Category: Be the change

Be the change, curriculum, Student-centered

So You Keep Saying Authentic Learning…

Pernille Ripp
In my last posts, I have thrown out the term “authentic learning” as if it is the new buzzword.  Well, for me it is!  I am sure others have coined this term before me but this is my definition, my revolution in my classroom, my new mantra for the year.

Authentic learning is what I plan on doing in my room this year.  One can argue that all learning is authentic if only applied to the right situation.  My problem therefore lies within my own style of teaching that seems to lack moments of relatability.  Few are those times when I was able to truthfully tell my students that “this skill you will use one day.” Why is that?  We are supposed to be the shapers of the future, right?  Everything we do or say in our classrooms should have a bigger purpose.  I agree that there are certain building blocks that do not lend themselves easily to authentic learning, but how do we go from that type of knowledge to packets, dioramas (I really hate dioramas) and longwinded spelling sorts?

I am about to start my 3rd year in my room and I finally feel like I know a little bit about the curriculum.  I know what the goals are and where the students should be at the end of 4th grade.  That allows me to change the journey and the tools we use to get to that point.  So here is what I propose to myself:  Study the goals and then base learning on getting to that goal, not digging up more worksheets to really make it stick.  So, if you want your students to know the difference between a verb and a noun – send them on a scavenger hunt and tell them to film the nouns and verbs they come across.  Students need to learn how to research – research something that they would be interested in.  You need to teach geometric shapes – find them in your school, count their angles, build your own.  Most of all, make it relevant!

I know there will be days where this will simply not be possible, I will hate those days, but recognize them as a necessary evil.  There are certain curriculum areas that I cannot create authentic learning experiences for; difference between a linking and helping verb – still thinking about that one.  The important thing is that I can still fulfill all of my duties as a teacher but do it in a way that I would have loved to have been taught in, and that I hope my students will remember.  I hope to make it meaningful, to help them connect it to their own lives, to help them see what the purpose is and that school is not boring or something to dread.  Am I a fool?  Probably, but at least I am fool with great aspirations for all.

Do you believe in this type of learning?  Can it be done under our standards and requirements?  Will my students benefit or will my parents revolt?   I will spare no details this fall.

Be the change, curriculum, grades, homework

But We Worked So Hard On It…

Pernille Ripp
Those words, uttered by a parent disagreeing with their child’s grade has made my hair bristle more than once. You worked hard on it, meaning you and your child? Wait a minute, this was not meant to be a parent and child homework assignment but rather a well thought out learning experience for your 4th grader. And yet, parents decide to help. At first, I thought it was because they were helicopter parents, obviously not having severed the proverbial umbilical chord, marching their child toward a successful life always monitored by the parent like a shadow. Then I thought the parents were suckers, after all, nothing can ruin a weekend more than a child whining that they don’t want to do their homework. Maybe these parents lacked self-control, discipline, dreams, a life? Maybe they just really wanted to re-do 4th grade curriculum because it was so much fun. Oh, those illusions kept me and my irritation going for two years.

This summer, on my Twitter revolution I started reading more about parent involvement, grades and their effect on classrooms, all posted by the formidable force that is Alfie Kohn. And yes, I had an epiphany, an ugly one; one that I hoped not to have, and yet it was so necessary. These parents, who obviously had to do the work with their children, did it because my assignment was too hard, too all-involving, too removed from learning and not based in real-life. So all that frustration should have been directed toward another source; myself. After all, the puppet-master of the homework strings is me.  So this year I am making a change:

  • I will not assign homework because I need something to add to my grades so that I can do a bigger average.
  • I will not assign homework because I was long winded and didn’t get to the point, leaving no work time.
  • I will not assign homework just because the book tells me that I should.
  • I will not assign homework because my team members assign this piece or someone else who has taught the same unit.
  • I will not assign homework because it is a long vacation and who knows what sort of trouble student’s need to be kept out of.
  • I will not assign homework because the learning did not happen in my classroom.
Instead, homework will be limited.  It will be re-evaluated and contained within my room as much as possible.  I am changing my grading system, more on that in another blog, and no longer feel the burden of needing enough things to grade so that I can fall back on it for my report cards.  My mantra for the year is “Authentic Learning” and with that comes the responsibility of teaching students within my room, within my time, within the standards, but also within their capabilities.  Learning has to be relatable for them for it to stick.  No more dull repetitious packets, no more book report dioramas, but rather conversation, blogging, hands on experience.  Maybe then those parents will find something else to do, something that they want to spend time on, and maybe I will finally get a clue.

So why do you assign homework?  How do you not assign homework?  

Be the change, classroom expectations, new year, reflecting

A Promise to Me

Pernille Ripp
Yes, summer has just started and yet I am already thinking ahead to the coming year, perhaps because I am unable to enter my classroom at the moment due to its newly waxed floors. So I plan and prep from home and meanwhile get more and more anxious/excited about the new year. This year is my 3rd year teaching and I am ready to shake things up so these are my promises to me.

I promise to not be bored. The last 2 years I have stuck to what my team members have taught and developed and it honestly made me complacent. The lessons are solid but not my style, so this year, I am doing it on my own; out with the old and in with the new. After all, if I am not excited about the lesson, how can I expect the students to be?

I promise to not be scared. I have many ideas screaming for attention and every year I take a cautious step with one or two of them. This year because of my PLN and its support I have 100’s of ideas that all want to be tried. So I am going to try as many as I can without freaking out about the loss of control. So what if the lesson fails, at least I tried it.

I promise to be true to myself and reveal the techy geek I am. Sure, my students know that I like technology but not just how deep that love runs. So this year, we will make technology work for us. No more using computers just to type on, I am ready to get them sucked into the world of innovation just as I have been.

I promise to be quiet and listen, well sometimes anyway. When you have a lot of ideas like I do it can be hard to not want to share them.In fact, I can be like that annoying lapdog that barks and barks until you pet it. I have learned the hard way that sometimes people don’t want to hear about new ideas, and although confounding to me, I have to accept it. So I am not going to throw my ideas in someone’s face but try to entice them to come to me instead.

I promise to have more fun. Being a new mom and a new teacher can feel like you are carrying the weight of the world. But you’re not, you just feel like it. So I promise to loosen up a bit, not get so freaked out by deadlines, and continue to joke around with my students. After all, it is your personality that might just make them listen to you.

I promise to embrace the year no matter what it brings. I love to control everything; maybe that is why I am a teacher. So this will be the year that I learn to trust my students more and let them take some of the control. This is supposed to be a learning journey that we embark on, not a down-to-the-minute planned march.

Be the change, new teacher, new year, reflecting

Go in There and Earn an Oscar – 10 Myths for New Teachers

Pernille Ripp
Image from here 

As a new crop of teachers are slowly being introduced via email by my principal, I thought about what I was told in college about what to do as a new teacher.  And then I thought about how horrible some of that advice was.  So here is my top ten of new teacher myths – feel free to add more, I know they are out there!

Myth 1:  Children are only learning when they are quiet and focused on the teacher.
Reality:  So we all know this one isn’t true, right?  Well, maybe not at first.  I thought if students were too noisy they couldn’t hear the most important person; me.  Come to find out that often it is through these “disruptive” student conversations that deeper learning takes place.  So of course you must talk, but be brief and get to the point; simply put,  get out of the way of the learning.

Myth 2:  As a new teacher, you should never send a student to the principal’s office. because it shows weakness.
Reality:   Your principal is your liaison so use them if needed, trust me, they do not keep a tally of which teacher sends more students to their office (I hope).  Realize though, that when you do send a student to the office, the outcome of the situation is no longer your choice, so if you want to have a hand in  it, then engage the principal in a conversation with the student, rather than just a referral to the office.  My first year I had a very temperamental student that scared the other children, when things got heated both of us needed a moment to breathe and gather our emotions; the principal helped us with that.

Myth 3:  Never ask for help but if you must, do so in private.
Reality:  Always ask for help, big or small!  My first year, I was so petrified that people would think my hiring was a mistake because I did not have all the answers.  Well, guess what?  No one has all the answers and hopefully they never will.   When you approach someone and ask for help you are showing trust and through trust you build community.  And that sense of community can carry you through many years of teaching.

Myth 4:  Listen, but do not talk, during staff meetings.
Reality:  I am a perpetually hand raiser, there, I admit it.  And I am also one of those people that always has an opinion.  While I don’t recommend turning staff meetings into your one-person show, if you have a question or god forbid, an opinion, then share it.  You might be surprised the discussion that ensues because of something you said.  Successful staff meetings rely on discussion so become a partner in that, not just a fly on the wall.  


Myth 5:  Take a break from school/professional development your first year since you will be so busy.
Reality:  I know college is hard, I worked all the way through while going to school full-time, it was tough!  And the first year of teaching is even tougher but that does not mean you should stop learning.  Check out what professional development your district offers or better yet create a PLN so that whenever you have time you can be engaged in conversation with educators from all over the world.  Model for your students what a true lifelong learner looks like by becoming one yourself.  


Myth 6:  Show up at all extracurriculur activities your students participate in.
Reality:  I know students love to see us outside of school and I love to see my students as well but it is okay to say no once in a while.  Between piano recitals, dance performances, football games and basketball events, my first year I hardly ever saw my husband, my family, or my friends.  I was so busy seeing everybody else, even though I already saw the kids in school all day.  So pick a couple of events; I always go to whatever my school puts on and see almost all of my kids in one swoop.  Besides, if you pick one student’s event then you have to go to as many as possible and that can be exhausting if you have 27 students.   So yes, they love to see you out in the real world but don’t forget to keep your own life, after all, that’s what makes you interesting!


Myth 7:  Work through your breaks to show you are serious.
Reality:  There is nothing more serious than a first year teacher, always rushing about, eating lunch in the hallway while helping their students with that extra bit of work.  I did it, and I still do it, but give up your breaks in moderation.  Going to the teacher’s lounge may seem like a silly event but it is where I have had some of my most meaningful conversations and also developed actual friendships with other teachers.  I always have frequent flyers, kids that do not turn in their homework so they want to stay in and do it during recess with you.  Imagine the shock on their face if you tell them, “No, today that is not an option.”  It might even help them realize that homework is work we do at home.   And who says teachers don’t also need a break once in a while?


Myth 8:  Don’t try too many new things.
Reality:  I am an idea person.  I see inspiration in random places and get so excited to do/share/tell them that I am about to burst.  Yet I was told repeatedly to not put too much on my plate, after all this was my first year of teaching.  So I was bored and uninspiring.  Busy, well sure, we all are but it wasn’t necessarily with stuff I wanted to be involved in.  If you have dreams or crazy ideas, do it, get involved with the school and get others involved too.    


Myth 9:  Model/scaffold/show everything you will expect students to do. 
Reality:   I am not against modeling, scaffolding or showing, but have found that often students like a challenge.  So instead of showing them the whole process, tell them the goal, give them a beginning and let them discover.  Learning is after all a long journey into discovery.

Myth 10:  You must be/act happy at all times or go in there an earn an Oscar.  
Reality:    Students respond to human beings, and in particular genuine human beings.  While I do not recommend teaching in a foul mood it is okay to be mellow, as long as you explain why this is.  The explanation, of course, depends on the grade level you teach.  So if you are having a sad day or you are really excited about something – share it!  This is how meaningful connections are made because you show them that you care enough to trust them with your real life.  Maybe they will trust you then too.

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Be the change, building community, PLN

Get Out of the Way!

Pernille Ripp
This past Monday, an article was published in our local newspaper in which I was quoted; a huge moment in my brief teaching career. The article was a narrative of a field trip we took in which we had one of my students, who is a paraplegic, backpacked into an underground cave. Being his teacher, I was heralded as a solution-maker prompting many friends and acquaintances to praise me and my efforts to include all students. While the praise is wonderful it was not completely justifiable, for the credit for this solution in inaccessibility was not mine.

That honor goes to Miss Anma, our fearless physical therapist who has worked with this child ever since he entered our school. It was her words in September when we first discussed this end of the year quintessential 4th grade field trip, “How about we backpack him in?” Up until then, the solution was to not go the cave and rather go somewhere else, thus disappointing a whole set of 4th graders. You see this field trip is epic and is the definition of finishing 4th grade. Students talk about it on the first day of school and write about it as their favorite field trip before they have even gone. We knew from the start that my student’s wheelchair would not be able to go into the cave and so we resigned ourselves that this year we would go somewhere else. Until Anma spoke up. “Yeah,” I said, “why not put him in a backpack?” laughing a little at the idea but nevertheless not standing in the way of it.
Permissions were granted, a carrier was found who was willing to carry this 90 pound boy around for an hour in a makeshift backpack, training was had for the ordeal. And the whole time, I just got out of the way. The field trip was a massive success cherished by all involved. Posters have been made in my district with pictures of the boy in the backpack and a title “Nothing is Impossible.” Hallmark would be proud. Accolades have been given, satisfied shoulder pats and misty eyes all around. And yet, the true teaching moment for me came when Anma hugged me and said, “Thank you so much for all of your support and help with this.” All I could answer back was but I didn’t help or support; I merely got out of the way so that you could do your job. And that was my biggest lesson; get out of the way so that others can get to work. Why make it harder for everyone else when they are there to help educate just as much as you are. So the praise for this adventure should not fall to me, but rather to a ingenious, compassionate physical therapist who dared to dream up a wonderful solution knowing that I would get out of her way.
Be the change, curriculum, Student-centered, technology

I Am So Sick of Grammar Packets

Pernille Ripp
Part of 4th grade’s curriculum at my school are grammar packets, or some sort of grammar lesson every week to ensure that students know the difference between verbs, nouns, adjectives and so forth. The idea of wrapping the lesson in a packet format meant less time needed to teach; all I had to do was introduce the various exercises and then assign the homework. Students would get a week to finish and then we moved on to the next topic. At the end of the year, after several eye rolls and disheartened moans from students when they realized it was time for grammar, lightning struck. Of course they hate grammar packets – I do too.

You see, packets can be fine when we need something to grade. However, if I am looking for a true learning experience, I cannot just assign something and then leave the students to their own devices. Learning must be shared, not handed out with a deadline. One student actually loved the packet; it was manageable, she knew that if she spelled everything correctly she would receive a good grade and most of the stuff she remembered from years prior. Some students saw them as a dreaded chore that they lumbered through and were happy with the grade they got. And then there were the kids that really needed to learn the grammar. Those kids lost the packet, would not realize they had lost it until the night before and would therefore hand in a half-finished product sometimes with pages missing, usually with the wrong answers because they had not understood the directions and had had no one to turn to for help. Those kids, the ones that really needed to learn, were not being given any favors by me or the packet.
Another aspect of the packet was the sheer number of points that I assigned to them; after all if a students was going to slave away over 5 pages of work then the points needed to be a reflection of that. Again, great for the students who had no problems with the topic or had help at home. Detrimental for the not so fortunate students. We don’t give a separate grammar grade in 4th grade, we lump it under writing. And yes, understanding and using correct grammar is a vital step to being an accomplished writer, but the point value was so high that the packets counted toward a bigger piece of their grade than their actual writing. One student who was a very creative writer and used verbs and nouns correctly, could not identify them in a packet, even with help. But his ears told him how a sentence should sound so how do you grade that?
So under the constraints of having to teach grammar, I started to ponder, then how? We have a grammar book available which is kind of like the packet, except in a book form. So I knew that the book would not be my solution. The book does offer one thing though which is what the topics are that need to be taught, so that’s a help. A solution came form an article I read, which I regretfully did not bookmark, in which the teacher described handing digital cameras to her students and having them search for nouns, verbs etc throughout the school. Now that is hands-on-learning. While not every grammar topic lends itself to the digital image – difference between an action verb and a helping verb as an example- this represents a start for me. A new idea where students are assigned a quest and they have to represent their answer somehow to their fellow students. I set up the learning, we discuss it and then with scaffolding, off they go. I only have my own digital camera but I am hoping to write grants for more or to come up with other methods for teaching the fundamentals of writing. Using Wordia and Voki keeps popping into my thoughts as well. Anyone out there with other thoughts or ideas? I refuse to believe I am the only one trying to escape packets.