being me – Page 74 – Pernille Ripp

Lessons Learned from Home

July 5, 2011July 24, 2013 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

Coming home to my native Denmark never ceases to ground me, remind me of who I am, as well as provide a few lessons that I bring back to my classroom. This year, I chose to share them with you.

On one of my first night’s home, my mother shared this story with me: In 1938 when my 98-year-old grandmother was young she wanted to go to France with a friend. The daughter of a woodcarver and an aspiring math teacher, she knew that she could realize this dream but that she would have to bike there; all 648 miles. Their minds made up though, they rode their single gear bicycles the whole way in 2 weeks, stayed a couple of days and then rode their bikes back. The whole trip took them around a month. Lesson learned: perseverance and fortitude. Instead of waiting for the opportunity to arise, my grandmother or mormor as she is known just did it.

It has been more than 2 years since my best friends, Laila and Julia, and I have sat face to face. More children, more wrinkles, and more life experiences have shaped us differently and yet we are still the same. Those old friendships spanning more than 16 years nurture me and sustain who I am and who I want to be. Those two know me better than anyone and every time we get together we are able to just be ourselves.
Lesson learned: those who knew you when, matter the most.

This past weekend as I was home alone with Thea, we were chicken sitting for my aunt. Imagine my horror as a fox attacked them and I was left to call my aunt with the news that the fox had managed to snag half the hens and all the chicks. While on the phone, the fox came back for me and charged a chicken close by me. My reaction: A blood curdling scream and charging toward it. The poor chicken ran inside the house, the fox ran the other way. Mission accomplished.
Lesson learned: You never know how you will react when something is at stake.

As I visted my grandparents, I told them of how excited I was to move to 5th grade and in particular what we had planned to do for our math instruction. My mormor, a former math teacher, instantly perked up and told me that she would really like to hear about what we planned on doing and to keep her informed. She would even offer up suggestions if she had any.
Lesson learned: Once you find your passion you never grow out of it.

Coming home I instantly felt I belonged and Danish is spoken to me automatically wherever I go; I fit in. In fact, I wrote a post about how important it is for kids to get the same feeling when they enter our classroom. I could only feel this way because I know the social norms and expectations in this nation, something most tourists are not privy to.
Lesson learned: Share expectations, norms and normal behavior for everyone to feel they belong.

I am Sorry Mr. Governor

June 29, 2011 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

I am sorry Mr. Govenor but those things you say I do every day are simply not true. That bashing and gnashing I do of my teeth simply doesn’t happen. Those kids I fail, those initiatives I ignore, yeah that doesn’t happen either. I am sorry Mr. Govenor but when you say you are fixing education I only have to laugh. Which classrooms have you been in where you could see a benefit from removing the voice of the teachers and the students? What classrom have you been too that would do better with just a few more students added? Which room have you sat in where the teacher has spread their “thuggery,” their political rhetoric, or simply has not worked hard? You haven’t been in mine, that I know for sure.

So I am sorry Mr. Governor, I hate to disappoint, I know you would like me to be a union thug, I know you would really like me to be a “bad” teacher so that I may be fixed. I know you would like to blame the troubles of Wisconsin on me and my actions, but I will not stand for it. I will not sink to your expected level, I will not politicize my classroom, I will not preach to my students about the wrongs of the government, but instead teach them about democracy; the history of Wisconsin, and how we fought to set up a state that heard all of its people. All of its people. Not just the rich or those in power at the moment. All of its people, the minorities, the laypeople, and yes, even the unionists. So please stop with your mudslinging and your “saving.” Please stop with your demoralizing demeanor and your fancy ideas of how to save education in our proud state. Please stop with your talk of shared sacrifice since all of the people of Wisconsin have done nothing but sacrifice for the last many years. So Mr. Governor, once more I apologize for not making your job any easier. For not painting a larger bulls-eye on my back, for not stooping to a level where I deserve to be called an enemy, a thug, and a horrible person. Your mission would have been much easier if I did.

being a teacher, being me

It’s Only Been a Year – Happy Blogday to Me

June 24, 2011 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

A year ago, yesterday, I started this blog with a very simple goal in mind; write. On the urgings of my incredible husband who thought I had a story to tell, I ventured into blogging with no plan other than to keep it honest and reflective. Now as my first milestone in the blogging world passed, I am grateful for his insistence. To say that writing this blog has been life changing is not giving it enough credit. Rather than bore you with all of the details of how my life has been changed, I will only highlight a few things. So blogging stopped me from:

Wasting away with my ideas. Who knew there were others out there on a journey similar to mine? For those people who have cheered me on, thank you. And for those people who have questioned, dissed, and torn me apart – thank you as well. Through constant questioning I have been able to refine, reflect, and realize that I am a human being that makes mistakes and sometimes has bad ideas. What a gift that is.

Being dishonest. I couldn’t just write about how I was going to change my teaching and my life, I actually had to do it. Putting my thoughts out in public meant accountability, I want to make sure I actually do all of the things I so proudly exclaim. So if you ever stop by my classroom, yes,it does actually run the way I write about.

Becoming stagnant. If I didn’t change, I wouldn’t have anything to write about, I can just imagine a blog detailing how I am still doing the same thing every day. This has been a journey of teaching and I can see the growth when I reflect.

Being anonymous. It is much easier to hide behind the anonymous label when I reach out but having this blog has offed me a “new” identity and one that I am very proud of. Being an introvert in an extroverts body has certainly led to a lot of awkwardness but I get now how my kids feel when I put them on the spot as well. If we can’t do it comfortably, why should our students?

Quitting teaching. Last year I was ready to quit. I didn’t have my purpose, I didn’t have the drive, and I certainly didn’t feel the passion. Now? I want to change the world, I want to reach all of my students, I want to grown with them and learn from them.

So thank you people, thank you Brandon, thank you to the haters and the believers. Who knows how long my blogging journey will last, but for now I am grateful for the year I have conquered. There have been tears, laugher, many questions and lots of brutal honesty, the next year can only get better (and more honest).

advice, being a teacher, being me, Interview, new teacher

So You Want a Teaching Job – 10 Tips for a Better Interview

June 22, 2011July 14, 2015 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

Every year, even as a rookie teacher, I have had the extreme privilege of sitting in on interviews for both teaching and specialist positions. Every time I have been amazed at the quality of candidates that are available to us but also stumped once in a while when a candidate just isn’t all that prepared. So why not offer up some tips for anyone trying to land that sometime elusive teaching job?

Be prepared. Yes, I know this sounds like an “of course” but there have been times where I have wondered whether the person even knew where they were interviewing or what they were interviewing for. So prepare for this like you would your first day of teaching.
Be relevant. Many schools like to see something you have made, whether you bring artifacts, a video, or a link to something. Make sure that the things you bring to show are current and fit the job. If the things you bring have nothing to do with the position you are interviewing for, then don’t bring it. If it fits with the interview bring it up during it, don’t just let it lie in front of you.
Listen to the question. Teachers tend to like to talk and sometimes we are not the best listeners, this is the time to tune in. Really listen to the question being asked and then answer it. This is not the time to stray off topic or think you know what the question is before it has been completed. You can always ask for them to repeat it.
Stay current. I was expecting my first child my first year of teaching but that did not stop me from taking classes nor reading books. There simply is no excuse these days to not participate in professional development,so be active in your professional development. Take a class, read books, get connected, do something that shows that teaching is passion, not just a job.
Research the school. Most schools have websites that provide a description for you to read and then use. We want to know why you want to work for this specific school, not why you want to be a teacher. Make us feel wanted.
Mention kids. Another “duh” but there have been interviews where the person never mentioned kids or their desire to work with them, that sends up a major red flag.
Figure out what “team” means. I have never heard of an job that didn’t require someone to work as part of a team, so come up with a great description of what being a team player means to you and make sure it doesn’t just talk about how much you will bring to the team, what will the team bring to you?
Keep your eyes open. I know nerves can get in the way but if you speak with your eyes semi-closed now is the time to open them up and look at people. This goes for smiling and any other body language that says you are eager, passionate, and with it.
Share stories but keep them brief. I like hearing about past experiences but only if that story is 100% relevant and brief. So stay on point and share, but not to every question.
Practice your answers and questions. If you google “teacher interview questions” you will find enough questions to give you a baseline for what to expect. Think your answers through and figure out questions you want to ask as well. It shows you care, that you are motivated, and that this job matters to you.

Of course, there are experts out there that know way more about this than me but this is what i would tell my friends who are interviewing. So good luck to all of those seeking jobs.

After some thought it is now time to add the one I forgot:

11. Google yourself! If you are a new teacher with an online identity; wahoo! However, google yourself before the interview to see what a prospective employer might see and then set up some privacy settings if you don’t like what they find. Results of your awesome blog or schooling is great, pictures of you drinking on Facebook is not.

12. And finally, be excited, be humble, and have questions that you want to ask at the end. I have always asked; What are you hoping to find in a candidate?” because ti allows the interview team to tell you their vision. Remember you are looking for a great fit as well, not just a job.

being me

I Knew a World

May 3, 2011 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

“Hey Mrs. Ripp, did you hear we killed that terrorist? You know the guy that dropped the bombs in New York?”. So starts my morning teaching 4th graders today. “Actually, he didn’t drop a bomb,” I reply. “Oh…”

I teach the generation that does not have a “where I was when I heard story.” I teach the kids who were born the year of the September 11th attacks, and they therefore do not remember. Something that happened less than 10 years ago has already become a page in the history books, just one more event to happen to America. My students do not know what it feels like to go through an airport without hourlong security lines, or to bring big bottles of shampoo in your carry on. They do not know a world without threat levels or a war on terror. They do not know a world where we haven’t been fighting a war in Iraq and Afghanistan. They do not know America at peace.

I know all of these and so it becomes my duty to shed light on what America was before 9/11. How we knew there were people that hated American values but not that anyone would use planes against us. I knew a world where flying didn’t make you nervous, where going abroad and stating you are American didn’t make others look at you strange. A world where it was wasn’t us versus them all the time, or bombs were hidden in shoes, bottles, or pockets. Where people were given fair trials and most terrorists were in the movies with bad accents. I knew a world where we didn’t send soldiers, my brother included, to fight an endless war against a faceless enemy driven by hatred. I knew that world and I hope someday, my students will know it too.

being me, family, inspiration, role model

A Mother’s Tale

April 15, 2011 Pernille Schmidt Ripp

When I was 15, I hated my mother. In fact, I hated almost everything. Anger, sadness and oh so loathing of myself emanated and surrounded me every day for years. Words flew like daggers, piercing indiscriminately whomever and whatever came in my path. I was a child who suffered in their own self-pity, one who wallowed in misery, and lost friends, alienated family and tried to make everyone else’s life as miserable as I perceived my own. And yet my mother stood by me. She didn’t change her course, her faith in me, her utmost belief that the little girl that had been the last, would one day come back to her.

People like my mother do not appear often in one’s life. She is selfless without being depreciatingly so. She is witty, charming, and very very smart. She is beautiful in a way that requires little effort. She is strong, and she is a believer in strength for all. She is fair, she is opinionated, and she carries a grudge, but she knows when to let go and forgive, even a child that sets out to hurt.

As a teacher, this lesson sticks with me every day. Our students may lash out with words that are meant to destruct, destroy and hurt, and yet I stand by them, knowing that they too are momentarily lost on their path in life but one day they will return to me.

Tonight my mother was awarded the University of Wisconsin Academic Excellence in Teaching Award. We were there to see her accept it and there to cheer. My mother passes her lessons of love, curiosity, and inventiveness on to students every day and for once someone finally acknowledged just how incredible she is. So thank you to the most important woman in my life, thank you to the one who taught me what it means to live with grace and to believe fervently that we make a difference. We speak of teachers as role models, and yes, my mother is mine, but she is also many others’. Thank you for standing by and standing up when I needed it. Thank you for kicking in and kicking butt when it was deserved. I am the product of a strong woman. I hope my daughter will say the same about me.