Category: being a teacher

being a teacher

I Am the Solution

Pernille Ripp
With every footstep I take down our long hallways, every time I walk past a door filled with noisy children learning,  I hear, “I am the solution.”

With every meeting, every set-back, ever promise fulfilled or spoken, I think “I am the solution.”

With every child’s dream shared, with every hope delivered, those visions conjured, and faith fulfilled, I believe “We are the solution.”

I could be the problem, and some times I am, but I would rather be part of the solution than working against it.  So I remind myself to be part of the solution even when I don’t want to be.

being a teacher, PLN

I Need Your Help

Pernille Ripp
This week I was astounded by the news that I am one of 10 finalists nationwide in the Great American Teach Off.  While I am humbled, excited, and certainly shocked, I now need to make 5 videos, 90 seconds in length each by Wednesday the 28th of September (!), answering these questions:

-How am I an innovative teacher
-What I’m doing to make a difference
-Best teaching tops for teachers across America
-Endorsement from a parent or peer
-What I would do with $10,000 for my classroom 

While some of these are easier to make, I need your help with one of them.  Some people tell me that I have helped inspire them to change something in their room, whether it is to get rid of your desk, join the Global Read Aloud, get your students blogging or other things.  If you are one of those people, please consider taking a picture of yourself holding a sign where it says what I inspired you to do, your name and where you are from and email it to me (psripp at gmail.com).  I may then use it one of the videos.

So something like this (courtesy of my amazing students):

You don’t have to be super creative, just write it in sharpie and hold it up.  I cannot tell you how much this would mean to me and my kids as the grand prize winner gets $10,000 for their classroom.

Thank you!

being a teacher, community, school staff

I am Nothing Special – Why Are Teachers Afraid to Share their Successes?

Pernille Ripp
Even in the staunchest of schools, teachers celebrate their students.  Whether it is through formal rewards, which I am not a fan of, or informal recognition, which is more my style.  We celebrate achievements, goals, and recognize our students for the incredible minds, people, and human beings they are.  Teacher brag about their students in the lounge, and to their families.  We are quick to share the funny things they and highlight the amazing ideas they concoct.  We blog, we film, and we sing their praises to those that will listen because we think they deserve it.

So why is it that within teaching, if a fellow teacher or a teaching team receives recognition we have a harder time celebrating it?  Why is it that we often see other’s achievements as a knockdown to our own abilities?  Why is the competition so fierce among teachers to be the one recognized that we cannot celebrate the successes we all have?

I work in a school with incredibly talented people, who have amazing successes every day.  You walk through our hallways and you will see the excitement in classrooms, you will see innovation wherever you go and teachers striving to do everything possible to reach each and every child.  I have often written about the incredible people I work with.  And I wish we celebrated it.  I wish people were recognized just as much as we recognize our students.

So administrators and fellow teachers; what do you do in your building to celebrate everyone, and not by handing out awards?  How do you recognize the achievements of all of your staff?  Where do you start your celebrations?  It is time we stand together and and decide that one person’s success is a whole school’s success and that we are only as strong as our team.  Educators should not be afraid to share the great things they do, they should be yelling them from the rooftops.

being a teacher, power, students

Know Your Place

Pernille Ripp
I once was told to know my place.  And much like our students are asked to conform, fall in line, sit down and be quiet so we can fill these empty vessels with our knowledge, I was so hurt that it took months to recover. Funny now really, because I do know my place.

Sometimes it is that of an expert, most of the time it is of one who soaks up knowledge from the incredible people I learn with.  My place is in a team that is not afraid to speak its mind but does it with kindness and honesty.  My place is among the students because it is created by the students, for the students, and about the students.  My place is where dreamers dream and believers continue to believe.  It is one of positivity, humility, and passion.  Change, vigor, and failure.  My place is ever evolving, sometimes it goes in a straight line and other times it spirals back.  I would not want to change the way my place shapes me.

So when someone tells you to know your place, tell them that you do.  It is wherever we can teach and learn the best.  Wherever our dreams take us and wherever our imaginations go.  I know my place; do you know yours?

being a teacher, power

I Get To Teach

Pernille Ripp
Every night, driving home I think of how lucky I am.  I get to teach 25 incredible students and be a part of their journey.  Sure my bag is heavy with books and things to do, but I get to teach.

I get to teach those kids that teachers don’t know everything.
I get to teach those kids that their voice matters.
I get to teach those kids that what we do in school is real life, not something we may need when real life begins.
I get to teach those kids that together we are stronger and that every person matters.
I teach them about failure, and hope, and inspiration, and daring to ask a lot of questions.
I teach them to trust themselves, their opinions, their inferences, and that they too are experts.
I teach them that life has started and it is time for us to live it.

So when the day ends and my daughter gives me her long awaited hug, I don’t take my good life for granted.  I cherish it, I embrace it, and I celebrate it because I get to teach.

being a teacher, power

What You Look For You Will Find…

Pernille Ripp
When you set out looking for something chances are you will find it.  As Frog and Toad search for spring just around the corner, they find that after they turn enough corners, spring is, indeed, right there.  So shall we find what we are looking for if we just keep on searching.

As educators we should remember this lesson; whatever we look for, we will surely find.  So ask yourself; what do you look for every day?  Do you look for teaching to the test, lazy students, and parents that just don’t get it?  Or do you look for curriculum opportunities, learning from failed attempts or wonder, and people that want to be part of your team?  I know what I search for.

We get what we look for.