Whether you are everything you say you are.

And yet…

My little girl wants to teach. She wants to be a part of a life that changes the lives of others. She wants to be an influencer, someone who molds and shapes. She wants to make a difference by helping others become what they dream to be. She wants to teach and I couldn’t be prouder.

I couldn’t be happier. Even knowing she will face heartbreak. Even though I know she will have days where she wants to pull out her hair, shut the door, and give up – she wants to teach. She wants to be a part of that. She wants to change the world. She wants to make a difference. For now anyway.

She wants to teach. And the world will be better for it. So why should I stand in her way?

Be the change, being a teacher, end of year, students

Stop the Hurry

April 20, 2014April 21, 2014 Pernille Ripp

“Look at this, mom!”

Thea is jumping from stone to stone on the pavement next to me as I am walking in my straight line sticking to the sidewalk like a proper adult trying to get where we are going as fast as possible. Never mind that it is a Saturday, never mind that it is beautiful weather, never mind that we have the time. I want to get there fast just because we can.

At first, I think to tell her to hurry up, to come walk by me so we can get there faster. I go to reach for her, but her expressions stops me; pure joy. She is not just getting somewhere, she is exploring, balancing, laughing – she is on an adventure. And the extra 2 minutes it takes us to get to our destination are quickly forgotten as I watch her leap.

How often do we tell students to hurry up in our rooms? How often do we tell them to stick to the path, to get to the destination with an eye on the end and never taking the time to expand the journey? How often do we stop to explore, to “jump from rock to rock” within a topic simply because we are curious? Simply because it might be an adventure?

Every year I try to find time for the self-driven exploration within my room but every year by about April I feel like we have to quicken the pace. Like we need to walk faster to get to our end destination. But not this year. This year I want to enjoy my final weeks with my kids, my final weeks as a 5th grade teacher. I want to not just watch the kids explore, but explore right along with them. We will still get to our destination, we always do, but we will take the path they want as much as possible. We will find the time to try, we will make the time to laugh. I want to see them love learning as much as I do. And that won’t happen if I keep telling them to hurry up.

Be the change, being a teacher, new year

Does Your Vision Show?

April 19, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I have a vision for my classroom every year. One based on experience, but also on hope. One that speaks to the bigger goals, those outside the curriculum, those outside the standards. We focus on courage, passion, and dreaming. On embracing our mistakes. On bringing the world in. On becoming better people. On focusing on each child as if they are the only child there.

Thursday morning I officially accepted a 7th grade English position in the Oregon School district here in Wisconsin. I accepted nervously, what do I know about 7th graders? And yet, every time I interacted with people from this district I thought of how well my own vision for the classroom fit into the district’s vision for all students. When I spoke to teachers they spoke of the focus on each child. When I spoke to parents, they spoke of the creative opportunities given all kids. Wen I spoke to administration, the passion shone through. Sure, it fits with their mission statement, but they are also embodying it in everything they do and everything they say.

We get so wrapped up in our mission statements that we sometimes forget about the passion, the curiosity. We carefully select words that we hope represent what we want to say and yet often the people representing the district; teachers, parents, students are not mirroring the message. They aren’t living it because other things have taken their time and focus.

So look at your own classroom, your school, your district. Are you proof of the passion? Are you proof of the vision? If not, why not? What is holding you back? In the end I gave a resounding yes to their job offer because I didn’t have to ask what their goals were, what they were passionate about, they had already shown me. Are you?