Category: being a teacher

Be the change, being a teacher, reflection, Student-centered

Hey Why Don’t You…Some Ideas to Shake Up the Week

Pernille Schmidt Ripp
image from icanread

In one week I return to my amazing classroom full-time.  Done with a messed up maternity leave and eager to be back, yet sad to leave our little baby at home.  Being at home has let me not only snuggle 4 kids any time I want, but it has also allowed me to reflect on small changes I want to incorporate into my own routine when I get back  to my other kids.  Perhaps you will find some ideas to shake things up a bit as well.

  • Be a PD ninja.  So often we think of PD as a whole day affair but PD can also come in the form of a really great 5 minutes.  So why not print out an article and slap it on the bathroom door?  Why not forward a link to the whole staff?  Why not start a PD related discussion at lunch?  I love the little moments of learning that can be found in a day.
  • Ask your students.  I swear this should be on my non-existent business card.  My students have had an incredible sub while I was gone so the first thing I plan on doing is asking them what they loved about her way of teaching.  I love stealing ideas that have worked in my room already, we should always embrace our chance to grow from others.
  • Incorporate a talk break.  My students really struggle with transitions, they even blogged about it.  Yet instead of beating them up about it, I plan on incorporating a mini-talk break before we transition.  Students get a chance to switch their brains and also just get it out.  A few minutes invested in talking will hopefully pay off the whole day,
  • Seek mindfulness.  This article on mindfulness really made me think of how much it is needed in my room.  While I have yet to figure out where it will fit, I am going to make it fit somewhere.  I think we all need a moment to just be content and quiet as we tackle our learning.
  • Encourage unsupported reflection.  I get to do conferences the week I am back and as always they are student-led.  However, this time rather than having students fill out a questionnaire, I created a reflection sheet for them.  I really want to see where they are not just as thinkers, but also how they will express themselves.  How deep will they go in their conference when it isn’t just a fill in the blank sheet?
  • Make more connections.  We got really busy before winter break and then I went into the hospital and everything got a bit chaotic.  Making global connections was not our first priority.  So the first week I am back we have 2 mystery skypes and a literacy share in honor of World Read Aloud Day.  I have also reached out to a 5th grade in Australia to start a collaboration with them.
  • Start a continents project.  Geography seems to be the loser in our curriculum with very little time to figure out where we are in the world.  We will therefore be researching the continents and learning about the world during our resource block, hello Twitter connections!, what we will be doing I have not decided, after all, I need to ask my students.
  • Give back.  I was inspired by this article  on a 6 year old getting books for homeless children in NYC to think about what my own students could accomplish.  We will therefore be starting a service learning project as well, once again proving that even children can change the world.

I can’t wait.

advice, being a teacher, being me, Mentor, new teacher

Lessons From My Mentors

Pernille Schmidt Ripp
image from incanread

I didn’t know how lucky I was in the beginning.  Surrounded by phenomenal teachers that quickly became my mentors, I assumed every teacher had the same experience as me; people reaching out and guiding me whenever I needed it.  Now 6 years into my teaching journey, I see how wrong I was.  Many teachers have few people to reach out to in the beginning, sure they may have a mentor on paper, but that is where the relationship stays, never fully blossoming into what I still have to this day – a true give and take with some incredible teachers, Kathy and Melanie.

So why are mentors so important?  Some of my biggest lessons have come straight from my mentors.

  • Be prepared to eat a little crow.  Meaning be prepared to eat your words and swallow your pride.  I cannot tell you how many times these words have helped me through difficult situations.  Whether I was in the wrong or not, sometimes the best for a heated situation is to simply apologize and look for a solution rather than continue fighting.  It shows grace and humility and can often forge much stronger relationships than existed before.
  • Stay connected.  While my mentors never dreamed I would be connected globally, they both believe in the power of relationship and that being connected can only benefit you in the long run.  So reach out to those around you and believe in the power of team, we are stronger together.
  • You can learn from anyone.  They have modeled this to me through all the years I have known them.  When I walked in through their doors, they both assumed that I had something to offer, not that I was an empty vessel.  This approach not only boosted my esteem but has set the stage for how I treat my students.
  • You can create a relationship with any student.  While we seem to easily connect with some kids, there are others that take hard work.  Tenacity and genuine interest have taken me a long way in figuring out how to connect with all of my kids, not just the easy ones.
  • Those that fight you the hardest are often the ones that need you the most.  Those students that seem hellbent on making our lives miserable are often the ones that need us the most, whether they even know it or not.  So don’t give up on them, don’t fight back in anger, but keep trying.
  • Keep changing and innovating.  You are never done growing as a teacher, so keep changing the way you teach to fit the students in front of you right now, not those you had the year before.
  • Kids can always do more than we think is possible.  The power of expectations and continually pushing students to do more and better is something that inspires my classroom every single day.
  • Start out positive.  There have been many times that I wanted to condemn a new initiative before it has started, but these words have stayed with me.  Give it a chance and withhold judgment until you know more.
  • Be kind.  Nowhere have I seen better modeling of being kind to anyone.  As teachers we spend a lot of time being kind to our students, but what about the adults we encounter every day?  Do you stop and take an extra moment with those that surround you?  Do you take a genuine interest in the people you see?  There is so much power in being a model of kindness, we can make a difference with our actions every day.

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” will be released this March from Powerful Learning Press.   Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, being a teacher, reflection

What Becomes of the Lonely Teachers?

Pernille Schmidt Ripp
image from icanread

“…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.

 

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

How to Unleash the Uncreative Children

Pernille Schmidt Ripp
image from icanread

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.

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.

being a teacher, being me, connections

A Not So Delusional Guide to Twitter

Pernille Schmidt 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 May of 2011 but still rings true to me.

I have read so many posts on how to get on Twitter and get connected, many of them offer fantastic advice and yet some of them keep reiterating how it is all about following.  Follow one person, and then see who they follow, and then follow them, and soon you will be following so many people you will feel like the most popular kid in the school.  Except you don’t.  Instead you feel like the kid who came to prom only to take pictures of all the cool people there.  So I offer up these tips instead for those trying to figure out Twitter.

  1. Follow one person, or even 10 but then stop.  Let yourself process what Twitter is and how these people are using the tool.  Don’t mass follow, you will find enough people to follow, just take your time.
  2. Connect.  Once you have a couple of people you follow, reach out to them.  Tell them you are new, tell them your story, and comment on their blogs.  Open up about yourself, start a conversation, and give them a reason to connect back.
  3. Don’t give up.  Sometimes I felt like the biggest loser when it came to Twitter; no one thought I was witty, no one rt’ed my posts, until I realized that this is not what Twitter is about.  Twitter is about the connections (I know, I sound like a broken record) so it is not about the retweets or single comments but the dialogue you get involved in and the people you meet.
  4. Who cares about Klout?  I didn’t realize I had a klout number until my husband asked me what it was.  Then I had to look it up because that little number meant nothing to me; it still doesn’t.  If you are asking whether Twitter is worth your time you probably haven’t connected with the right people, so keep connecting.
  5. Don’t worry about the popular kids.  One thing for ongoing discussion has been the grades of popularity Twitter educators seem to have.  Sure there are people with massive followings, but guess what?  They are normal people and they probably have that many followers because they say some really great things and they are good at connecting with others.  It is okay to reach out to them as well, no one is off limits.
  6. Make it work for you.  Twitter is what Twitter does.  I constantly use Twitter in new ways that work for me.  For Twitter to truly become a useful tool for you, it has to fit your needs.  There is no wrong or right way to use it (although there may be better or worse ways).

So there you have it, my small piece of advice on how to get something out of Twitter.  Of course, you can follow as many people as you want, but think about what your true goal is: numbers or connections?  I, for one, count my connections just as much as I count my blessings.