Category: being a teacher

being a teacher, being me

To the Girl Who Wrote Last Night

Pernille Ripp

Dear you,

This morning I woke up in St. Louis, ready and excited to present at yet another conference, wondering if I would ever get over my nerves.  I quick jumped on my email and couldn’t believe what you had sent me.  That long of an email.  SO many words.  I quick skimmed it to make sure you were okay and then sat down and couldn’t believe what you wrote.
As teachers, and particularly of 7th graders, we don’t know whether what we do matters.  Whether what we try with you actually makes a difference.   Half the time I felt crazy last year trying to make you and everyone else feel like you were part of a community and that I cared about you.  Half the time I felt the eye rolls follow me home, sure that I was not good enough to be your teacher.  So thank you.  Thank you for not giving up on me as a teacher.  Thank you for letting me in to your world, for trusting me, for thinking that I had worth because there were days that I felt like I was the worst teacher in the world.
I am so proud of you and who you are.  You have so much to offer to the world, so much creativity to unleash, and I am so thankful that I get to be a tiny part of your life’s journey.  I, too, miss school, which is weird, but mostly I miss you students.  I miss our every day.  Our inside jokes.  Our routine, our stories, our moments that took my breath way.  I can’t believe that I have to start all over with new kids, start from the bottom again,  and only see you guys in the hallway.  Yet, that’s what we do as teachers, we put our hearts out there so that you kids have a chance at knowing that you matter, that someone cares about you, even when you don’t seem to care about yourself.  So thank you for giving me your words and letting me in.  For sending that letter last night.  I have been telling the world about my amazing 7th graders, and you were one of them.  I have hared your words hoping that others will see the truths that bestowed me with.  Hoping that together we can change our schools.  I am so incredibly grateful that I got to be your teacher.  You will never know how much that title means to me, even after you leave OMS and move into the world.
Love,
Mrs. Ripp
being a teacher

A Story Shared #SemiColonEDU

Pernille Ripp

Note from Pernille:  Once in awhile I lend this blog to others whose story needs to be heard.  This on one of those moments.  SOothis post is not written by me, but instead by someone who wishes to remain anonymous.  To learn more about the movement behind #SemiColonEdu see Nick’s post here.

I want to post this to my own blog in the worst way, but I can’t.  It wouldn’t be fair.  Its not my battle to share.  You see, I have not been diagnosed with depression, but my husband has.

While his battle with depression is not mine to share, my story of living with him is.  Depression does not only impact those living with the diagnosis; it impacts the lives of everyone close to him/her.  Living with a spouse who deals with depression everyday is difficult, and loving him/her seems impossible at times.  Depression manifests itself differently in people, and for me, my husband is quick to anger, but unfortunately, it seems like myself and our children are the only ones who get this version of him.  You see, he’s the funny guy to everyone else.   But I want to tell you about the day I pushed for help…and got it.

While my husband has suffered from depression for many years, it was a tragedy in his life that gave me the courage to gently nudge him to seek help.  I thought it was gently; he likely disagrees.  My husband experienced an extreme tragedy.  He and his brother were the first firemen on the scene of a motorcycle accident that claimed the life of his “second set of parents.”  It was horrible, and the sadness still looms.  Shortly after the accident, his anger spiked.  He lashed out at me horribly.  He accused me of cheating on him repeatedly which clearly did not happen.  He fabricated it in his mind, but his imagination was wildly vivid…and hurtful.  He barked at the kids loudly and repeatedly for actions typical of kids, like leaving the light on in their bedroom.  If he was not angry and yelling, he was angry and silent which was worse.  While I knew he was struggling because of the tragedy, it was so hard not to internalize his pointed anger.  My kids and I treaded lightly in fear of setting him off.  He would never physically hurt us, but his words packed a power punch to the gut.

About six weeks after the tragedy, he had gone on a hunting trip with a good friend.  He had been texting me from his tree stand; it was a combination of I love you and I hate you.  I stopped texting because I was scared.  Through these mixed signals, I realized his thinking was not rational.  His mind was working outside the realm of reality.  He realized I was ignoring him which fueled his anger, but I could not subject myself to his criticism and mind games anymore.  His thoughts were so extreme.  Honestly, he was delusional.

Prior to his return home, I called his brother and said, “I’m very worried about [your brother], and I’m going to ask him if he has considered suicide.  He is going to be angry with me, and I need you to know that I’m asking him because I love him.  I also need you to know I’m not walking out on him.”

Later that day, I did just as I said I would do.  I asked him.  I used the word. SUICIDE.  I cried. So did he.  Then he got mad.  He assured me he would never do that, but to this day, I’m not convinced it was not a thought in his brain.  He slept downstairs that night.  The next morning he woke me up to say this, “I haven’t slept at all.  I cannot believe my wife is trying to convince me to off myself!”  Yep.  He said that.  I’ll never forget it.

He called me later to tell me he had called the doctor, and there was relief in his voice when he said, he could not get an appointment for five weeks.  FIVE WEEKS!  The tears poured as I hung up the phone.  Once I collected my thoughts, I called the clinic and demanded to speak to our nurse.  Apparently, my voice sounded desperate because they put me through immediately.  Five minutes later, I had an appointment.  Ten minutes later, my husband agreed to go.

The diagnosis started out as situational depression which he could deal with because of the trauma he endured.  It has been almost two years, and while I have accepted his mental health diagnosis and the longevity of it, he has not.  He doesn’t want to be a “pill popper” for the rest of his life.  He doesn’t want to have to take Viagra to counteract the side effects.  He doesn’t want to say, “I struggle with depression.”

The rest of the story is being written.  Day by day. Month by month. Year by year. I pushed back that day because I love him.  I love him everyday; even the days and months he refuses to take his meds.  I’ll never know just how close I was to losing him, but I’ll always know he loved me enough to let me help him, and for that, I am grateful.

being a teacher, being me, honesty, student voice

A Students Shares What It’s Really Like Being In Our Classroom

Pernille Ripp

For years, I have been sharing the sometimes magical, sometimes fantastical, and sometimes awful things that go on in our classroom.  I have been honest in my blogs, I have presented what really happens, not diluted it or polished it to make myself look better.  And while my students have blogged for years on their blog about being a member of our classroom I have never had one of them write it on here.  Until tonight where one of my former 7th grade students, Corinne, agreed to write an honest post about what it is really like in our classroom.  Besides adding paragraphs, I have not edited or added anything to this post.  Thank you Corinne for your honest assessment of what it really looks like in our room!

She writes:

There is no doubt that Mrs. Ripp’s classroom is a classroom that anyone would want to be in. Being in Mrs. Ripp’s classroom every week day for a year has taught me so much, not only about English but myself to. Mrs. Ripp’s classroom is place that makes everyone feel important and wanted. Through out the year we did various projects and had various assignments that students sometimes enjoyed and sometimes hated. For example last school year every student that had Mrs. Ripp as an English teacher got the chance to write a non-fiction picture book. This was my favorite project that we did through out the year. I think that so many kids enjoyed it because everyone got to express themselves in their own unique ways.

An example of a project that many students disliked was our book club projects. I think the problem for most of the students who didn’t like this project was the fact that they were being forced to read. That is what I personally didn’t like about the project. For me it wasn’t so much the project itself, it was the mind set it was giving me. So most kids told Mrs. Ripp that they were reading when they weren’t, and then looked up the summary of the book on Google so that when it came time to talk about the book they knew what was going on. Other kids would simply decide that they didn’t want to read and they didn’t want to do the project, so they weren’t going to do it. Others would try their  hardest but their hearts just weren’t in it. So then when everyone presented their horrific projects to Mrs. Ripp and we all got bad grades it was this HUGE reality check for everyone. But of course no teacher wants their students to fail so there is always a second chance in Mrs. Ripp’s classroom. Sometimes the second chance was coming in during a study hall and talking about what you could have done better, sometimes it was studying more and then getting a chance take the test again. Getting these second chances makes a big difference in grades and how they improve.

Through out the year in her classroom you get a lot of chances to do a lot of cool things that are once in a life time experiences. I find myself referring to it as “her classroom” but I know that if Mrs. Ripp were writing this she would be referring to it as “our classroom” because that is what it really is to her and that makes a big difference in the way she teaches and how and what you learn in her classroom. All in all being in Mrs. Ripp’s classroom is fun, exciting, interesting, and an educational opportunity that I wish everyone could experience.

Be the change, being a teacher, being me, believe, hopes, new year

You Are Not “Just” A Teacher

Pernille Ripp

“I am just a teacher.”  How many times have we said it without even realizing it?  Without realizing how much we are cutting ourselves down?  How many times have we started our retort, offered an idea, or even pushed back with these words?  I am just a teacher so no one has to listen to me.  I am just a teacher so my ideas don’t have value.  I am just a teacher so what do I know…

But here’s the thing, you are not just a teacher.  You are so much more.

You are the first line of defense for a child’s love of learning.  The original believer in all children.  The person who every day gets up and thinks that they can truly make a difference.

You are a dream-builder.  A planner. A wonder-er.

You are a compass for those who may be lost.  A map for those who need to find a way.  And a flashlight for those who have lost their vision.

You are not just a teacher, you are a pair of arms for those who feel the world is against them.  A shoulder for those who need to cry.   Ears that will listen to whose who feel no one hears their voice anymore.

You are someone who believes even when others don’t.  You are someone who fights even after all seems lost.  You are someone who never, ever gives up even when a child has given up on themselves.

You are not “just” a teacher, but instead a warrior whose urgency only grows with every child we meet.  A campaigner for others to believe in the good that you see in a child.  A window opener when all the doors have been closed.

You are the family that some children don’t get to have.  You are someone who cares with everything you do.  You are the voice of reason when others speak nonsense.

You are the last line of defense when others say no more, nothing else, we are done.

So yes, you may just be a teacher but think of what you are to all of those kids that you teach.  Think of what you can be.  And then think of what they will do knowing you were their teacher.  So the next time you find yourself saying you are just a teacher, wear that title with pride.  You are just a teacher, but teachers change the world.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  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.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, being a teacher, connect, control, principals, trust

Dear Administrators, Can We Tear Down the Great Divide?

Pernille Ripp

Dear Administrators,

I am not sure I am the right one to bring this up,in fact,  I am not sure it is my place to start this conversation.  Yet, this blog has offered me a voice that not all teachers have, a place to start a public discussion that is needed.  That doesn’t mean I am the best one to bring it up, but here goes nothing.

There has always been a divide between administration and teachers it seems.  From the poor jokes about going to the dark side to the hushed conversations behind closed doors discussing the latest admin “screw up,” it seems that there is an invisible mountain between teachers and administration that both sides don’t understand the origin of.  It is not that anyone wants to think of the other as being on another side and yet it crops up in conversation time and time again.  But I am starting to wonder why we all seem to be okay with it.  It seems to just be an accepted fact when I don’t think it should be.  After all, are we not all trying to educate the same children?

So what is it that is creating it, and more importantly what can we do?  Because I hear over and over that teachers don’t think their administration will believe in whatever idea they have, or their administration won’t give them permission, and I am always left wondering if this really is true.  Do they really know that or is it just an assumption?  In fact, how often do we assume what someone else may say or think and thus feel defeated?  How often do we blame our administrators for something when we don’t know if it is really their fault?  How often does our own fear of having a courageous conversation create unintended barriers?

Perhaps the divide has to to do with trust.  While I believe almost all administrators trust their staff, I wonder how often that is explicitly communicated.  Not just in words but in actions. I wonder how many times trust is assumed rather than discussed, how many times both sides assume that the other know their intentions.  What if we decided that the other side couldn’t read our minds and instead started asking questions?  What if we were told that administration trusted us in both words and action, would that break the divide?  What if teachers started to tell their administrators that they trusted them, what would that do?

What if we gave second chances?  What if we, every day, gave each other a new chance at doing what is best?  What if we actively tried to create a community of educators just like we work on it with our students?  What then?

I don’t know what the answer is.  I am not an administrator, just a teacher who wants to find a solution. So dear administrators and other educators reading this, what do you think?  How do we tear down the great divide?  What can I tell all those teachers who feel like their administration will never trust them?  Who feel like their administration will never understand what they do, what they are trying to do, and who feel no one has their back?  Because I don’t think it’s true but maybe I am wrong, I have been wrong so many times before.

Thank you,

Pernille

PS:  I am absolutely loving all of the great conversations that are happening due to this post.  Here are a few responses to the post on other blogs.

John Bernia wrote a great response 
So did Melissa Emler here 

And Brandon Blom here

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  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.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, being a teacher, believe, choices, MIEExpert15, teachers

We Are the Experts on Our Students

Pernille Ripp

I don’t remember when I started speaking up as a teacher.  When my words no longer burned in my skull, my mouth tightly closed.  When I finally had the courage to raise my hand and give my opinion and then wait and see what would happen.  But I do remember how it felt; terrifying.  My cheeks flamed red, all eyes on me.  In my mind you could have heard a pin drop.  Time slowed until someone else jumped in.  Yet, in reality, it was probably not a big moment.  Not something etched into history, nor remembered by the masses.  So why is it we are so afraid to claim our expertise as teachers, ask questions, and speak up for the students we teach?

We seem to have no problem being told what to do as teachers.  Whether we are a product of the teaching conditions we endure, or we simply don’t think our opinions have value, we mostly keep silent when it comes to new programs, new initiatives, and new decisions.  We assume that everyone understands our students and thus the decisions being made will always benefit them.  But we all know that that is not always true.  And yet we wait for others to tell us what to do, so that we can follow their path.  Instead of carving out our own, instead of adding our voice.

The thing is, we are the experts on the kids we teach.  Not the amazing administrators we may work with.   Not the consultant brought in or the outside expert.  We are.  And we need to speak up when things are not going to be in the best interest of those children.  We need to at least offer our opinion, our advice, and then be allowed to adapt for the very students we teach.

If we know our facts.  If we know our craft.  If we know our research then we too are experts.  Then our voices matter as well.  But you have to allow yourself to have your voice heard.  You have to trust yourself in adapting programs to make them work for the kids you teach.  You have to allow yourself to ask questions, suggest modifications, create change so that the very students we are entrusted to teach will get the best learning experience.

Don’t wait for others to claim you are an expert, claim it yourself.  Give yourself the same value that you place on your students.  You know what is best for kids, so trust that. Stop creating more barriers than there needs to be because their future depends on you.

H/T to Jess Lifshitz and her early morning talks.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  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.  The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.