Category: being me

advice, being me, education, new year

Be Careful – My Words for the New Year

Pernille Ripp

I seem to have guiding statements every so often that come into my life and shape my future.  Shape the way I teach, shape the way I speak, shape the way I act.  In the past I have been brave.  I have been passionate.  I have been happy and I have been fearless.  But this year I feel my life taking a different turn, and while I continue to tell myself and others to be brave, to be happy, to be passionate, to be fearless, I also want to say be careful.

Be careful with your words, because what we say matters.

Be careful with your risks, take them and own them and don’t be ashamed.  Share them with the world, share them with your students, share them with people who care, you don’t have to keep wasting your time on people who don’t.

Be careful with your dreams and that you don’t extinguish them yourself out of fear.  The future may be unknown but you set the path to follow.

Be careful with your students, we get one chance to show them that we care about them, don’t waste it on minor problems.

Be careful with the way you spend your time, there is truly only so much you can do in a day.

Be careful with your small conversations, those moments in the hallways, those moments at lunch, those moments in passing, because those are the ones most people remember so make them worthwhile.

Be careful with your public statements, we jump to conclusions and social media only allows us too much of a platform.  Use it for good.  Use it to lift others up.  Use it to debate, but use it to debate kindly.

Be careful with your choices, make sure your heart is in it, don’t just say yes because you should, but say yes when you mean it and then really mean it.

Be careful with your passion.  Yes, change is great, your ideas matter, and yes, there are probably other ways something can be done, but others have passion too.  Don’t diminish theirs to highlight your own.  Build a bridge, compromise, and listen to each other.  Believe in yourself but spend just as much time believing in others.

Be careful with yourself.  Stop belittling and battling yourself.  Take care of you so that others may have the chance to care as well.  Be proud of who you are and allow yourself to change.  Allow yourself to try.  Allow yourself to pull back and heal when needed.

Be careful but don’t be so careful that you do not change.  That is my wish for 2015.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  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. 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 Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, new year, Passion

The Posts that Spoke the Loudest Part 2

Pernille Ripp

This is it.  Final day of an incredible year and also the birthday of my oldest amazing daughter, Theadora.  So as I stated yesterday, here are the final posts of the years that I wanted to highlight as I move on to a brand new year.   So per tradition, here are the ones that came the straightest from the heart and weren’t always easy to publish.  (In no particular order)

To My Daughter on the Eve Before Kindergarten

…I hope you stay you.  That you continue to find the magic in small things.  That you continue to be proud of what you accomplish and not because someone told you too, but because you believe that what you did was worth pride.  I hope your skin gets tougher, that every perceived slight will not make scars, that you will figure out when something is worth your tears and when it is not.  That you will find your place with friends, not toss your heart so overwhelmingly at every new person you meet, and yet don’t forget to keep putting it out there, giving everybody a chance.

We Teachers, We Make Mistakes Too

…I am here to tell you to not give up on school, not that I think you would anyway.  You see, we teachers, we say a lot of things, and we sometimes don’t know how our words are taken.  I wish we always said the right thing or even did the right thing.  But we are human too, and sometimes words come out of our mouths before we have thought them through.  Maybe that teacher who told you not to read picture books just hasn’t found the right one yet?  Or maybe that teacher doesn’t know you yet.  Doesn’t know how great of a reader you are, how you love to read a variety of books.  How you love handing books to your teachers to have them read them so that you can share your favorite moments.  Maybe that teacher didn’t mean it the way it sounded.

The Downside to Being a Connected Educator

…I have written a lot about all that being a connected educator has done for me.  I have written a lot about how I would not trade it for anything and that I hope others will choose to become connected as well.  I have written about how being a connected educator has enabled me to have connected students, which has radically changed the way I teach.  And yet, I have not talked about the downfall of being connected much.  Not like this, not in this way.

A Letter to My Daughter’s Kindergarten Teacher

…Thea got off the bus today and asked if we could go back to school now.  She had not even taken off her backpack, nor had she told me about her day.  Not hello mom, not how are you, but can we go now?  Please?  When I told her we would have to wait until 5:30, when open house started, she got mad.  “But I want to go now mom, I have to go see my teacher.”

And my eyes got watery and I had to swallow for a second so she couldn’t see how I felt.

Take One and Pass It On

…In the staff bathroom at my school something like this hung on the wall.  I should have taken a picture but I was too caught up in it to think that far ahead.  It kind of looked like this except a couple of strips had already been ripped off.  So I followed the direction, ripped it off, and passed it on.  Perhaps these should be plastered all over our schools

When You Feel Misplaced

…It dawned on me today as I picked my heart up off the floor; I miss my 5th grade.  I miss teaching so many different subjects.  I miss the hugs.  I miss the stories.  I miss the parents randomly stopping by with a forgotten lunch or just because.  I miss my old team, even though my new team is incredible.  I miss knowing the kids in that way you know them when you have them all day. I miss snack time and read aloud.  Our first grade buddies.  The excitement that comes with being a 5th grader and being on the cusp of middle school, not knowing what to expect.  And did I mention, I miss the hugs?

And here are the most viewed posts, some do overlap which is nice.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  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. 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 Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, new year, Passion, reflection

The Posts that Spoke the Loudest Part 1

Pernille Ripp

One day left of this year.  This glorious, life changing year that included a new baby released from the NICU, a new house, a new job in a new district, and even 2 books being published.  4 and 14 have always been my lucky numbers but even I could not have foreseen all of the awesome that happened in this year.  So while I can see which posts got the most traffic, those aren’t necessarily the ones that spoke the loudest to me even if they did to others.  So per tradition, here are the ones that came the straightest from the heart and weren’t always easy to publish.  (In no particular order)

What Becomes of the Lonely Teachers?

…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.

How to Unleash the Uncreative Child

…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.

To the Kid Who Walked Through My Door Last Night

…But the truth is you didn’t come to me last night for math help.  You came to tell me about how you are trying your best but the teachers don’t see it.  How it is hard to stay awake some times.  How it is hard to not laugh when your best friend does that funny thing again.  How the teachers don’t get you even though 2 weeks ago you decided to really try your best but now you think your best will never be good enough for those teachers.  They already give you that look, they have already given up.

When Teachers Bully Teachers

…Today I choose to reclaim my past as I leave my old district and school and venture forward, it is time to take back the power that this situation had over me.  It is time to move on and away from the past.  It is time to tell the story of what can happen when teachers bully teachers.

A Letter to Those Who are New, Myself Included…

…Don’t be ashamed of being you.  You may not always have the best advice.  You may not always be an expert.  You may not always know what you are doing, but you still have worth.  Your ideas still matter.  You still matter.  Your excitement can spread.  Your newness may be an advantage at times.  Your energy and curiosity will help you.  So don’t stand in your own way.

And here are the most viewed posts, some do overlap which is nice.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  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. 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 Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

advice, being me, MIEExpert15, new year, Passion, student voice

If You Could Change Just One Thing

Pernille Ripp

“So if you have one piece of advice for anyone looking to change the way they teach, what would it be?”

I cannot count how many times I have been asked this important question or the myriad of ways.  In podcasts, webinars, face to face, workshops, and even in lunch time conversations.  What would you change?  What would you do?  What should we do?

It makes sense really.  There is so much we could change, there is so much we could do. Yet, in the end if you only have energy for one change.  If you only have space for one thing.  Make it this…

Ask the students.

There you have it.  The one thing I say every time I am asked.  The one thing I wish we all did more of.

Ask the students what they want changed.

Ask the students what they love.

Ask the students how they want to learn.

Ask the students about your room set up.

Ask the students what their grade should be.

Ask the students if they have a voice, and if not, give them one.

Ask the students what they want to learn.

Ask the students why they stopped loving something.

Ask the students about their lives.

Ask the students what they hate.

Ask the students how they feel about you.

Ask the students and then listen to their answers.

Ask them and change your teaching.

If you do one thing in the new year, let this be it.  One question is all it takes.  One moment is all you need.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  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. 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 Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, blogging, MIEExpert15, technology

A Few Nontraditional Tips For Starting Your Own Blogging Journey

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

4 1/2 years.  That’s how long I have been spreading my random thoughts on the internet.  What started out as a way for me to simply get things out of my mind, has grown to be an integral part of me.  I never knew I would be a blogger.  With that title comes many things; access to a vast network of people who know so much more than me, heartfelt discussions, emotional reflection, and even the occasional kick in the stomach when someone goes to the dark side on one of my posts.  Yet I didn’t set out to blog, I merely started out wanting to write.  So if you have been looking to start a blog, a few maybe not so traditional tips from me to you.

  • Start your blogging journey for yourself.  Don’t think of the end game or where you would like your blog to go, think of what you would like it to do for you right now.  I wanted a place to reflect out loud, I didn’t think anyone would read it, and that has made the biggest difference.
  • Don’t write for an audience, yet.  I notice that when I start thinking of who may read a post my writing gets jilted and jagged.  I start to change my voice to appease the imaginary eyes.  So write for yourself, keep readability in mind, and don’t get hung up on whether people or not will read it.
  • Don’t share just the good.  The internet is filled with amazing, and yet our classrooms are filled with attempts.  So share the attempts, share the magnificent, share the catastrophes.  Be as real online as you are in person, so if anyone who reads your blog comes to your class they wont wonder what happened.
  • Get to the point.  I can get long winded too, but I try to edit myself.  Blogs are meant to be quick doses of reflection, not papers of thought.  Get to the point, stick to the point, and then find an image that underlines the point.  Be brief and powerful.
  • Don’t map it out.  I never knew what I was going to blog about in the future, I still don’t.  And while some bloggers are incredibly good at sticking to an area, don’t make it too narrow.  Your blog should allow you to grow as a person and if you box its focus in too much, you will hinder your own growth.
  • Change the world with kindness.  I wish I had thought of this when I first started, I was much more determined in my message and much more one-sided.  Now I try to push change with kindness.  No one wants to hear how wrong they are or how awful what they are doing is, so be nice.
  • Keep your purpose in check.  I think when we start to blog to get something, whether it be followers, comments, or even more work, it shows.  And it shows it an icky, not so good kind of way. I have been guilty of this myself and I have later cringed at my posts.  Don’t put yourself in cringe worthy positions, write from the heart, write it out, don’t write for terrible purposes.
  • Be thankful.  I don’t expect anyone to read this blog, still.  So for every person who reaches out to me, I try to give my thanks, sometimes more successfully than others.  Blogging is something I do for me but the fact that others find it helpful as well never ceases to amaze me.  Stay humble, stay thankful, don’t ever take others times for granted.
  • Create your own path.  Whether you only blog when you are inspired (yup) or blog on a set schedule, know that there is not a right way to blog.  Make it your own, make it work for you, and just figure it out.

However you start or continue your blogging journey make it meaningful to you. Make it something you are thankful for.  Don’t wait for the world to acknowledge your genius, even if no one reads your blog, be proud.  And if you think I should discover your blog, please leave me a link to it in the comments.  I would love to add more inspiration to my life.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  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. 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 Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

advice, Be the change, being me, MIEExpert15, Passion, reflection, technology

Am I the Barrier to My Students’ Full Tech Integration?

Pernille Ripp

I have been integrating meaningful technology into my classrooms since 2010, trying my hardest to find tools that would help my students find an audience, spark their passion, and find their voice.  I wouldn’t call us tech infused, I don’t use a lot of tools, but the ones we do, I love.  And yet…I cannot help but feel that sometimes I stand in the way of my students and the technology they use.  That sometimes the parameters I set up hinder rather than grow.

It is not from a place of fear, I am all for technology and using it well.  It is rather from my own ignorance.  Often I don’t t know what I don’t know.  Often I don’t know whether a tool will work for the thing we are doing.  Often I get a little scared, wondering whether they will be able to be successful if they veer off the beaten path.  Often I assume that I have to be the expert and this should know everything and have all of the answers, giving all of the permissions.  But the big thing is; I have forced myself to recognize this and boy, did it make me feel uncomfortable.

How often do we as teachers let our own fears stand in the way of what we “allow” students to do?  How often does our own lack of knowledge of a tech tool (or anything for that matter) prompt us into saying no, rather than yes?  How often do we dismiss rather than invite?

So the next time we propose a project, how about we ask students what tools they want to use?  What tools do they already know?  Rather than rush into creation take a day to explore tech tools that may benefit all.  Have students teach each other.  Share your own knowledge.  Open up your classroom and show your own place as a learner.  Acknowledge that perhaps tech scares you, or perhaps trying a new thing leaves you worried about time line.  Perhaps you are not sure a tool will work or that the students will get it.  So what?!  Embrace this fear and allow it to push you forward, rather than hold you back.  Let students see that their ideas, voices, and prior knowledge matters.  And not just to make them feel heard but to change the way learning happens within our classrooms.

Technology tools surround us, with more being added every day.  We cannot keep up.  We cannot be the only experts.  If we truly have a community of learners in our classrooms then students’ knowledge has to be embraced.  So don’t say no when a child asks if they can use a new tool.  Say yes.  Embrace the fact that you may not know it and learn along with them. Admit your own fear, admitting your own lack of knowledge will only show students the power of doing just that.  Be a learner with your students every day.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA,  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. 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 Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press.  Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.