Be the change – Page 46

Be the change, being a teacher, reflection

What Becomes of the Lonely Teachers?

February 7, 2014December 29, 2014 Pernille Ripp

“…Don’t worry about it, I will take care of it.”

So read the text message from my teammate Mark when he found out I was in the hospital trying to stop the birth of Augustine (in vain, I might add). And with that little message, I could stop worrying about the 27 kids that rely on me Monday through Friday and start worrying about the baby trying to meet us way too early.

Mark didn’t have to write my sub plans, in fact, he didn’t have to do anything for me, he has his own classroom full of kids to work with, his own plans to write, his own family to take care of. But he did, and he didn’t make a big fuss about it, it was simply what he does, and what we do as a team.

I often wonder about the teachers that shut their door, tired of trying to make connections, tired of trying to make their team work. Did they ever have a team that took care of them? Does anyone notice when their door is shut? I know when I have shut mine, whether by choice or accident, someone has always knocked on it, concerned and just checking it.

Yet,we know there are teachers that come to school, teach, and then leave without many people knowing that they were even there, without many people reaching out to them to make sure they are having a good day. We are so concerned with our lonely students, but do we share the same concern for our lonely teachers? Do we reach out and go out of our way to make sure everyone feels included and welcomed? Do we stop by and invite them to have lunch with us if they are sitting in their rooms? Of for coffee after school? Do we tell them that we will take care of them if they need it?

I know I forget to, I know I get too busy trying to catch up with the ones I already have established routines with. I know I forget to include, to ask, to invite, but I try. And it is in this trying that I find my own hope, that perhaps if I try and everyone else tries, that perhaps those teachers we let slip through the cracks will be caught by someone and for once they wont be the ones shutting their door, for once they wont be the ones that no one noticed that day. For once they will belong. But we have to notice first, so on Monday, please take the time to notice who is by themselves. Notice who shuts their door, notice who seems alone. Then stop, say hi, start a conversation, try. No one should have to be alone in a building filled with happy children. Everyone should have a Mark in their lives.

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 March from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, grades, reflection

My 5 Year Old Schools Me on Grades

February 3, 2014February 3, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Thea ignores me.

“Here it says that you don’t know your letters, numbers, or shapes.”

Thea continues to ignore me.

“What letter is this? (As I point to a big D).

Thea glances up. “A?” My heart drops. “It’s not A, it’s D. D for daddy. We have to practice this!”

Thea walks away then yells, “I don’t want to learn my letters!” and leaves the room. She told me.

Welcome to my biggest parenting fail to date.

You wouldn’t think that I cared about report cards. You wouldn’t think that I would skip right over the “3’s” and “4’s.” Hurriedly read the positive comments her teacher meticulously typed. Skim down until my eyes found what my heart knew would be on there, the “2’s” – the ones that means that she is not where she should be, the ones that means she is not as good as the other kids. Yet that is exactly what happened on Friday afternoon. Never mind the great things Thea has accomplished, never mind all that she can do. My parenting eyes went straight for what she doesn’t know and then got stuck on a tangent until my darling 5 year old left the room. End of conversation, mom.

So why do I share this story? Because this is exactly what happens in most homes when we send home a report card. Parents eagerly skim until they see the negative, the mark that isn’t as good as the others. We skim over the great remarks, we notice the good, but we really focus on the “needs to improve,” the area of supposed deficit. We hone in on that, it appears to be instinctual, and that becomes the topic of conversation, that becomes the point of contention. Then we harp on our kids until they wither leave in protest or defeat, Mission accomplished, we have parented them well. But it shouldn’t be this way. The numbers or letters that tell us what our child still needs to work on should be the biggest point, bring the other stuff into the conversation but don’t make it the main event.

I know this and yet I fell right into the pattern. I know that a 2 does not define Thea. I know that a 2 just means she has to work on something. And yet that afternoon I couldn’t help but feel that she was not doing enough, that she was not good enough as compared to the other kids. That I haven’t pushed her enough to learn something so simple. That I shouldn’t give up when she refuses to learn, that I haven’t set high enough expectations. That I have failed my 5 year old already as a parent. That she will never learn her letters, that she is now forever doomed. Yes, all this from a progress report from 4K.

And then the teacher in me that hates grades kicks in. The teacher that sees what grades do to warp learning conversations in the home. The teacher that sees the damage that happens when we try to quantify and compare our students. My rational side catches up to me and reminds me that a “2” means something to work on. That Thea is quite capable, yet stubborn as a mule. That Thea is a quick learner when she is ready for it. That a report card from 4K is not setting the path for her future. That this is not the whole story of my little girl and it should not be allowed to be. And I breathe and I go back and I notice the “3s” and then the “4s” and then finally the comment that says that she cares about others and is a great friend. And I smile and I know she will be ok. That I will be ok. That there are bigger things to focus on than numbers. That there is more to my little girl than a report card. Even if I forgot about it for a moment. She is ok, I am ok, and the piece of paper is just a snapshot, not her whole story, not her future path determined.

Why do we forget that? Why do we give grades so much power? Why do we think a grade can define our child? I know better, we know better, yet how do we change grades and what they mean? How do we shift the focus from the number to the learning? From the deficit to the potential? Or do we all need a 5 year old to leave the room and refuse to learn until we see the harm report cards can do?

advice, aha moment, Be the change, being a teacher, creativity, students

How to Unleash the Uncreative Children

February 1, 2014December 29, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I was a dreadfully uncreative child. Sure, I would draw trees, flowers, animals, but whenever someone told me to unleash my creativity, my heart sank and my page usually stayed empty. Writing was slightly better, but I tended to stay on tangents so much that even I couldn’t tell my stories apart after awhile. And singing? While I loved to sing, I couldn’t just create something out of thin air no matter how hard I wanted to. No, I would never be a jazz singer.

When I look back on my childhood I see that I was probably not alone. Many of my friends weren’t explosively creative either and while these days when we have uncreative children we tend to blame our school system, I think it was just the way we were. We didn’t know how to be creative so we weren’t.

I see this play out in my classroom as well. I ask students to come up with whatever type of project they want and they go into a slight panic, not quite sure where to go with that much choice. Or tell them to write a story about anything they want and some of them are so stuck in a writers block that they actually sit there frozen, never even lifting their pencils. So what can be done with those kids that are stuck in a panic battled with creativity? How can we unleash their potential?

Give them limited choice. I think choice is one of the biggest gifts we can give to students, however, to some the thought of free choice limits their imagination rather than urging them to create. So give them some choices and then urge them forward.
Give them examples. I know this sounds counter-intuitive to spark creativity but often some students simple need to see what is possible before they venture out on their own. Sure, they may borrow ideas from what we show but in the end they still create.
Check in often. While we tend to think of creativity as an adult-less venture, those kids that struggle with the process need check-ins and reassurance letting them know they are on the right track and help getting unstuck.
Celebrate the small risks. We tend to look for the impressive but when it comes to some students, we need to celebrate even the little ventures into creativity. Boost their self-esteem and let them know that what they are doing is right.
Praise, praise, praise. As an uncreative child I always thought I was doing it wrong, if someone had told me I was doing it right, I would have had more faith in myself. Often lack of creativity comes from the same place as lack of self-confidence. Make sure it is not empty praise but rather specific and to the point.
Give options to collaborate. I almost always give students the choice to have partners in projects simply because they spur each other on.
Break the mold of creativity. We tend to only allow for creativity within certain subjects but why not open up all of our subjects to creative thought and exploration? Some students will do better unleashing their genius within math than literacy. Make room for them as well.
Be persistent. I was almost allowed allowed to give up on projects as a child whenever they failed rather than see them through, and while we should know it is ok to abandon something, as teachers we should also encourage our reluctant students to push forward. While it may not be the best creation, it is something, and that is always worth celebrating.
Highlight everyone. Part of not being creative was that I knew who was considered creative in my class. Those kids were given special attention every time. I was never in the group therefore I quickly deduced that I was not creative. Be careful that we don’t let our labels of students stymie them.

Be the change, reflection, Student-centered

Why Our Past Should Stay in the Past

January 29, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I thought by now I would have it all figured out. That my lesson plans would almost write themselves. That by January I would be planned until May. I thought by now it would be a routine. As easy as riding a bike. As easy as following a recipe. I thought by now teaching would just be another thing to cross off my to-do list of things I was done with for the day. I was wrong. And I am glad.

I used to let the past define me. If I had done something the year before then I certainly was going to do it again the following year. After all, I had put so much time into learning about it. I had put so much time into thinking, creating, and then implementing the lesson. And it had worked, sometimes with great success. Yet, whenever I pull something out of a file cabinet (whether literal or the one in my head) it never seems to quite fit the kids I work with now. It never seems to garner as much excitement as it did the first time. It never seems to be as much fun to teach. It still works, but it is not enough for me anymore.

So I have learned that my past lessons may support me and give me a place to start, but they should not dictate what I do in the future. The ideas I may have are still worthwhile but they should be nourished and pushed to grow to fit my current students, not the ones I had the year before. Students don’t mind the same material, but I think they mind when it is taught the same way as the year before. They want to feel our excitement and let it feed theirs. They want to know that we are teaching to them and not just a nameless group of kids. They want to feel special, as much as I hate using that term. And I’m ok with that. After all, it is the change and the quest for the perfect lesson that keeps me coming back day after day, year after year.

Be the change, Student-centered

How About a Little Change?

January 20, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I seem to write about big changes a lot. You know the kind that changes the way you teach, how school is done, and how students function in your classroom. And while I love my big changes (I would never go back) I also know that it can be kind of hard to do some of these big changes all at once or even at all. Sometimes policies stand in our way, other times it is our own courage that is lacking, or our preconceived notion of what students will be able to handle. And yet, you want to change, but just not in a big way (yet…) so how about some little changes to get you started?

Instead of getting rid of all homework how about eliminating it in one subject? While I am proponent of not assigning any, even I sometimes have to. So a way to change the way you do homework is to just not give it in one subject. Check in with students during class and eliminate the thing you were going to use to check in on what they knew. Try it, see if you like it, and then see if you try more subjects.

Instead of doing all project-based, how about converting one topic? Project-based learning can be really daunting if you are looking to transform your entire curriculum to hands-on learning, so how about you start with just one segment of your curriculum? How about the next social studies project? Or adding in some science? Get your feet wet, and those of your students, and then see if you can do it again.

Instead of getting rid of grades how about asking your students to set them with you? This is a great way to work within policies that mandate you give grades. Doing it together with students starts a learning dialogue and creates ownership. When they get to set, discuss, and defend their own grade they reach a deeper understanding of their own knowledge and needs.

Instead of a whole day of innovation how about one hour? I am a huge proponent of Innovation Day but also understand how it can seem overwhelming or doomed to fail by some (yet trust me it is worth it). If you are not sure how a whole day of letting students create will look like, try Genius Hour first. This one hour innovation is a great way to get students into a creation groove and also allows you to iron out any misunderstandings.

Instead of connecting your students with the world how about connecting them with one class? We often feel like our students should be engaged in a global conversation, and yet, that can be a lot to set up, oversee and maintain. So rather than focusing on the whole world, how about focusing on just one deep connection with another class? I have often found that a focused connection is more meaningful than many superficial ones.

Instead of an hour of project time how about just 10 minutes? My students and I like to do projects. The students lesson plan with me while making sure we cover everything we need to (and then some) and then they get to work on their projects. But if this seems like it would be frightening or you are not sure that your students could handle a whole hour of self-directed work then give them 10 minutes at the end of class. This way you can support in a concentrated dosage and students still get to work on something more hands-on. As you get more comfortable you can expand the time.

There are so many things we can change to create more student-centered learning environments. All it takes is one small step in the right direction and you have started on your path to change.

Be the change, discipline, punishment, students

So I Gave Up Punishment and My Students Still Behaved

January 17, 2014 Pernille Ripp

When I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress last summer I mistakenly assumed that all posts would seamlessly transfer. I have since found the error in my thinking and have decided to re-post some of my more discussed posts. This post first appeared in June of 2011 but still rings true to me.

Three years ago I gave up my inane punishment plans. Out went the sticks, the cups, the posters, the pointed fingers and definitely the lost recesses. No more check-marks, or charts to explain what that check-mark meant, no more raised voice telling a child they better behave or else. Some thought I was crazy, I thought I was crazy, and yet, here I am now a complete convert. So what happened?

Well, a lot of conversations. If just one child was off that day, disruptive, disrespectful and so on, it was usually handled through a quiet conversation off to the side or in their ear. Sometimes we went in the hallway. I tried to limit the times I called out their names and I spoke to them as human beings. No more teacher from the top, I am going to get you if you don’t listen, but rather, “Do you see what your behavior is doing for your learning?” Believe it or not, framed in a way where they understood what the loss was = the learning, there was better behavior or at least an attempt to behave. And that was a central part of my plan; make the learning something they didn’t want to miss. Most kids do not want to miss recess because they have a lot of fun and hang out with their friends, which is why it is such a favored punishment. Hit them where it hurst kind of thing. So I decided to make my classroom fun, exciting, and collaborative. That meant that students actually wanted to participate and not miss out.

Sometimes my whole class was off; jumpy, jiggly, or falling asleep. In the past I would have yelled, droned on, and probably lectured about the importance of school. No surprise there that usually didn’t work at all. So then I would just get mad, tighten the reins and exert my control. Yeah, didn’t work so well. Now I instead change my teaching and learning. While we may have had certain activities planned for that day they are modified to require movement and discussion or totally changed if I can. The learning goals usually stays the same, the method of delivering them doesn’t. Often this takes care of a lot of behavior that would have led to a check-mark before. And I think that is central to this whole thing; bad behavior often comes from disengagement and boredom. So when we change our classrooms to give students more outlet for their energy, bad behavior reduces. My worst days were the days that I hadn’t considered my students needs enough, the days were there was too much sitting down and not enough choice.

In the beginning it was hard. I so instinctually wanted to say “Move your stick!” that I actually had to grind my teeth. With time it got easier. The students knew when they were misbehaving because we discussed it. If the whole class or a majority of students were off we had a class meeting. Sounds like a lot of time spent on talking? Yes, but I would have been spending the same time yelling at the kids and doling out punishment. The kids got used to it and many of them relished the fact that they were given a voice in their behavior and how to fix it, rather than a dictation from me. Kids started keeping each other in line as well, asking others to be quiet when need be or to work more focused. They knew what the expectations were for the different learning settings because we had set them together. This was our classroom, not mine.

So did it work? Absolutely, I would never go back. I don’t take away recess but have it reserved to work with the kids that need it, I make fewer phone calls home, and I rarely send a kid to the office. I am sure there are tougher classes out there than mine, but this is your every day average American elementary class. We have the talkers, the interrupters, the disrespectful, the fighters, and the sleepers. And it works for them as well. The kids feel part of something big, and they let me know on just how much it means to them. They relish the voice they have, even when it comes to their own consequences. They relish that rewards are no longer personal but rather classroom-wide whenever I feel like it. Kids are not singled out for horrible behavior and so I don’t have “that kid” that everyone knows will get in trouble. Instead we are all there as learners being rewarded through our community rather than punished. I remember the relief I felt when I placed my old punishment cups in the staff lounge and finally let go of my old ways. To this day I hope no one picked them up.