being a teacher – Page 75

being a teacher, books, Literacy, picture books

Picture Books that Celebrate Books and Libraries

March 27, 2016May 27, 2017 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

It is no surprise that my own four children are picture book lovers. When a package arrives in the mail, they gather around me hoping that within in it will be a book for us to read together. If there is, we take the books, sit on the floor and read them right away. They fight me over which books stay at home and which go to my classroom. They have stacks by their beds, they have stacks in the car, they have stacks in the living room. We are surrounded by books, but even though we own many, we still love our beautiful public library. We visit once a week or so and always leave with a stack of books, eager to explore these newfound treasures. So I am delighted to showcase a list of must read picture books that celebrate books and libraries.

Bunny’s Book Club by Annie Silvestro (Author), Tatjana Mai-Wyss (Illustrator). I had this book book-talked to me and immediately placed it on my wish list. Yes please to a bunny that sneaks into the library through the return slot because he needs his books. Then Annie Silvestro contacted me and asked if I would like a copy of it, of course! I was not disappointed. What a great picture book to discuss the importance of library, to talk about book clubs and just to love reading.

Also an Octopus by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and illustrated by Benji Davis is perfect for thinking of how we craft stories and the elements we need. The illustrations are playful and the story itself is informational and whimsical.

I wonder how many Mac Barnett books I have featured on this blog, his latest How This Book Was Made illustrated by Adam Rex is perfect for discussing writer’s and illustrator’s process. I am so thankful for their genius.

I love how I Am A Story by Dan Yaccarino urges us to think of how far stories have travelled and how they shape our society. I love the illustrations paired with the unfolding of story, fantastic for setting up writer’s workshop at any age.

This Is My Book! by Mark Pett (and no one else) is laugh out loud funny. I especially enjoyed the interplay between the author and the panda. Kids are sure to appreciate the message but also how well it is portrayed; who really creates the story and how can we co-create?

51A9N2jprZL._SX463_BO1,204,203,200_

How about a picture books that actually explains the features of a picture book? Parsley Rabbit’s Book about Books by Frances Watts and David Legge does just that and does it so very well. While this definitely belongs in the hands of younger children, I plan to show it to my 7th graders too as a way to prompt discussion on creative ideas.

51QTYrPAJBL._SX410_BO1,204,203,200_

Laura Numeroff is a beloved author in our house so we were delighted to receive Beatrice Doesn’t Want To, a book that is all about a little dog that does not want to go to the library, nor read any books. I laughed when I thought of how I have seen this play out in my own life.

61stoIMInfL._SX445_BO1,204,203,200_

I love that Toni Morrison and Slade Morrison wrote Please, Louise because it illustrates so beautifully how much a trip to the library can change your life. It truly turns any boring day into one filled with adventure.

6107FZYqVDL._SX496_BO1,204,203,200_

Another great book to illustrate what a library does and what it can do for you is Library Day written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell.

51cO2NL+e2L._SX466_BO1,204,203,200_

This whimsical tale of a card that doesn’t know its place in the world until it is revealed it is a library card is a wonderful way to celebrate not just the magic of libraries, but also about figuring yourself out and how you can make others happy. I have a copy of A Big Surprise for Library Card by Charise Mericle Harper and illustrated by Anna Raff both at home and in my classroom because it deserves to be read by many ages.

517CT-RGXEL._SY356_BO1,204,203,200_

I read The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce aloud every year and every year I get little choked up. It is an incredibly beautiful story and metaphor for life. It is also a great picture book to use for theme and inference.

51krIDxSt9L._SX378_BO1,204,203,200_

Another incredible picture book that can be used to discuss metaphors and inference is The Incredible Book Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers. This book is fun to read aloud and makes students think about the power of a great book.

51Dqp6R3NaL._SX395_BO1,204,203,200_

The Whisper by Pamela Zagarenski is beautiful both in text and in the illustrations. Using a book whose words fall out as a way to discuss imagination is a marvelous way to get students thinking more creatively.

51PQX-rYjrL._SX429_BO1,204,203,200_

I don’t know how it took me 9 years to discover the story of Library Lion by Michelle Knudson and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. The story of a lion who doesn’t quite know to fit into the library yet so wants to be a part of the book community is one that is sure to resonate with many of our readers.

41+KeoMFQ+L._SX388_BO1,204,203,200_

I read It’s a Book by Lane Smith every year to my students and it never fails; they always laugh out loud. What a great way to start discussing why we read and what books can do for us.

51ryaps-JJL._SX419_BO1,204,203,200_

While The Lonely Book by Kate Bernheimer and illustrated by Chris Sheban is the story of a book that sits forgotten, the theme of this story is so powerful for students. This book also leads to great conversations about which books we carry in our hearts long after we read the, this is therefore a great book to start your book community with.

51zduq4LKsL._SX387_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

How many times has a child told us they hate reading and there is nothing we can do that will change their mind? Miss Brooks Loves Books (And I Don’t) by Barbara Bottner and illustrated by Michael Emberley is for all of those kids and the teachers who refuse to give up.

51JGg4dJ12L._SY479_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

I have been a loud Kate Messner fan since she was a Global Read Aloud author several years ago. I was therefore thrilled to use one of her latest picture books How to Read A Story with my 7th graders this year as we started to lay the foundation for our reading community. How to read a story in our classroom was a great conversation to start the year.

51EHNamczJL._SX375_BO1,204,203,200_

A book I have been meaning to re-purchase is The Librarian of Basra – A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter. My students could not believe the story when I read it aloud and it worked as perfect spring-board into a discussion of the war in Iraq and what it means to live in a country at war.

This post could feature another 20 books at least but I would rather hear from you. What are your favorite books about books and libraries?

If you would like to see more of our favorite books, please go here.

If you are wondering why there seems to be a common thread to so many of my posts as of late, it is because I am working on two separate literacy books. While the task is daunting and intimidating, it is incredible to once again get to share the phenomenal words of my students as they push me to be a better teacher. Those books will be published in 2017 hopefully, so until then if you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please seethis page.

being a teacher, Literacy, writing

Are We Creating Writing Communities?

March 25, 2016 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

I swore after Passionate Learners 2nd edition came out that I would not write any more books. That it would be a long time before I wrote anything else besides on this blog because who did I think I was? Why did I feel that I had anything at all to write and give to others? Yet, sometimes opportunities arise that we cannot say no to, where we wake up with this little idea in our head and then all of a sudden it turns into a bigger thought and we find ourselves questioning, and pondering, and then writing in our mind at all times until we know that perhaps there is a book in there somewhere.

I said yes to those ideas and now find myself writing two separate books, with the same deadline of May 30th, within the same realm (literacy), and I have been pulling my hair out trying to find just the right words, to make it worth anyone’s time, to make it fresh, and I must admit; it has been an excruciatingly hard process. Sleepless nights, frustrations, and imposter syndrome has haunted me for the past few months. It has not been pretty, and yet, within the process of writing, I have uncovered a few realizations of what our students must face when they write, of how frustrated they must feel at times when we tell them to just write, to just create, to just get something down and do this assignment so we can assess them. These realizations are causing me to question the very process that we use when we teach writing and ponder how we can make it better. How we can make it work for every child and not just those that already seem to have figured this writing thing out. Because I don’t think I am doing enough to really teach real writing, so these are my driving questions.

Do we know who our students are as writers? Do they? Is there time within our curriculum to really get to know students, and also for them to get know themselves better, so that what they write is meaningful to them. And not just when they write a personal narrative, but is there a personal lens of the world present in some way in anything they write? Can we see the individual in the assignment or are they all the same? My struggle has been to stay true to myself while still adapting to the purpose, to write a book that feels like my book and not just a poor imitation of other people’s work. Are we allowing our students to infuse their writing with their own personal essence or do they even know who they are as writers to do this?

Do we allow them ownership over the process? I do not follow a linear path when I write and never have. Yet, in our classrooms we often expect students to follow the same path and move along at the same pace. This does not lead to more authentic writing, nor does it lead to most students even identifying as writers. So why do we keep doing it? Do we discover, discuss, and reflect on each other’s writing processes? Do we find beauty within the varied ways that students create while still exposing them to many styles?

Do students understand the purpose of the writing? One of my largest struggles has been that my purpose for one book kept shifting, that what started as one idea morphed into another and it shows in the disjointed chapters and unclear thoughts. Do we allow time for students to just think of what they are trying to create, not just the how? Do we plan time to discuss and dissect the why as a community? Do we give them time to sketch out or discuss or create in such a way that they are not committing themselves to a product just yet, but instead feel like they can explore various options, even when we have curriculum to teach and content to cover?

Do we edit with kindness? I have faced reviews and edits where only flaws were discussed, all in the spirit of fixing my mistakes, yet it wears you down. After a while it plants doubt as to your own writing ability and these doubts can soon create writers block. When we edit with students do we know what we need to protect? Do we know what is most important to them? Do we speak genuinely of their strengths or get right to the parts that need fixing? Are there parts that we leave alone because in the grand scheme of things it may not be important?

Do we set up time for them to be immersed? The only reason any book is being written is because I have scheduled it in every single night (30 minutes at least). I find comfort within the routine and also a determination to finish the draft. Every night I make progress, even when it is painful, yet in our classrooms we are so dictated by our schedule and timelines that we often push students to create, to produce, just so we can move on. How do we give students time to explore and write every day when we are faced with the constraint of 45 minutes and so much to learn?

Do we encourage writing partnerships? My mother edits my work and my friends discuss ideas with me. Writing can be a vulnerable process so do we allow students to self-select writing peers within our community? Do we give them the time and flexibility to use each other as writing partners, and not in a conscripted way, but in a way that works for them?

Do we create room for their emotions? There have been nights of wringing my hands over the computer trying to find just the right words where only the assurance of my husband that I am not a fool for trying to write has helped me come back to the dreaded process. Where I have had to take a deep breath and realize that the reason these books weigh so much in my life is because I care deeply about their message. That within my emotional reaction to the process is evidence of its importance. Do we create writing communities where students are encouraged to become emotionally attached to what they create or do we simply not have time? Do we encourage them to use those emotions as a way to fuel their writing and their own self-discovery?

I still have a hard time calling myself a writer, even with 3 books published and more than 1300 blog posts written. I still feel like a fraud every time I tell someone that I write, almost as if the title has not been earned just yet, and don’t get me started about considering myself an author, I am long way from that one. So how do our students feel in our writing communities? Do we embrace and discover the whole process of what it means to write, to be a writer, and use it as a strength when we develop our craft or do we skip over it as we try to get students to write? Are we truly creating communities of writers or do we just teach writing? There is a huge difference. The choice is ours.

being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, Reading Identity, Student dreams, student driven

I Don’t Read…Thanks

March 22, 2016 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

Before school starts, my school, Oregon Middle School, does two days of locker drop off giving students a chance to bring their supplies in, try their new lock, and even poke around the building. My first year there, I was at work in my classroom on the first day of this event. The books were all meticulously displayed. Brand new picture books lined our whiteboards. The bean bags were fluffed and ready. Every bin had a specific book faced out. My reading poster for the summer was up and I could not wait to see the reaction of my incoming students. Surely, they would be excited when they saw all of the books waiting for them.

A mother followed by her son came into the room and introduced themselves. He was one of my future students and so I eagerly shook his hand and asked him if he liked to read. As soon as the words left my mouth, his facial expression changed to one of pure disgust. He looked me straight in the eye and said, “I don’t read… thanks.” As if I had offered him a particularly disgusting food item. His mother looked at me and then added, “Yeah, he has not read much the last few years, we are not quite sure what to do.” I plastered a big smile on my face and told her we would work on it together. He did not seem impressed by my eagerness and asked if they could go now.

I left that day wondering once again why I had moved from the incredible oasis that is 5th grade to this new reality of 7th. What on Earth had possessed me to think that I had any chance in reaching 7th graders? That I knew anything about getting 12 year olds to read. There were days my first year that I cried. Feeling so lost in my mission to make kids like school again. There were days where I felt like I failed, that every thing I did made little difference and that surely one of these days those kids I taught would call me out as the fraud that I felt like. But they didn’t. Instead, they seemed to rally around me, around us, as we figured out how to make English a better class for them. As we figured out who we were together, who they were as individuals and how their new identities could involve being readers. I felt the urgency every day to make school better, as do so many of my colleagues, to make reading something worth doing, worth falling in love with. I still do. Even if kids still tell me that they don’t do reading, and good luck convincing them otherwise.

At the end of my first year, I had not changed that boy and his dislike of reading. There was no grand transformation or success story where all of a sudden he read every single night. That is not teaching. Teaching would be so much easier if we could see the influence that the learning may have on a child, but most of the time we don’t. So we can’t expect miracles every day, even if we hope for them, even if we work for them. Because if we do, we will only see ourselves as failures. As though we cannot teach well. Instead, we must hope for small changes that will someday lead to a big transformation.

That boy, he read, once in awhile. He abandoned books, still. He had a million excuses for why he did not have a book that day, but not always. So at the end of the year when he stopped me in the hallway, I would never have guessed the reason why. “Hey, Mrs. Ripp…have you read Gym Candy? It’s kind of mature but I really like it. The librarian found it for me. You should read it.” I stood there not quite believing what my ears had just heard. He recommended a book to me. Not because I asked him to. Not because we were in class. But because within the year we were finishing up he discovered that perhaps he could be a reader after all. That perhaps there were books for him.

So whenever a child tells me they do not read. That books are not for them. That they hate reading, I always think of the little change that perhaps I can help inspire. Of the small steps we can take together. Of how we may not see the transformation but that if we make loving reading an urgent endeavor then perhaps we are planting a seed. And one day, maybe years later, that child will not feel like they have to say “I don’t read…thanks” but will instead bring a book with them wherever they go because they cannot imagine not doing so.

being a teacher, Literacy, Reading, Reading Identity

They Are Not All Struggling Readers

March 21, 2016March 22, 2016 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

I think I have finally figured out my hesitance when it comes to the term “Struggling readers.” It is not that we do not have these types of readers in our midst; children where every word read is a victory in itself, where comprehension is a slow, painful discovery. Where we count their success not in books, but in pages. We all have readers who struggle. Yet, for too long, we have declared all of of our under-performing readers to be struggling. We have let a label stop us from seeing the whole child. For too long we have taken this title and applied it to a whole group of students that may not be where they should be. We have labeled our students and then not gone beyond that, instead sticking to the term and everything it encompasses. Yet, this is not enough for the very students we teach, for within this term is a myriad of reasons why the students are not reading. Of why they struggle. Because the truth is they are not all struggling readers. There is so much more to them than that.

Some are resistant. They will fight us every step of the way, not because they can’t read, but because they won’t. They often start as struggling and in that very struggle is where their new identity comes from; reading is hard and so they will use everything they can to not engage in reading. They will abandon book after book because they have long since figured out that if they at least look like they are reading, we will not be quite as worried. They will tell us proudly that they hate reading, offering up the challenge as we start a new year. Being a kid who dislikes reading is not something they are ashamed of and they wear their hatred with pride daring every teacher to change their mind.

Some are lost. They used to love reading but lost that love a few years back. Sometimes through the very choices we have made as teachers, often times through a combination of many factors both within and outside of our control. It is not that they won’t read, they just don’t know how to fall back into it, how to find a great book that will bring them back to the reading fold. How to continue to grow as a reader rather than stand still. How to unslump themselves before their new habits of not reading become a permanent fixture of who they are as a person.

Some are confused. They think they are doing ok but continue to miss the point of the book. They struggle with meaning not because they cannot decode but because their mind for some reason cannot hold all of the information needed to make sense of what they are reading. Some of my most confused readers would tell you they are doing just fine, not because they are trying to trick you but because they truly believe it. They make as much sense as they can and then move on, wondering why others have not understood the book the same way they have. They read, even if reading for pleasure makes little sense to them when it is such a tiring process.

Some consider themselves bad readers. A label they have conjured based on grouping, interventions, or other things that we have used in our classrooms to help them achieve success. Oftentimes how they self-identify becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because if you think you are bad at something, well then you become bad at it. Finding out what is causing them to think this way is a must as we try to help them back to reading.

Some are still a mystery. We cannot seem to crack the code of why reading is hard and sometimes it is because they do not know themselves. Sometimes it is because they have so many things working against them that it is hard to know where they start, and yet, we try every trick in our book and we ask as many questions as we can, trying to help them uncover a better reading identity.

There are more facets to reader identity than these, by no means is this an exhaustive list, because we teach children and children are complicated. So while I wish there was one direction that could guide my instruction, that could help me make all of the decisions I need to make when I support my readers, there isn’t. And pretending there is does nothing to help me prepare. Does nothing to help me create an environment where students have a positive reading experience, no matter their self-identification.

Sure, we could label them all struggling, but it would not be enough to help them, to support them as they have a better reading experience. We must dig deeper into who they are. We must ask questions not just about their reading life, but their reading identity. We must create opportunities where they can re-frame the essence that they carry as a reader. Our instruction must go past that of “struggling reader” and instead see the bigger reason for why they are where they are. While our journey to create passionate reading environments sometimes seems like an uphill battle, we must remember this; all children can have a better relationship with reading, all children can become readers. But they must know themselves first, they must know what helps or hinders, what motivates or what distracts. And so must we. It is too easy to be satisfied be applying one label to a group of kids, but it is not satisfaction we should be after, we should be after understanding, because through understanding we can teach better. We owe it to the kids, whether they struggle or not.

If you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

being a student, being a teacher, global

Audience Needed for Elephant & Piggie Performances

March 16, 2016March 16, 2016 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

The students have been hard at work figuring out how to be better speakers and they are now ready to show the world. Tomorrow my students will be performing Elephant & Piggie stories to their peers while I record them. We are looking for other classrooms to view some of these recorded performances and rate them using a simple form. Classroom audiences can be any grade as these are picture books being performed so we would especially love K-3. While students appreciate the feedback I give them, they really need a bigger audience than just their classmates and me to grow as real speakers.

If you are interested in perhaps viewing a few, please fill out the form below. You can view just one or as many as you want, what matters is the feedback! I will email you further details once the videos go live. Thank you so much for considering helping out these amazing 7th graders.

being a teacher, books, classroom setup, Literacy, Reading

On the Need for Classroom Libraries for All Ages

March 16, 2016 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

It took me 3 seconds to decide that I was going to move my entire classroom library into my 7th grade classroom. Coming from 5th grade I wasn’t quite sure what the use of a classroom library would be on my new adventure, after all, we would only have 45 minutes together, but I couldn’t leave my books behind. I couldn’t leave them in boxes. Even if we didn’t need the books as a class, I needed them. My books were home to me and when you change schools, when you change districts, when you change grade levels, you need all of the pieces of home you can find.

My husband carried every single box of books into my classroom. There were more than 100 and they took up an entire wall as I waited for my bookshelves to arrive. He didn’t mind too much, he has realized a long time ago that I my obsession with books is part of who I am. As I opened each box and shelved the books in their new home, I couldn’t help but wonder if any child would ever read them? If dust would soon become their second skin rather than the hands of children. Was there any point in my meticulous placement of books?

On the first day as a 7th grade teacher, I was not sure how the students would react to the books. After all, in elementary school, most kids expected a classroom library. Most kids were used to the access. So I waited and soon enough the comments came.

“Are these all of your books?”

“Have you read them all?”

“How many books do you have?”

“Can we read them?”

Slowly, students began to ask more pointed questions.

“How do I check this one out?”

“Can I read this one?”

“Did you read this book, I have wanted to read it…”

It turns out my worry was unfounded. It turns out that middle schoolers in all of their bravado love classroom libraries as much as younger kids. That middle schoolers get as much use out of a classroom library if we let them. That they needs books now just as much as they needed them then.

In the past 2 years as a 7th grade teacher our classroom library has only grown. Teaching more than 100 students quickly made me realize just how many books I need to keep all readers invested and engaged with their reading. In fact, I started with the research on classroom library sizes and knew that while these were great starting points, that was exactly it, a start. When you teach that many students with reading abilities ranging from 2nd to 12th grade, interests spanning all topics, you need way more than you think, because middle schoolers can be fickle, so the message that my classroom library sends is; there is always another book waiting, there is always another chance at falling in love or remaining in love with reading.

And it is not because we do not have a school library, we have a beautiful one, one that is filled with incredible books and staffed with incredible people. But when the students are with me, during our 45 minutes of instruction every day, they also need books right at their fingertips. As Donalyn Miller and Teri Lesesne have said even a school library right across the hall from you is too far away for many students. And it is true, even a beautiful, well-stocked school library is too far away when a child needs a book right then. Because our students need to be enticed by another book the moment they finish or abandon their current one. They need books as a way to create community as they share their love (or dislike) of them with others. They need books to hand to their friends, to their teachers. They need books that will inspire them to read more. To discover who they are as a readers and who they want to become. They need to be able to go into our library and come out with something that speaks to them. Not just because the teacher tells them they have to read or the assignment requires them to.

I asked a child last year if our classroom library made a difference and his answer was simple yet powerful. “It made the biggest difference because the books were right there, so I read them.” And that is what I see every single day in our classroom, books being read because they are right there and there is no option to not read them.

As we increase the demand on students to read for knowledge rather than pleasure, we see their love of reading decline. Students have less time and less choice as they go through their years of schooling. So is it any wonder that by the time students graduate high school, 33% of them will never read another book? Having a classroom library in our middle and high school classrooms is therefore not a frivolous thrill, it is a vital necessity to create passionate reading environments. Having a classroom library should not be an investment we only make for our younger students, but should be one we make for all students, no matter their age. And it is not too late to start right now. We start by buying one book, then another, and we build our collection day by day. We book talk and we hand books to students. We create displays that entice, we create time to read, but first we have to have the books and access to them for all the kids we teach.

Our collection now probably holds more than 1,000 books and I know that I still do not have enough. After all, there are still students that search our shelves and come up empty-handed, but at least they had books to browse, at least they had books to try. I continue to add whenever I can, knowing that one day I will run out of walls pace and bookshelf space, but that when that day comes it will be a day of celebration because perhaps we now have a book for every interest, for every reader, for every child we teach.

For more ideas on creating a classroom library and knowing books to purchase, go here.