Category: Be the change

Be the change, reflection, student voice

We Must Do More Than Just Engage Our Students

Pernille Ripp
I recently had the privilege of having a post published on SmartBlog on something I am passonate about: student voice.  And while they called it ” How to give students a voice in the classroom” I like my title better, thus the title change.

Those who know me, know that student voice is one of my biggest passions in education. And not just any student voice, but including the voice of my students, all students, in the education that is being done to them every day. And yet, when I discuss student voice, many people assume it is just another quaint term for student engagement. The truth is that it is so much more. Student voice means giving students power to change the way education is happening, to offer them an outlet and an audience, to have their voices heard. To change the way I teach.
I fight every day to include my students in their own educational experience. I fight the standards that tell us that yes, students should participate but here is how. I fight the prescribed curriculum that tells us when to stop and discuss and tells us when to keep on moving because there are too many pages to get through in today’s lesson. I fight the traditional way of teaching where the teacher is in locked control, holds all of the power, holds all of the knowledge and decides how and to whom they dispense these precious droplets. I fight because if I don’t fight, my students don’t stand a fighting chance to have their voice heard either.
So every year, I give the classroom back to my students. Every year, I have them blog, and not just what I ask them to write about but whatever they feel like. Then I give them an audience through #comments4kids and Twitter and anybody else who will listen to the voice of these fifth-graders with their grand ideas. I don’t shy away from hard topics; I don’t shy away from criticism. I cannot grow as a teacher if I do not ask my students how I am doing. How do they feel about the education that they are forced to be a part of? I give the classroom back by asking for their ideas, what their path to learning should look like and then actually incorporating that into how we do things. If lessons are boring, we don’t just get through it; we stop, reflect, and then we change it.
I say all this because it is easier than we think. Giving students a voice is not the hard part in education; listening to it is. You have to realize that when students tell you that something is boring, boring may mean that they just don’t understand, boring may mean that they are having a bad day, and yes, boring may mean that it is putting them to sleep. To facilitate a community where students actually have the guts, because it is indeed about guts here, to tell you how they feel about what you are doing — that is the sign of ultimate success in my classroom.  Not the grades, not the test scores, but the kid who raises their hand, looks me in the eye and says, “Excuse me, but could we change this, please?”
So how do you start? First, you give them an outlet. Give them a blog. Kidblog can be set up in less than five minutes. Give them a Twitter account to connect them with others. Set up classroom discussion time. Ask them  to make the rules of the classroom. When they criticize; listen and change, discuss their ideas and come to meaningful agreements. Your change will give them the confidence that you are not out to get them. After each unit, ask them what they liked, ask them how it should change. At the end of the year, survey them. What was the best and what was the worst. Ask the tough questions and be prepared for the honest answers. Thank them every time they criticize in a meaningful manner. Thank them every time they come up with a suggestion. Sometimes their change is not doable, but oftentimes it is; be open, be aware, and be a learner alongside them. Ask yourself: Would I like being  a student in this classroom? If the answer is no, then figure out where to start with your change.
Be the change, first week, Reading, reflection, students

So You Want a Reading Classroom – 12 Ideas to Help You

Pernille Ripp
I have always been a passionate reader and this year was no different, what was different though was that I finally unveiled this to my students.  I don’t quite know what took me so long.  So as I go into my second year as a reading classroom – and by that I mean, a room where reading takes center stage,  students cannot wait to read, and there are books being passed around every single day – I am thinking of how to create that.  Here are some of my ideas:

  1. Showcase your reading – this year through the inspiration of Jillian Heise I did a Mrs. Ripp reading display.  I cannot tell you how many book discussions this sparked with not just my students, but many students who just walked by the room.  

                                                     

  1. Get rid of books – I know this seems so simple but in honesty my classroom library had plenty of books but not a lot of great books.  So I weeded more than 100 books last year and then started replenishing as I saw fit.
  2. Invest in great books – I lost count of how much money I poured into books this year and while I wish teachers didn’t have to pay so much out of pocket for things, it seems to be just the way it is.  One great thing that happened was that my students would give the classroom giftcards for more books when they saw my passion – now that was awesome.
  3. Give your library space – I have always had a decent sized library but it was more tucked in a corner and not fully getting the attention it deserved.  While it is still in a corner, it is nice and open with short shelves and all of the books in labeled bins.  I label them by genre, author, or interest, it just depends on the book.  Books are easy to find and put back, which I think is a must as well and students take ownership over it.  They want it to work well for them so they can spend more time reading.
  4. Give choice – nothing will kill reading faster than constantly requiring students to read certain books.  I hate it, my students hate it, so I had to find a way around doing small group instruction without using chapter books.  I now use short high-interest articles instead to accomplish the same thing with my students and when they are done they get to read whatever they want.
  5. Challenge them – I love the concept of some sort of a book challenge and am contemplating doing the 40 book challenge by Donalyn Miller.  I love the idea that it is not about succeeding or failing but rather pushing yourself as a reader.
  6. Give reading priority– the first thing I would sacrifice in our busy schedule was always independent reading time.  Now it is the last thing to go; students crave uninterrupted reading time and many of them need it as a way to work on their skills.  All students get this every day, after all, to become a better reader you need to read!
  7. Read great picture books – I have always loved a great picture book but I had never really used them jus to hook kids.  Now we start many days with a picture book and then cherish the story-telling.  What I discovered is that every picture book can teach us something about reading or writing, thus making them both entertaining and purposeful.
  8. Make it authentic – ask adults; when we read a great book we cannot wait to tell others about it so that they may read it as well.  Students are no different, so many of them cannot wait to recommend a book to a classmate or me but you have to give them the time to do it.  We did through blog writing, speed book dating – 1 minute book recommendations – and informal conversations.  Students always had a to-read list going which made their next book selection so much easier.
  9. Read the books yourself – this is a must for any teacher that want a great reading classroom.  You have to read the books!  Students need to know whether the book is a great book or not and the person they trust is you.  So take the time and read the books; I have and I love discovering all of these incredible books that I need to get into the hands of students.  
  10. Talk about it – I book-talk books all the time, I show students my to-read list, I rush in excited about a new book I cannot wait to read and I created the Global Read Aloud.  I even created a book review blog so my students can see what I am reading after they leave my classroom.  I live the life of a passionate reader!  Be a role model for the students and show them that it is okay to really love reading.
  11. Don’t diminish reading – I ask students to read 30 minutes every day outside of school but what they read is completely up to them: magazines, books, websites, or whatever they think.  I do not check whether they do it, I assume they do.  I do not want them to think that they can only get better at reading by reading what I think is worthy, they need to see the power of any kind of reading (and we need to honor that).
  12. Plant the seed early – I had my students create book bins with favorite books for the incoming 5th graders.  These bins will be sitting on their desk the very first day of school and that is what we will start with; a discussion of why reading is the most incredible thing in the world – I cannot wait!

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Be the change, reflection

You Get What You Are

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

We all know the old adage that you get what you give but lately I have been realizing that it is deeper than that.  Not only do we get what we give, but we also get what we are.  Sort of like we cannot just talk the talk, but we also have to walk the walk but that walk has to be a confident pace and not just a hesitant shuffle.

Take a teacher who fears math, although they may not show it, some of that fear will almost certainly shine through in their instruction and affect their students.  How about a teacher who does not read outside of the classroom?  They may not discuss their lack of reading but students will still know and so see what the true importance of reading is to to that person; little to none.  Or how about the teacher that asks for respects but doesn’t give it in the heat of the moment, yup, students will see through that as well and mold their behaviors accordingly.  
The thing is, we cannot fake what we are.  So before we get into our classrooms at the beginning of our career, at the beginning of our year, at the beginning of the day, or at the beginning of our lesson, we need to make sure we are ready to give the right things.  We need to take stock of what we give to our students based on what we are.  We need to know ourselves so that we can fully understand how we teach and what we need to work on ourselves.  It is only fair to our students that we lead by example, even if that means facing some of our own shortcomings.
Teaching is not just about being good at it, it is about being a teacher with everything you do: personality, actions, and yes, even how you live your life.  If you want passion, then be passionate.  If you want respect, then respect others.  If you want curiosity then be curious yourself.  We cannot just say students should be these things, we should be them ourselves.

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Be the change, teachers

Could We Please Stop Making Each Other Feel Bad?

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

Yesterday I received the news that I am among 5 educators nominated for Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences, otherwise known as the Bammy Awards.  Do you know who I told?  My mom and my husband.  I didn’t go next door to tell my teammates, I didn’t tweet it out until later when others had congratulated me.  I only told my principal because I may take a day off to go to the ceremony.  I certainly did not post it to Facebook.  This huge moment in my short teaching life was not something I felt comfortable sharing with others because I was afraid that they may get upset.  I was afraid of the negative reactions I was sure to get by telling others.

After witnessing the usual banter back and forth on Twitter about how we shouldn’t have awards for teachers or anyone within education because there are no winners, we are all winners, and no one should feel like they deserve recognition because it goes against what we stand for as educators, I felt completely deflated.  We are so good at making each other feel bad.  We are so good at feeling that our philosophy for education and educators should encompass everyone else.  We are so good at taking moments that should be celebrated and turning them into moments of shame.  

I grew up in a society marked by “Janteloven” which in essence means you are no better than anyone else.  That you should never stick your head above the crowd or promote yourself.  It squelched much creativity within my country, it squelched individualism, and pride in what people accomplished.  You never dared tell others when you were recognized.  Little did I know how similar the North American education society is to Danish society.  How dare we be excited when we are recognized?   How dare we tell others because if we tell others it must mean that we think we are better than them!

If I cannot stand up and be proud that the Global Read Aloud is getting recognition (because that is what led to my nomination) than what have we become?  We have become no better than all of the politicians who swear we are the root of all of the problems in education.  We are no better than the journalists that love sensationalizing whenever a teacher messes up.  We are no better than the commentators who tell us to quit our whining and get a real job.  We are no better than the teachers that sit in the teachers lounge and bash anyone who tries something new.  If we continue to make each other feel bad whenever we should be celebrating we are no better than the people we fight.

There will never be enough awards to hand out to all of those that should get an award.  There will never be enough recognition to give to everyone, but if we squelch the movements that are springing up to turn the tide of teacher bashing, then we are giving those who hate us a helping hand.  There are many brilliant people in education, this is not about winning or losing, but instead  finally saying that there are many people out there who do incredible things every day with what they have been giving.  We should stand up and cheer every time someone gets recognized within the education community , not chastise them or make them feel as traitors to our mission.  We are not fighting each other, we are fighting for our children.  And I for one will applaud anyone ho gets any kind of positive recognition 

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Be the change, Innovation Day

Innovation Day From a Student’s Perspective

Pernille Ripp
I love Innovation Day – it is one of my absolute favorite days of the year.  So after we had our 5th grade Innovation Day two weeks ago I asked my students to blog about.  I don’t think I have ever had a more eloquent response than the one Megan posted.

The Best Day of My Whole School Career

The best day of my whole school career would be, without a doubt, Innovation Day.  Innovation Day is a day that you get to learn about and create anything.  Sounds like a lot of fun right?  It is, trust me.  But you can’t just have recess for the whole day, or read for the whole day, you have to do something that you will be able to learn about. And you can’t just research the whole, entire day.  You have to create something to show your learning.  
Now that we have gone over the rules, I will tell you what I did.

I interviewed the librarian of our school, music teacher, gym teacher, four regular teachers, five kids, and one 4-K classroom.  Those interviews took up most of the morning.  My mom put my hair up in a bun to make it professional, and I wore business woman looking clothes.  To make it even more professional looking I offered them  a Gatorade or water.  I also made business cards.  After I was done interviewing the subjects, I gave them a king sized Hersey’s bar.  That took up most of the morning. So then I had 2 hours and 45 minutes.  So I put my learning into graphs for the regular teaches, and for the specials teachers and 4-K classroom  I made a poster saying what I learned from them.  Then I made the posters all pretty with highlighters and things like that.  If I was an actual school designer the next thing that I would have done is take that information and incorporated it into my school design, so that I could make the optimal school.  
THAT WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY WHOLE SCHOOL CAREER!!!!!!!!!!! If you do not have Innovation Day at school, and you are a teacher or princapal or student or somebody that has some kind of relationship with school, please make sure that your school has that day.  Because THAT WAS THE BEST DAY OF MY WHOLE SCHOOL CAREER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And I guarantee that a lot of the kids will feel the same way.        
Be the change, reflection, students

A Student Demands a Better Education…Finally

Pernille Ripp
I don’t know if you have seen this video, chances are you haven’t so stop reading and watch it.

Edit: the video has been pulled by the user which I am sad about.  It was 1 minute 30 seconds of a student asking a teacher to please teach them better than she was, that they did not want anymore packets and that she had to get them excited and to touch their hearts.  He then leaves the room after the teacher keeps telling him to.  He does this without swearing or raising his voice.

Edit 2:  The video is back up on Gawker

The video was posted on Reddit, I saw it this afternoon and immediately knew that I had to react it.  And while I do not know the backstory, I do not know this kid, or his teacher, or what the context was for this particular moment, I do know that I think this kid has courage.

If it is true that all he has been doing is packets since he got there then he has the right to stand up in a respectful manner and demand a better education.  It is what I teach my students every day; their voice matters because they are the ones we are doing this to.  And this kid, Jeff, he did it.  He stood up to a teacher without screaming, not really swearing, and asked her to touch their hearts.  To not treat them like a paycheck.  To make them excited and not sit behind a desk.  And then he left, just like she asked.

I cannot imagine the anger that must have built up for a kid to stand up to his teacher in this way.  I cannot imagine the courage it must have taken.  Courage to stand up against a system, courage to demand a better educational experience, and yes, courage to defy the determined authority and stand up for his own desire to have a better class.

I wish more students would stand up to the system, in a respectful manner, and let their voices be heard.   Students in America have the right to be angry about what is happening to them in their classroom, I am glad someone is finally speaking out.  We have silenced the voices of our students for too many years, we have not invited them into the educational debate even though it is being done to them.  Even though every decision we make as a teacher directly effects their lives and their future.  Jeff gets that and he has had enough.  I hope others figure out that they have to.  Us teachers cannot be the only voices demanding a change.