Category: being a teacher

8 years ago the 2nd edition of Passionate Learners: How to Engage and Empower Your Students was released into the world.

I saw it make a difference to those who read it, educators reaching out to ask further questions, to tell me that they loved the practicality of the book, that it gave them the courage and the path to co-create spaces with students.

I wrote the book, never thinking there would be another edition because surely I had said everything I wanted to say. I had given my best advice.

But then the world changed, and I changed right along with it.

In 2015, I could never have imagined how our educational system would change in just 8 years. I could never have imagined the way our students would need us even more, how the system would give us even less, and how we would fight to maintain even a shred of respect in our profession. How a global pandemic would push us to our furthest limit and then still continue to demand more.

I could never have imagined the world I teach in now.

And so when my incredible editor, Lauren Davis, asked me if I would consider updating it, I first laughed at the idea. Why would it need to be updated?

But still, I returned to the words from 2015 to feel it out. Turns out, Pernille in 2015 had great ideas, and some not so fully developed. The teacher I was now, was so much more. That in the years between the book and now, the lessons I had learned had been hardwon but so important.

And so I wrote through the book, seeing if anything really needed to be updated. A year later, I handed in a manuscript that was so much more than that. A book that was rewritten in its entirety, with additional new focuses and units. With an additional 42 pages, with more answers and ideas than before.

I wanted to create an edition that would matter as much as the previous one. A book that continues my journey as a teacher, that admits the mistakes, shares the ideas, and hopefully gives tangible pathways to co-created spaces with students. It is the best words that I have on a journey that continues.

And now, with less than two months to go, the book is ready for pre-order. If you order it through Routledge right now, you can get a 20% off discount using the code SMA34

If you read the first or second edition, I hope you will return to see how it all evolved. To find further answers. Or to share the book. If you haven’t read any edition, I welcome you into a classroom focused on centering students while not letting the system swallow you whole.

Why now?

I made myself answer why now, why bother, in the introduction, here is an excerpt…

And so, I wrote about what I know now, fourteen years into a career that has pushed me harder than anything else I have ever done. I wrote about the importance of co-creating spaces with our students that give them permission to show up the way they are. I wrote about what happens when you try to give up homework completely but can’t, or when those who are supposed to support you don’t.

I wrote with more nuance and experience than I had in the first edition, and I wrote with my husband Brandon, a new teacher himself, asking me the hardest questions about my practice.

I wrote so I could pull out all the cogs of the machine and try to present them to others so they may also change the way they teach. I wrote honestly and openly, because this journey is one I am still figuring out.

So whether you are just beginning or well on your way, I hope this book helps you along your journey toward a classroom filled with passionate learners. At the very least, it will let you know that you are not alone—that there really are better ways to teach and that there are others like you who believe the same thing.

I believed that there was one way to do school to kids. Now I know that school needs to change, and we must change it from within. Part of that change means including the voices of our students. School can no longer be done to our kids; school needs to be the place they cultivate and nourish who they see themselves as.

Here’s what I know: if I had not changed the way I taught and affected my students, I still would have been just fine. Just fine—not great, not inspiring, not life-touching, as we hope to be. A just fine teacher. But really, at the end of the day, who wants to be just fine? And don’t our children deserve so much more? Don’t we?

If you are a teacher reading this book, chances are, you’re thinking about change. But whether you need to change and what you need to change is entirely up to you. Here’s what I know: if I had not changed the way I taught and affected my students, I still would have been just fine. Just fine—not great, not inspiring, not life-touching, as we hope to be. A just fine teacher. But really, at the end of the day, who wants to be just fine? And don’t our children deserve so much more? Don’t we?

Pre-order it now, save 20%

If you would like to pre-order the book from the publisher, head to this link and use the code below – preorders through them open up on May 15th

If you are required to use Amazon, use this link

And if you are in the US and would like to support indie bookstores, please do!

What’s it about, really?

Well, my publisher said this about it:

Based on honest reflections on her own teaching experience, Pernille offers a wide variety of ideas for sharing control, developing your intuition, learning how to fail, giving yourself grace, building community and trust, creating more choice, allowing time for student expertise, and letting go of the punish, behave, and reward cycle so that intrinsic motivation can thrive. This fully enhanced new edition is chock full of additional strategies and tools on topics such as centering students’ identities, overcoming barriers when creating student-centered lessons to emphasize ownership of the learning cycle, shoring up your boundaries to manage your time and stop the intense prep work, changing your homework habits to reduce your load and give students more time, deemphasizing grades, and much more.

With Pernille’s heartfelt stories and practical strategies, you’ll feel inspired to give your classroom back to your students and foster a community of truly passionate learners!

And what did educators think of the 2nd edition?

80 reviews on Amazon and 4.5 star rating – can’t please everyone, especially when they get mad about the price, but I am so grateful for those who found it useful.

If you are in my Patreon…

Then you have a special opportunity to read it for free. So head over to that group, to see details on that.

Or join, to not only get a chance to possibly read it for free but also access all of my resources, specific book lists, mini-PD, coaching, support and anything else I can do.

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.

Posted from my Patreon community where I take requests for book lists to create, share resources, and offer up coaching for members. It is a very easy way for me to be accessible to people around the world, you can join here.

I am continuing with my updates of the picture book lists I made several years ago to accompany the teaching of a variety of reading skills. This time, the focus is on Words of the Wiser or that moment when a character, often older and/or wiser, gives the main character sage advice. This advice directly speaks to the theme, the conflicts of the story, as well as character changes.

When I first started out teaching this skill, I was inspired by the language of  Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading by Kylene Beers and Robert Probst.  This book provided my students with the foundation for deeper reading conversations and a common language as we developed our thoughts and discussion skills.

I have updated four other lists so far. Here are my updated lists for Symbols (Again and again), Internal Conflict (Tough Questions),  Character Change (Contrast & Contradictions), and for Flashbacks (Memory Moments).

So if you need to teach this critical reading skill, why not start with a picture book as a mentor text. Then you can offer up other picture books for students to see if they can discover it and then discuss the meaning.

Mango, Abuela, and Me by Meg Medina and illustrated by Angela Dominguez – Abuela advises Mia on the importance of communication, patience, and love while learning English.

The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros and illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte: Grandpa tells James that memories are like balloons that he carries with him.

The Most Beautiful Thing by Kao Kalia Yang and illustrated by Khoa Lee – The grandmother advises her granddaughter on the importance of family, memories, and finding beauty in everyday objects.

When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Kaylani Juanita – Aidan’s mother advises him to be patient and loving towards his new sibling, and embrace his own identity and expression.

The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld The rabbit advises Taylor to listen and be there for others when they are sad.

A Stone for Sascha by Aaron Becker – The old man advises Sascha to let go of her grief and see the beauty in the world.

The Couch Potato by Jory John and Pete Oswald – The wise old avocado encourages the couch potato to get up and try new things.

The Good Egg by Jory John and Pete Oswald – The wise old owl tells the good egg that it’s important to take care of yourself before taking care of others.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead- The animals remind Amos of the importance of kindness and taking care of others.

Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o and illustrated by Vashti Harrison – Sulwe’s mother advises her to see her inner beauty.

A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui- The father advises his son on the importance of hard work and sacrifice, and shares memories of his homeland.

Freedom Soup by Tami Charles and illustrated by Jacqueline Alcantara – The grandmother advises her granddaughter on the history and cultural significance of their Haitian soup recipe.

Drawn Together by Minh Lê and illustrated by Dan Santat- The grandfather advises his grandson to use art to bridge their language and cultural barriers.

Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller and illustrated by Jen Hill- The teacher advises her student to always choose kindness towards others.

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora – Omu’s neighbors advise her to share her delicious stew with the community.

Jabari Jumps” by Gaia Cornwall – Jabari’s father advises him to conquer his fears with courage and determination.

A Bike Like Sergio’s by Maribeth Boelts and illustrated Noah Z. Jones – Ruben’s mother advises him to be grateful for what he has and to save up for a new bike.

The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad and illustrated by Hatem Aly – Asiya’s mother advises her to be proud of her hijab.

Let the Children March” by Monica Clark-Robinson and illustrated by Frank Morrison – The parents advise their children to stand up for what is right.

The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and illustrated by Christian Robinson – CJ’s grandmother advises him to see the beauty in the world around him.

My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero and illustrated by Zeke Peña – Daisy’s father advises her to remember her roots as they ride through their neighborhood.

The Power of Her Pen: The Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne by Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrated by John Parra – Ethel’s father advises her to use her voice to speak up for what is right.

Titles shared previously:

What Are your Words?  A Book About Pronouns by Katherine Locke and illustrated by Anne Passchier.  Ari’s uncle Lior gives some great advice when it comes to choosing his pronouns.

The Boy and the Giant by David Litchfield 

Grandpa gives Billy good advice when he professes he is scared of the giant.

Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson and Sean Qualls 

The aha moment is mixed in with words of the wiser from Emmanuel’s mother and is embedded into the story.  This is a good book to use when it may not be as obvious.

Great wisdom from the mother bat to the baby as he prepares to take off into the night in Ari Berk and Loren Long’s Nightsong.

Who says giraffes can’t dance?  Thankfully some wisdom is given in Giraffe’s Can’t Dance by Giles Andrede

Because what we know first will always help us in our lives, I love What You Know First by Patricia MacLachlan.

I have had a Peter H. Reynolds book on every list so far, I am pretty sure you can teach all 6 signposts using his books.  The North Star will always be one of my favorites. The Dot is another great one.

Ish also by Peter H. Reynolds also has great wisdom.

Many of Patricia Polacco’s books can be used for words of the wiser, here I chose Mr. Wayne’s Masterpiece.

Zero by Kathryn Otoshi is a picture book that can be used for many things, teaching words of the wiser is definitely one of them.

When the students wonder when they will finally get tall, this is a great book to pull out You’ll Grow Soon, Alex by Andrea Shavick and Russell Ayto has great wisdom.

Our Gracie Aunt by Jacqueline Woodson is the book I am using with my students to teach the strategy.  It is a beautiful story that will start discussion in our classroom for sure.  Each Kindness also by Woodson is another amazing example.  In fact, many of her books can be used for this strategy.

I love stories about following your dreams and Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen fits the mold.

The Noisy Paint Box by Barb Rosenstock is a beautiful reminder to follow your dreams.

I know there are so many more out there, please leave your favorites in the comments.

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.

As our kids are getting older, we talk a lot about healthy relationships, boundaries, and consent. Not just in romantic relationships, but in all the ones they have – with friends, with authority figures, with us.

And one of the lessons we are teaching them is that they have the right to answer no. To withhold information requested by others that have no business asking for it. To not give the full story, or stay silent if needed.

Too often, we teach kids that when someone asks you a question you answer it, but at what expense? When do we teach kids that just because someone answered doesn’t mean they have to give an answer?

Because our kids don’t owe anyone their truth. They don’t have to share about themselves just because someone asks.

The truth in our classrooms

And we need to remember that in our classrooms as well. That just because we survey kids, doesn’t mean they have to answer. That not answering is an answer in itself.

That we build trust, not demand it. That we recognize when something is not our business. That we consider what we are actually asking BEFORE we ask.

And that if a child says no, IDK, or leaves it blank that perhaps it is not because they are obstinate but because they are exercising their right to not answer.

As I wrote through Passionate Learners 3rd Edition, the idea of control and power were ever-present. The way we demand acquiescence. That we demand to be followed blindly. That we don’t take the opportunities that present themselves to dive into the power dynamics present within our teaching and consider how we can shift power back to students.

But we demand their words. We command their attention. And we label them when they don’t bend to our will.

What about the adults?

And it also happens to the adults. We are coerced to share in the name of collaboration, of being team players. We are asked to hand over the things we have hidden in the name of building community, of building understanding, of building trust. We ask personal questions without considering what we ask and how people feel in the wake of our unravelings. Offer up platitudes to somehow make it okay to build up the foundation on the undisclosed scars of others.

And if we refuse to explain or elaborate we are labeled as difficult or uncooperative.

It turns out trading in information that was never meant to be known by many is a hot commodity in our education communities.

Shifting our power balance so that the people in our care also get to have power while also functioning as a community is not always easy. It takes time, it takes patience, and it takes trust. But it is possible.

That’s why I wrote the 3rd edition so that I could share ideas of how we respect all members within a functioning co-created classroom.

To offer up the small and big ideas that meant that control was shared, that power was given, that there was room to say no and not get in trouble.

Whether you read the book or not, please consider your demands. Please consider who you are asking to share what. Please consider what happens when we ask kids to share beyond their comfort levels.

What model are we creating for them when it comes to autonomy, power, and respect? What model are we creating for ourselves?

Saying no takes courage. Staying silent can be an act of strength. Not something to be punished. Not something to be yelled out of a child or frozen out of an adult.

So how do we create communities that support that?

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 bounce 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.