being a teacher – Page 146

I Choose

July 21, 2011 Pernille Ripp

The failing of the American teacher. The crisis of our educational systems. Headlines blare, people believe, and yet we can still make choices.

I choose to be a teacher because it is the only choice that ever felt natural.

I choose to think of my students as family, not numbers, or just kids, but my own.

I choose to let parents in, not exclude their voice, as mine gets excluded sometimes.

I choose to not label students but think of them as individuals who have talents and needs specific to them.

I chose to give my students a voice, to let them know they matter, that their thoughts shape our classroom.

I choose to not be punitive, knowing that trust, respect and relationships will take me much further in this journey.

I choose to have a team because I know that I am powerful in the greatness of others.

I choose transparency and honesty above all so that others may think they can do it as well.

I choose to change when needed, bend when it makes sense, and believe at all times.

I choose to put connections first, to not forget about standards but make them work for me rather than become a dictation of my classroom.

I choose to not let labels break me, to not believe in the naysayers, to believe in our system even though it is flawed and fight for change from within.

I choose to let others evaluate because even among our critics we can find ways to grow.

I choose to not be the pebble, but let positivity run my days and smile, laugh and work to make this world a better place rather than one discarded.

What do you choose?

being a teacher, Decisions

Do Teachers Have the Right to Privacy?

July 17, 2011 Pernille Ripp

I owe this post to the excellent comment left by Jennifer Diaz on my So You Want a Teacher Job. Thank you for bringing this up!

With an onslaught of teachers seemingly caught bashing their students on Facebook or being reprimanded by their school boards for sharing pictures of themselves drinking, I am starting to wonder whether we as teachers have the right to privacy? Now don’t get me wrong, I think everyone should be careful what they post publicly and bashing your students is just idiotic. But what about the more innocent pictures of you holding a drink? How about you actually drinking at a public venue? Or riding a motorcycle with no helmet (even if it is not breaking the law)? Or smoking, swearing or wearing lowcut clothing? Do teachers have a right to do this in public or is that considered morally corrupt as well?

I agree that as a teacher, we are instant role models for all children and that we must behave, dress and act accordingly. However, what about in our free time? Are we still expected to follow the same code of conduct outside of school walls as we do within? Should we as teachers live the life of a seemingly flawless adult and do anything that could be viewed as “bad” by children only within our own houses?And don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about anything crazy here. Just the act of having a beer at a bar or heaven forbid actually getting drunk. What about pictures of you showing off you new tattoo? Is that considered morally reprehensible?

As new teachers get ready to interview and ask for advice, I always tell them to check their privacy setting on Facebook and to Google themselves to make sure they like what they find. View it through the lens of an employer and make sure their path is clean. However, is it right for society to place teachers on a moral pedestal that no other professions, not even politicians, have to attain? I don’t have the answer but I would love to start the discussion. Are we as teacher allowed to have “a life” outside of school doing normal adult stuff that in any other profession no one would even think twice about? Are we indeed allowed to have a private life?

being a teacher, new teacher

The Things I Said – Cringeworthy Statements From a New Teacher

July 13, 2011 Pernille Ripp

This summer the memories of my first year of teaching comes floating back and more specifically the insane things you would have heard me say. So had you been a fly on my wall, here are some of most cringe-worthy….

Put your name on the board!

One more check mark and we are calling your parents.

You will have to stay in for recess since you did not return your test.

I am sorry your mother did not sign it, you will lose a recess and bring it back tomorrow.

I do not think he deserves to be in the talent show since he does not do his homework.

What do you mean you didn’t have time? It was homework!

Sit in your chair and listen.

Wake up!

Put that chair down. Put that table down. DO NOT SLAM MY DOOR!

Stop sharpening that pencil.

Don’t you have your own school supplies?

Do you see these zeroes? That means you are failing 4th grade.

I am doing this for your own good.

The goal? Well for you to do this assignment.

Ah yes, the plight of a first year teacher. I barely recognize myself in them and yet I know who that person was because if I didn’t then I wouldn’t know who this teacher is today. We all have our journeys as teachers, mine took me far away from this, and for that I am thankful. Where does your journey lead you?

being a teacher

Hey It’s Ok!

July 12, 2011 Pernille Ripp

Hey it’s ok!
…to smile widely on the first day of school

…to spend your summer vacation getting excited about the upcoming school year

…for your brain to keep thinking about teacher stuff even when it shouldn’t

…to sing, dance, and goof off with your students

…to make mistakes and discuss them

…to think students need to have a voice in education and give it to them

…to not be worried about grades but rather about learning

…to not have rules posted

…to be the techy teacher and still not know how a computer works really

…to think teaching is the best job, even if it is grossly underpaid and underrated

…to love your life even when it is not working out the way you thought it would

What else is ok?

Thanks Glamour for the inspiration

being a teacher, community, Student, trust

Kids Shouldn’t Feel Like Tourists: How Every Classroom Should Be a Tribe

June 27, 2011July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Taken today – oh what a beautiful flag

“I feel like I belong.” My little brother turns to me as we walk through the Copenhagen aiport minutes after landing. We are indeed home, even if just for a short while, but I immidiately got what he meant. I belong to the same tribe he does; the Danes, and with that comes certain hidden knowledge, requirements and social norms that normal tourists simply will not be a part of. This is all unravled to us as we are raised; how to speak to elders, how to dress, how to survive in a culture which is very liberal but has heightened politeness and manners standards. The manual for being a Dane has not been written, and indeed, it changes as the population changes, and yet there is a “Daneness” that I recognize. We are indeed tribe members and not just by looks – in fact not all Danes are blonde like I am – but by culture and behavior. We are members because we know how to be and the society lets us be, with only a few perplexed comments on our Americanness (13 years abroad will do that for you).

This is much like our classrooms. We set them up to be inclusive and welcoming to our students but do we set them up as a tribe? (And I am not referring to the Tribes program here). A tribe would mean that every person involved in the classroom felt like they belong and understood the hidden language of the classroom. A tribe means safety for all of the people wherever they venture in the room and also that they will be protected by other students outside of our territory. A tribe is bigger than just being a class. All of this is certainly something I strive for every year so I mulled about this all day and reached the following conclusions. To be a tribe we must

Recognize that we are an entity, that yes we are part of something bigger in the school, but also see that we are our own unit contained within the walls of our classroom.
Realize that we are unique. There are other similar classrooms but this actual composition cannot be replicated anywhere else and this is something to celebrate.
Determine our culture. What do we value, what do we see as proper behavior and how do we act amongst each other? These are all vital for a tribe to feel togetherness and should not be set by the teacher. For real understanding, appreciation, and cooperation it has to be set up together. A tribe may have a leader but it is still a regular person who holds that position.
Determine our hidden language. Discuss the assumptions we bring into the classroom, set expectations and explore pitfalls. Unspoken assumptions in particular can be devastating for a classroom and need to be discussed openly so that all involved people have a real chance of ownership and understanding.
Allow change. A tribe should not stay the same all year, it should move and fluctuate as the classroom moves much like a country’s culture. What should remain though is the sense of belonging of understanding the classroom culture and being able to navigate it all successfully without feeling like a tourist.

Being a tribe is so much more than being just a classroom, even a really good one. It allows students to lose inhibitions (and the teacher too) and to revel in a meaningful learning environment. No longer just visiting for the year in the teacher’s classroom but actually building the foundation of it and then actively maintaining it throughout the year so that ever person who walks into the room can exclaim, “I belong.”

This goes beyond just building community and rightfully so and will therefore take top priority in the coming year for me. What about you?

being a teacher, New Adventure, Student, technology

So You Want to Integrate Technology – Now What?

June 25, 2011 Pernille Ripp

Technology Is Not Technology (Photo credit: lgb06)

I have been given a new label this year, I am now the “techy teacher.” This label brings many odd and interesting conversations with it, most often involving how to integrate technology into a classroom. So for all of those just getting started, who perhaps are ready to move beyond use computers as research engines and typewriters, here is a little advice from someone who has been there:

Decide on time. Ask yourself, and be honest, how much time do you really want to spend on technology in your day? If the answer is as little as possible then perhaps this is not the year. If the answer is some, then do read on.
Figure out the “Why.” What are you aiming to do with the technology? What are the goals for integration? Is it to connet with others then Skype or blogging might be a great thing to learn about. Is it to give students different project options then perhaps Animoto or Glogster are your venues. Is it to give yourself more professional development then Twitter is a must.
Do your research. Reach out to others (through Twitter perhaps) and ask them what they use. Google your needs, look at reviews, and then decide whether it is a good fit for you or not. There are so many websites and blogs out there that do all the work for you, Richard Byrne’s Free Technology for Teachers is a great place to begin!
Chose a few. While there are so many things out there technologically speaking it is best to choose a few to focus on. I thought I was going to integrate many things the last year and it honestly just got too time consuming. So align the technology with your goal (see number 2) and get ready to mess with it, and…
Play. Technology needs to be pretty self-explanatory and I better be able to figure it out within a short amount of time. If it is something I am showing/using with my students then I better have it figured out within 5 minutes or so. If it is for my own personal use, I give it 30 minutes but after that, no thanks. Play with it, walk through it as your students will and learn a little about it. Often this gets me more excited to use it.
Again – how will you use it? Now that you have decided on what to use, ask again whether this will work for your educational goal. I love the idea of VoiceThread but found it too cumbersome for the presentation format so I went a different route. Just because it is technology does not mean it is helpful.
Stick with it. The first couple of times I introduced new technology to my students I was a little bit apprehensive, after all, these were 4th graders I was asking to do the work. And yet, they got it. The beauty of technology integration also is that if one students gets it then they can also help you teach it to others.
Embrace failure. Go into this adventure knowing that things will break, signals will fail, and computers will crash. Have a back up plan in mind that still accomplishes the same goal. We have had missed Skype opportunities, blocked websites and overall disasters on our hands, but always managed to laugh about it and move on. Don’t waste your time lamenting lost technology.
Be courageous. So what if you are the only one at your school trying this out; be the one who tries new things. No one at my school was blogging before I started and now all of the 5th grade tried it as well. You never know who will be inspired by you trying something out.
Make it worthwhile. I do not believe in tech for tech’s sake. I only use it to further our learning goals and to broaden my students’ horizon, so use it in the right sense. Students will respond and be engaged if they understand and see the genuine purpose, they will quickly lose interest if it does not further your purpose. Remember technology is not always the answer to every lesson, sometimes whipping out paper and pen can produce the same (and sometimes better) results. So make sure you use it when it fits, not because you feel you have to.