Category: new teacher

advice, alfie kohn, assumptions, being a teacher, classroom setup, community, educators, elementary, new teacher, new year

Declutter I say! Or Why Motivational Posters Demotivate

Pernille Ripp

Life is full of choices, so choose carefully! How can anyone love you if you do not love yourself? And my favorite: failure is never an option! All sayings found on various motivational posters sold to teachers that mean well and boy, do they sell. Anyone who has ever been in a teacher store those last couple of weeks before school start will see the poster wheels spinning frantically as the just right poster is sought. Ok, I admit I, I was one of those teachers, however, I thought I was clever and that I had it all figured out. You see, I had edited my pre-packaged collection and therefore only had select few displayed. Thus, my students knew that these were the sayings they had to focus on. I remember one was a cute little frog hanging on to a tree branch and something about sticking with it. Oh, day in and day out that little frog inspired my students to never give up! Right? Well, not exactly. My students didn’t care. I am sure they thought they were cute and one or two of them used them for inspiration for their own doodles in their journals but did it ignite their passion for learning? Hardly, in fact, I would like to argue quite the opposite. You see, my students were overloaded with messages. Walk into almost any elementary classroom and you will be bombarded with motivational posters, hand-made posters, student work, rules, classroom jobs and anything else that deserves a special place on the wall. And we don’t just tack it to the all, we put up back posters and fancy boarders o that it gets really colorful and pops! In fact, bare walls are taunted and laughed at, seen as someone being unprepared or dare I say dispassionate about their room, their job, their kids!

And so the pressure on new teachers in particular is immense. You may be new but your room should still look inviting, educationally functional and also be a representation of you as a teacher. That last week before my first week of school ever, I was waking up in cold sweat wondering whether the kids would get “me” in the room? And then school happened and I realized little by little that even though I had labored intensely over my handmade sign with the great Shakespeare quote “Do Not be Afraid of Greatness” my students had never read it or noticed it really. How do I know? My principal asked them about it when I was observed the first time. But surely they had noticed all of the signs? Not so much, even if I had pored over each placement of every poster so much that my walls had holes in them from my tearing off the gorilla tape (note to self: don’t ever use gorilla tape again.) I had created rules – keep them simple but firm, and a little flexible. Classroom jobs – instill responsibility but make the chart so fun that the kids cannot wait to see what job they will do. And maps – I had maps all over my room. Why maps? Well, I really like maps and they filled all that dreaded empty wall space. I would have continued to cover and decorate had it not been for a pesky thing called the firecode. It stopped me at 20%.

So what changed? One day I realized that it wasn’t my room that represented me, but myself that represented me. In fact, I got sick of re-taping posters that kept falling down, or moving them when I actually needed the space for learning and so little by little down they came. The ultimate clean up came when I had to move rooms this year. I sorted, evaluated and donated. Now I chuckle when I see my “old” posters hanging somewhere else. Don’t they realize why I got rid of them? I also thought about my students more and how they reacted to the environment I created. Too much of it was about me, and how I wanted the room to be. They didn’t feel welcome or that the space was theirs, but merely as guests passing through borrowing the space. Another consideration was that I have students that get over-stimulated quite easily. Being a clutter freak myself I start to get clammy when I stay in these rooms too long so imagine if you are a student trying to focus on whatever is going on on the whiteboard. Where do you look? To the poster telling you to keep focusing or on to the actual board? So is my room bare walls? Nah, but what is up there is important. In fact, the kids have noticed what is posted. Quotes form the Little Prince, from the “I Have a Dream” Speech, and student introductions in Wordles. We have some literary elements as reminders and even a couple of pictures. The students know how obsessed I am with zombies so they draw me pictures of flesh eaters. No rules, no motivational posters, just us. Our space, our room. And most importantly, room to grow into a community. Into making the space our own. They own the room as much as I do and that is more important that sticking to it or never giving up!

being a teacher, conferences, learning, new teacher, parents, students

Let Them Speak – Why Student Led Conferences are the Right Choice

Pernille Ripp
I admit it; yesterday morning even I thought I was crazy.  I was getting ready to unleash my students in their first student led conferences and with no experience to fall back upon, those 24 super nervous students were freaking me out.  And then something magical happened; it worked!  The students took their parents through an eloquent journey of their learning, and more importantly, flaunted their knowledge while setting new goals for themselves.  I am sold.This beauty of the student-led conference was not something invented by me; in fact, many people have blazed the trail on this and I have even heard of kids as young as 1st grade leading their own conference.  Therefore when I decided this year that the classroom was no longer all about me, I was intrigued by the idea of also “allowing” students to run their own conferences.  Every year, I am exhausted and exhilarated after these.  Exhilarated, because it is a thing of beauty to discuss success, progress and goals with parents – exhausted because I talked and talked for 20 minutes a kid two or three nights in a row. Although students have always been required to be at their conference with me (why discuss them if they are not there to hear it) they were never really engaged.  Conferences for them were a way for me to tell their parents how they were doing, and as such, a passive act for them, something they were required to listen to but not be full participants in.  This year,  I knew it had to be different.Always a believer in preparation, I decided that much as I prepare for conferences so must my students.  We therefore discussed the purpose of them until everyone understood that conferences were there to show off their learning, not as a form of punishment or “telling” on them to their parents.  Then came the real work; what would they discuss?  I knew that these kids had never led a conference before and so they needed an agenda.   Students therefore received a 2-sided agenda from me with what I expected them to discuss. (Another valuable life skills happens to be how to lead a successful meeting so this proved practice in that as well).  They were given time in class to take notes for their conference if they felt they needed that to guide them; some did but not all, and they were able to ask any clarifying questions of the agenda and curriculum we had covered.  Students were also asked to self-assess both their writing and grade themselves.  I have to give them letter grades on their report card, even if I would prefer not to, and so they were asked to translate their performances and knowledge into grades.  It was eye-opening to see how harsh they could be when judging themselves.  Once students felt that they had everything prepared, we met to go over their papers.  They were given a folder in which they could place anything they wanted to show at the conference, including their notes.  And then we waited…

Our final question session was yesterday right before the first conference was to be held.  Students all placed their conference folders in a safe spot and took a deep breath.  I showed no nerves, even though inside I was second-guessing this decision with every teacher-bone in my body.  It wasn’t that I thought students couldn’t do it, but more that I wondered whether parents would get it.  Would they see that this wasn’t just a way for me to “get out of” conferences, but rather a much better way for the same information to be delivered?  I am glad I was proven so wrong.

While some students did better than others, 1 never showed up, and 3 parents forgot to bring their kids, it was still incredible to hear and see the kids share their learning.  Parents were given a recommended question sheet but most did not need it.  They knew which questions to ask their children and I became what I should be; an accessory to the conversation.  I jumped in when clarification was needed or if a child judged themselves too harshly.  Otherwise I helped guide a little and then just listened and what I learned was so valuable.  I got a better grip on how secure some of my students were than I could have ever gotten from just observing them in the classroom or let alone given them a worksheet.  I also got to see another side of my students as they spoke to their parents, in essence representing themselves as members of my class to the outside world.  I know what I have to repeat in class and what students get.  I know what has made an impression on them and what I should skip next year.  But the best part of all of this was the pride these kids took.  And not just in their work, or their grades, but in doing the conference themselves.  The parents noticed too and I therefore must declare these my most successful conferences to date. I am thankful for the advice given to me regarding student-led conferences and I hope this will inspire others to try it as well.  If you let your students lead; you will be amazed.  I know I was, and for that I am thankful (and proud!).

I have all of the forms I use available here

assessment, conferences, feedback, new teacher, parents, students

Best Advice for Conferences

Pernille Ripp

Recently I was asked to be guest moderator for the fantastic new teacher chat (#ntchat) hosted by Lisa Dabbs @TeachingwthSoul Wednesday nights.  While the name may be deceiving, this is certainly not just a chat for new teachers, but for all teachers looking to find new ideas and to share their expertise.  I was very happy to be a part of this chat because the topic was preparing for parent/teacher conferences.  The chat was lively as you can see from the archive found here, so I thought I would share some of my best ideas for how to have the best possible parent/teacher/student conferences.

  • My best advice: Don’t make this your first contact with parents!  Whether it be email, phone, letters or whichever method of contact you prefer; make sure you have reached out to all parents before they show up for the conference.
  • Invite the student to the conference.  Many schools are turning to student-led conferences, which is an idea I want to try as well, but if this makes you uncomfortable or does not fit into your school, at least invite the child.  After all, if you are trying to discuss solutions and give feedback then the child is a vital part of that conversation.
  • Plan, prepare, and know exactly why you are giving the feedback you are planning on giving.  If you seem ill-prepared, parents will notice.  This is an important conversation and should be valued as such.  I write notes for myself for each student using this planning sheet.  This way I know what I want to highlight and I also have a paper trail.  We write focus goals together and the next day the parents get a copy of my notes.
  • Dress the part.  Again, this is a big deal to students and can be a great way to share successes and give feedback.  Don’t let your clothing distract from the task at hand.
  • Remind, remind, remind.  Parents are busy so send home a reminder or two or three, or have students remind their parents.  If you have an inkling someone may not show up, call them.  If it is a transportation issue, offer to come to them. 
  • Be flexible!  Not all parents can automatically come to your planned dates.  I have had phone conferences, morning meetings, late night conferences.  Whatever it takes to communicate is worth it to me. 
  • Start and end with something positive.  You want everyone to feel good about this experience but you also want to be honest.  All kids have great qualities and success stories; share them!  Do not be afraid to bring up things that may appear critical, after all, this is a learning dialogue, however, leave the conversation on a positive note as well.  Sometimes it is best to let parents speak first, try to hone n on their social cues to see if that is the case.  That way they will be able to be fully engaged when they have spoken their piece rather than waiting for their turn.
  • Be honest!  If you feel a student needs to work harder, say so, but say it in a constructive manner.  Highlight the effort being made and how you feel you can work together to improve it.  Some parents will need a lighter phrasing than others; trust your instinct and know your relationship with them.
  • Have samples ready.  To illustrate highlights and “normal” work, use actual work from the student showing their progress and what you are basing feedback on.  
  • Do not use teacher language.  We may be fluent in the land of acronyms or reading comprehension but others are probably not.  Don’t assume that they will know what working on fluency means, rather explain it in a direct manner.  
  • Leave room for questions.  Make sure that there is plenty of time for discussion and questions during the conversation at the end.  Sometimes surprising knowledge comes to light or even more successes are found.
  • Be on time and stick to the schedule.  We are all busy so do not leave people waiting; it is unprofessional.  That also means you may want to schedule a short break for yourself to eat or just breathe.  If a conference is going over the time limit, offer to reschedule at another time.  Parents will appreciate your respect and promptness.
  • Do not be afraid to involve others.  If you have a mentor, ask them to sit in on a couple.  I have had my principal sit in on several and have valued his feedback.  Also, if you are worried about a conference make sure someone sits in with you.  If a conference ever turns argumentative or unprofessional do not be afraid to ask to reschedule with someone else present.
  • Embrace them!  I love conferences because it allows me to show off how incredible my job is and what amazing students I have.  Yes, they may be tiring, and a lot of work but let your enthusiasm show; you will be surprised at the response you get.  After all, I have the best job in the world and I am not afraid to say that.
So what did I miss?  Please add your best advice in the comments, we are each others’ best teachers and mentors.
aha moment, Be the change, new teacher

You are Not Alone – Lisa’s Aha Moment

Pernille Ripp

This weeks aha moment is shared by Lisa Dabbs one of the most inspiring and essential members of my PLN.  She is an Educational Coach and Consultant and also a former Elementary School Principal and Fed Prog.administrator. Lisa has a B.A. in Child Development and a M.Ed in Educational Administration. but started  her career as a Kindergarten teacher. She has also worked as a Project Director of a Language and Literacy program. Lisa is also the creator of the new teacher chat on Twitter #ntchat, which is NOT just for new teachers and involved in many other projects.  More importantly, Lisa is a friend and mentor to many and I was honored to have her share her moment with us.  Her blog is a must add to your RSS and she is always a must follow to any new educators that stumbles upon Twitter.  




Teaching  and Mentoring are my Passions!
Sometimes though, good teaching is lost in the busyness of life or due to challenging times, struggling students, feisty kids or tragically; lack of support.


Today is the sharing of my Aha moment. I’m so honored to be asked by Pernille Ripp to guest post on this “moment”. The moment I truly knew that I needed to start a “blog to mentor”. This came in February of this year when I sent a response to a young, new, would be teacher who posted on an education website that she was “Losing hope”…


The teacher will remain anonymous, but the cry for help is so typical of many, creative, enthusiastic  teachers I’ve met over the years. Starting their careers passionate about teaching, only to be cut off at the knees by one simple fact: the lack of a mentor who is willing to support, guide and inspire.


The teacher started the post by saying that they had a dream. A dream to be the best teacher they could be. To be the kind of teacher that students would be inspired by. Unfortunately, there were no clear expectations set for this teacher, and worse, no support. This teacher’s perception was that they would be supported, as a first year teacher. Not an unfair expectation by any means. Instead they were placed in a “sink or swim” position. So this teacher sank. And so did my heart…This is absolutely not what you do to new teachers.


Here is a bit of the response that I posted to this young teacher who asked for “positive and encouraging words”:
When I read your words, “I believe I was under the illusion that I had support and help from all angles, when in reality, I hadn’t felt more alone and lost.” My heart went out to you. I was an elementary school principal for 14 years. During those years, I consistently spent time mentoring, supporting, guiding my teachers. If you read the research on why young people like yourself leave the teaching profession, it turns out that it is exactly for those reasons you describe. A school should work to foster a culture where its teachers collaborate and learn from one another. This is at the heart of how educators grow as professionals. However, some of my administrative colleagues still struggle with this piece. We need to do so much better.


I entered the teaching profession at 24 as a Kindergarten teacher. I was fortunate to have come from a long line of educators. However, even with this “DNA” I still encountered a great deal of frustration and anxiety in my first year. I too am a VERY creative person, and I had many ideas about how I wanted to teach my class. I quickly learned, by observing the culture of my school, and having to share a classroom, that I had to harness that creativity into focused, structured, well designed lesson plans. I did so by incorporating those creative ideas in such a way that measurable outcomes were clear and evident. This meant including, sadly, assessments of my Kinders, even “back in the day.” I used a few highly recommended teaching tools from my Child Development course work, as well as others that were recommended to me. I also asked to “observe” other teachers at my school to get a feel for, once again, the culture of the school and what was going to be expected of me. I lived and breathed “teaching” those first few years, and spent nights and weekends reading, creating, planning, all things “Kinder.”  The kicker is I too felt very alone, as I did not have a supportive principal, or mentor colleague. My kinder team member was a tenured teacher who believed in “kill and drill” for Kindergarten kids and I was mortified!
The bottom line is that my first few years were rough!

What made me stick it out? I held on to my dream, desire and passion. I held on to the knowledge that I knew the research about what was good for children. I didn’t give up, even when 6 of my 8 K teacher team talked about me behind my back. Did I have a mentor teacher? No. Was it hard? Extremely. But I kept pressing forward because I believed in myself and cared deeply for my students.


We know so much more now about how to retain and support new teachers. The research is very clear and you need a good mentor (or two). You don’t have to stick it out alone, nor should you.
So, in the meantime, I extend a hand to you, as a “creative” tenured educator, if you’d like an on-line mentor. This is my passion. I’m here to offer help and HOPE. Don’t let this one difficult experience defeat you. You are not alone in the “tunnel”. The light is just up ahead. It’s time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the game! I can hear them calling your name!


My Aha moment…my desire to “blog to mentor” and chronicle through photos, interviews and a few short words, what amazing teachers are doing to inspire is still evolving. The heartache this young woman felt, still resonates for me. It continues to motivate me to work to inspire, mentor, equip, teachers to “teach with soul.” I also hold fast to the belief that no educator should have to go through the challenges of the early years of teaching alone…ever. Through my blog and also on Twitter, I hope that I can come alongside and Mentor. The work ahead is challenging…but I’m excited to be on the journey!
When you reflect on your early years of teaching, how did you make it though the tough times? 
So grateful to you, Pernille for inviting me to share, my passion.
building community, collaboration, new teacher, new year

If You Have One Hour with a New Teacher…

Pernille Ripp
We’ve all been there; arms full of papers, books falling out of our bags, and so many questions that we hardly know what to ask – ahh, the plight of being a new teacher.  Or at the very least, a teacher switching schools, or jobs, or grades.  So who do you turn to, where do you find those elusive answers that will make you sleep more easily at night before the big show?  And mostly, which answers do you really need?

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with a great friend from college who just landed her dream job in a 5th grade classroom.  Previously she has taught as an ELL teacher but had the opportunity to switch jobs and switch schools.  Prior to our meeting, I asked my PLN what I should share with her and had some fantastic responses.  So here is what I thought was important.

  1. Sign up for Twitter!  If you need to know why, read this post or read the Innovative Educator’s fantastic blog on how to use Twitter.
  2. Start a classroom blog; Tumblr or Blogspot are just fine – my classroom blog is is well visited by parents and they love how everything is accessible to them.
  3. Start a professional blog for your own reflections, this can even be tied in with your PDP and you will be amazed at the thinking you end up doing.
  4. Meet with teammates, ask questions but don’t forget yourself, after all, you will be teaching your own class and must be able to stand behind what you teach.
  5. Think about a morning and afternoon routine, or coming and going routine if you are non-elementary.  I explain and establish this on the 1st day of school and it sets the tone for the rest of the year’s expectations.
  6. Reflect on your hidden rules of your classroom.  We all have pet peeves, figure your out and then share them with your students!
  7. Come up with community building projects.  Although curriculum will need to get started quickly, make sure you have opportunities where the kids are engaged in something creative to establish trust and excitement in your room.
  8. Send home an introduction letter to students and parents.  Give them insight into you and your classroom.
  9. Don’t waste too much time on your hallway bulletin boards.  Spend the time in your classroom instead, setting it up for great learning and collaboration.  Cybraryman has a wonderful webpage with great resources for how to set up your room to boost learning. 
  10. Laugh, joke, smile, and most importantly be yourself!  You were hired because you were a great candidate, so go in there and show it.  Curriculum will be taken care of but those first few days set the tone for the year so have fun with it!
I know there are many more important ideas to add, so what would you tell a new teacher they should focus on?  What did I miss?
Be the change, new teacher, new year, reflecting

Go in There and Earn an Oscar – 10 Myths for New Teachers

Pernille Ripp
Image from here 

As a new crop of teachers are slowly being introduced via email by my principal, I thought about what I was told in college about what to do as a new teacher.  And then I thought about how horrible some of that advice was.  So here is my top ten of new teacher myths – feel free to add more, I know they are out there!

Myth 1:  Children are only learning when they are quiet and focused on the teacher.
Reality:  So we all know this one isn’t true, right?  Well, maybe not at first.  I thought if students were too noisy they couldn’t hear the most important person; me.  Come to find out that often it is through these “disruptive” student conversations that deeper learning takes place.  So of course you must talk, but be brief and get to the point; simply put,  get out of the way of the learning.

Myth 2:  As a new teacher, you should never send a student to the principal’s office. because it shows weakness.
Reality:   Your principal is your liaison so use them if needed, trust me, they do not keep a tally of which teacher sends more students to their office (I hope).  Realize though, that when you do send a student to the office, the outcome of the situation is no longer your choice, so if you want to have a hand in  it, then engage the principal in a conversation with the student, rather than just a referral to the office.  My first year I had a very temperamental student that scared the other children, when things got heated both of us needed a moment to breathe and gather our emotions; the principal helped us with that.

Myth 3:  Never ask for help but if you must, do so in private.
Reality:  Always ask for help, big or small!  My first year, I was so petrified that people would think my hiring was a mistake because I did not have all the answers.  Well, guess what?  No one has all the answers and hopefully they never will.   When you approach someone and ask for help you are showing trust and through trust you build community.  And that sense of community can carry you through many years of teaching.

Myth 4:  Listen, but do not talk, during staff meetings.
Reality:  I am a perpetually hand raiser, there, I admit it.  And I am also one of those people that always has an opinion.  While I don’t recommend turning staff meetings into your one-person show, if you have a question or god forbid, an opinion, then share it.  You might be surprised the discussion that ensues because of something you said.  Successful staff meetings rely on discussion so become a partner in that, not just a fly on the wall.  


Myth 5:  Take a break from school/professional development your first year since you will be so busy.
Reality:  I know college is hard, I worked all the way through while going to school full-time, it was tough!  And the first year of teaching is even tougher but that does not mean you should stop learning.  Check out what professional development your district offers or better yet create a PLN so that whenever you have time you can be engaged in conversation with educators from all over the world.  Model for your students what a true lifelong learner looks like by becoming one yourself.  


Myth 6:  Show up at all extracurriculur activities your students participate in.
Reality:  I know students love to see us outside of school and I love to see my students as well but it is okay to say no once in a while.  Between piano recitals, dance performances, football games and basketball events, my first year I hardly ever saw my husband, my family, or my friends.  I was so busy seeing everybody else, even though I already saw the kids in school all day.  So pick a couple of events; I always go to whatever my school puts on and see almost all of my kids in one swoop.  Besides, if you pick one student’s event then you have to go to as many as possible and that can be exhausting if you have 27 students.   So yes, they love to see you out in the real world but don’t forget to keep your own life, after all, that’s what makes you interesting!


Myth 7:  Work through your breaks to show you are serious.
Reality:  There is nothing more serious than a first year teacher, always rushing about, eating lunch in the hallway while helping their students with that extra bit of work.  I did it, and I still do it, but give up your breaks in moderation.  Going to the teacher’s lounge may seem like a silly event but it is where I have had some of my most meaningful conversations and also developed actual friendships with other teachers.  I always have frequent flyers, kids that do not turn in their homework so they want to stay in and do it during recess with you.  Imagine the shock on their face if you tell them, “No, today that is not an option.”  It might even help them realize that homework is work we do at home.   And who says teachers don’t also need a break once in a while?


Myth 8:  Don’t try too many new things.
Reality:  I am an idea person.  I see inspiration in random places and get so excited to do/share/tell them that I am about to burst.  Yet I was told repeatedly to not put too much on my plate, after all this was my first year of teaching.  So I was bored and uninspiring.  Busy, well sure, we all are but it wasn’t necessarily with stuff I wanted to be involved in.  If you have dreams or crazy ideas, do it, get involved with the school and get others involved too.    


Myth 9:  Model/scaffold/show everything you will expect students to do. 
Reality:   I am not against modeling, scaffolding or showing, but have found that often students like a challenge.  So instead of showing them the whole process, tell them the goal, give them a beginning and let them discover.  Learning is after all a long journey into discovery.

Myth 10:  You must be/act happy at all times or go in there an earn an Oscar.  
Reality:    Students respond to human beings, and in particular genuine human beings.  While I do not recommend teaching in a foul mood it is okay to be mellow, as long as you explain why this is.  The explanation, of course, depends on the grade level you teach.  So if you are having a sad day or you are really excited about something – share it!  This is how meaningful connections are made because you show them that you care enough to trust them with your real life.  Maybe they will trust you then too.

Related articles