being a teacher – Page 111

“I want students to fail in my room all the time. I want them to be unafraid of failure.” This was me, all the time. In conversation with other teachers, on Twitter, in blog posts. Always discussing how students should fail. How our rooms should be filled with opportunities to fail. How we should model failing any chance we got.

I assumed this is what students needed; fearlessness in the face of failure, chances to fail every single day. So much failure that they would never be afraid to conquer it or be stymied by it, but instead saw it as a dragon to slay. And then, one day, I said it out loud to my students. And they looked at me in horror. And then they laughed.

“Why do you want us to fail so much, Mrs Ripp?”

“Isn’t that against the rule?”

“Won’t you be a bad teacher if we fail all the time?”

I shrugged it off that day; clearly they had missed the point. Failure wasn’t about me being a bad teacher, if my students failed then it would mean I was doing great things, teaching them great resilience, getting them ready for “real life.”

Yet, the thought kept nagging me late at night when teachers tend to get nagged by thoughts like these. Did I really want my students to fail? Did I really want them to be surrounded by failure so they could develop more grit?

We forget that as adults we would never stick with something if we were constantly failing. That we have to have small successes along the way to keep us going. That some days we need it to be easy so that we can get ready for the next big challenge. We need to be aware of our own fears and we have to work through them. We are not fearless, so why do we expect our students to be?

I realized then that constant failure is not what I want. Nor is fearless students that barge ahead, with little thought, because they have to conquer their fear. I don’t want my students to be surrounded by failure. I do not want them to be fearless in every decision, nor do I want them to constantly have be resilient. That is not “real life.” That is not what we are as adults.

Instead, I want students who will face their own fears and still do it. Students that see their fear of failure and still try. I want students who acknowledge that they are moving into territory that makes them uncomfortable and still stick with it. And I want kids who know where their boundaries are. Who understand their own limits, their own comfort zones. Not so we can burst through the barricades, but instead so we can inch out of it, day by day, expanding ourselves, growing and feeling comfortable with the way we grow.

Failure will always be a constant companion in our classrooms, but they shouldn’t be the driving force. Opportunities should be, challenges should be, with the possibility of failure. We shouldn’t be striving for students who are unafraid to fail, but rather students who are willing to try. Willing to think. Willing to still do something even though they are afraid. That’s “real life.” That’s what we should be modeling.

being a teacher, being me, Passion, students, webinar

The Student’s Voice: Empowering Transformation – A Webinar Recording

December 2, 2014 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

I had the huge pleasure of discussing student’s voice and how to empower them within a classroom with Tom Murray for the Alliance for Excellent Education on November 17th. To see what other great things the Alliance does, go here.

In this video we discussed

Ideas for including the students’ voice in classroom setup, planning, and outcome
Technology tools to bring the students’ voice out into the world
Stories of how the students’ voice can transform education
New ideas that can be implemented starting today to change the power within our classrooms

being a teacher, being me, reflection

What I Take For Granted

November 27, 2014November 27, 2014 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

I know I have a lot to be thankful for. And yet, it seems to get lost in the every day. The hustle and bustle we call life. I try to be thankful, I try to give thanks, but some of the things I take the most for granted are the things that I forget about. The things that if I didn’t have them in my life, my life would not be a happy one. So why is it that we take so many things for granted when really we should be aware of how different our lives would be without them?

I think of the last few days in the aftermath of the not guilty verdict out of Ferguson and how I take for granted that my white son will never be accosted by police, unless he deserves to be. It’s amazing what you take for granted when you are white.

I think of the millions of children who go to schools that are underfunded, falling apart, and riddled with inequities, and how I take for granted the incredible school my daughter goes to.

The couples who fight to pay their bills every day, whereas my husband and I certainly have to save and budget and not buy, but we are never faced with the choice of heat or water or which one we should pay.

I take that for granted.

Family and friends who get mad when you can’t see them enough because life is too busy and it has been too long.

Ugly mini-vans that are safe to drive in winter and can fit all of our crazy lives.

7th graders who are invested in our classroom, who think I am ok, who don’t hate everything we do.

Colleagues who actually like you and think you have worth.

Plenty of food to eat, to fit even the pickiest 2 year old’s appetite.

Health insurance that doesn’t stop, even when faced with more than $500,000 in medical bills because a baby decided to come 10 weeks early.

I take that for granted.

So today, I am thankful, but not for those big incredible things I get to do, but those essential ones that make my life my life. Those tings I take for grated even though they should be the first in line whenever thanks is given out. What are you thankful for?

aha moment, being a teacher, being me

When Was the Last Time You Stopped Talking?

November 23, 2014 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

I didn’t know how much expertise I needed to stop talking until I switched districts. Having to start over again, being brand new and friendless, I started listening better, quieting myself, and tuning in. I started asking for help, recognizing that not only was I in a new district, but also in a new school, in a new grade level, on a new team. Amazing what changes does to your listening skills.

What I heard was astounding; it is quite remarkable when you stop talking about your own ideas and listening to those of others, what you learn. I couldn’t believe the varied experience of people, the things they knew, the ideas they had. Sure, I knew I had been surrounded by greatness before but I hadn’t paid much attention to it, I was usually too busy forging my own path, sharing my own thoughts, touting my own expertise, when I should have been listening.

In fact, now that I think about it, I wonder when I stopped listening to others as much. When did I become the supposed veteran or expert in the room? When did I start to feel that I had more to teach than to learn? I feel like all of those labels that people so graciously bestow upon me due to this blog has sometimes plugged my ears. But not anymore. Thank you 7th grade!

So my challenge this year is to stop talking so much. To start listening more. To actively learn from others. Not just those that I adore online, but those I get to call colleagues every day. Teaching shouldn’t just be about teaching others, it should be about our own learning journeys. hOw we are listening to the genius that surrounds us. I know we all have amazing things to share, but for a moment, allow others in so they can share. So ask yourself; who are you learning from tomorrow? Who are you listening to? If it is yourself, then you’re probably doing it wrong, just like I was.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. 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 Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

aha moment, behavior, being a teacher, students

I Was Ready With THE Speech

November 20, 2014 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

I was ready with THE speech. Had been since about 5 AM when I woke up and knew exactly what I needed to do. All day I was waiting for that class to come in, to tell them that there was a new sheriff in town, and yes, we have been having fun, but we are wasting too much time and it is time to get serious. Ugh, sometimes I hate serious but my meager 45 minutes doesn’t allow me much breathing room.

There they came, eager as always, happy to be in our room, not so much because of me but because of all their friends and the discussions we might have. I was ready. Counting down the seconds until their usual raucous nature would erupt. Almost holding my breath, running the words I had rehearsed through my head. “…there will be no more of this….the time is being wasted….serious….pay attention….things to learn….” I was ready.

Except, they didn’t start. I started teaching and showed them our deadline. I showed them how big of a time crunch we were in. I told them I was serious, that I meant it, and that the world would practically fall on our heads if we didn’t make this timeline. Ok…So they got to work, they started speaking to each other a little, so I figured now was the time. I started my speech, ready to be asked hard questions, ready to be challenged, or even interrupted. Instead they just looked at me…and then kept working.

It wasn’t perfect today. It never is. But for a moment I had forgotten that we have bad days and good days. That sometimes our bad days seem to last much longer than they really do. And sometimes our good days don’t even count because they must have been a fluke, right? And sure, there was talking, and sure there are consequences, but they were not the ones from my head. They were not the ones I was ready to dole out. Kids change. Sometimes from day to day. Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but I am hoping for a good day.

being a teacher, conferences, ideas, parents

3 Ideas For More Meaningful 5 Minute Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 15, 2014 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

This week I had my first experience with the 5 minute drive-by conference. You know the one; all the teachers in the lunchroom at their own table, parents waiting in line, and once the timer starts, off we go for non-stop talking, the only caveat being you only get 5 minutes. Not exactly my cozy student-led conferences that I love so much. Why the change? Besides that this is how we do it at my new school, I also have 113 students. I don’t even know how I could possibly give them a longer student-led conference at the moment without spending weeks on it. And still, I wanted my students to be a part of it. I still wanted it to be worth the time for the parents, I wanted it to be meaningful. I therefore did this:

The students reflected beforehand. As always I had my students reflect on what their grades should be, what they were proud of and what they accomplished. I invited all of my students to come to their conference but knew that few of them would, but their voice needs to be present. This sheet allowed me to have the conference focus on their learning journey, not just what my thoughts were.

I reflected and wrote down beforehand. I knew it would take a long time for me to write strengths and goals for all of my students, but I knew it was worth it. In the week preceding conferences I spent every evening thinking about each child, writing down what I knew I wanted to share (beside their grades). I didn’t want the conference to be focused on the grades, I wanted it to be focused on the child. I was then able to share what my thoughts were after we looked at the student’s reflection.

I asked the parents how they felt and what they thought. My gut reaction was to not ask any questions and just run it as a fast monologue. After all, with only 5 minutes I have a lot to cover, but that is not the point of these conferences. No matter the time limit, parents/guardians/students should always have the time to speak, even if you feel like it may eat up too much valuable time.

Always find something good and end with that. Ok, so this is the fourth idea which I wrote about yesterday. In every conference I made sure to end with something good. I remember how it was as a kid to have your parents go to conferences without you; that nervous feeling, that growing sense of dread. As a teacher I want to make sure my students know that I am in their corner, even if there are things to work on. Often the last thing we say is the one that leaves the freshest impression, so make it something good.

Other small ideas include:

Be wiling to set up separate conferences. I knew that some of my students needed more time for discussion so rater than wait for parents to contact me, I sent out a blanket email offering every child a longer conference at a different time in our classroom. A few responded and there were even a few surprises of who wanted a longer one. You never know until you ask.

Bring out the picture books. I send all student work home so instead of having their to display, I will have some awesome picture books out. That way, parents can at least read some awesome stories while they wait.

Just listening. Often parents know exactly what their child needs to work on or they have simply heard it before, so stop talking and listen. Ask them questions and see how much they cover that you would have covered as well. Parents know their kids, sometimes we seem to forget that (myself included).

Treat ever conference as if it is your first of the day. Every parent deserves the best of you, so keep smiling, keep the energy up. Yes, I know it is like running a marathon to be your very best self for 4 or more hours, but that is what you should be. I had water and peppermints to help me keep up the spirit. We owe it those waiting to meet with us.