reflection – Page 23 – Pernille Ripp

You Get What You Are

June 16, 2013 Pernille Ripp

We all know the old adage that you get what you give but lately I have been realizing that it is deeper than that. Not only do we get what we give, but we also get what we are. Sort of like we cannot just talk the talk, but we also have to walk the walk but that walk has to be a confident pace and not just a hesitant shuffle.

Take a teacher who fears math, although they may not show it, some of that fear will almost certainly shine through in their instruction and affect their students. How about a teacher who does not read outside of the classroom? They may not discuss their lack of reading but students will still know and so see what the true importance of reading is to to that person; little to none. Or how about the teacher that asks for respects but doesn’t give it in the heat of the moment, yup, students will see through that as well and mold their behaviors accordingly.

The thing is, we cannot fake what we are. So before we get into our classrooms at the beginning of our career, at the beginning of our year, at the beginning of the day, or at the beginning of our lesson, we need to make sure we are ready to give the right things. We need to take stock of what we give to our students based on what we are. We need to know ourselves so that we can fully understand how we teach and what we need to work on ourselves. It is only fair to our students that we lead by example, even if that means facing some of our own shortcomings.

Teaching is not just about being good at it, it is about being a teacher with everything you do: personality, actions, and yes, even how you live your life. If you want passion, then be passionate. If you want respect, then respect others. If you want curiosity then be curious yourself. We cannot just say students should be these things, we should be them ourselves.

education reform, reflection

We Will Never Be Truly Standardized and Thank God for That

June 12, 2013 Pernille Ripp

The Common Core is meant to save us all from poor teaching or so it seems if you read many political opinions. Publishers too have been eager to grasp the Common Core and quickly label all of their curriculum with the sure to sell “Common Core Aligned sticker. I get inundated with emails offering me new lessons that fit the Common Core, new ideas that will make me ready for the Common Core. Everywhere I look it seems to be hailed as the savior of American public education. And yet I have to laugh a little and perhaps even roll my eyes at all of the promises and ideas of standardization of our educational system. Has anyone ever truly thought to think about what true standardization would look like?

You would enter into any classroom in America and teachers would preferably be teaching from the same scripted material in the same classroom set up with the same type of children. All teachers should address concerns the same way. All teachers should address children the same way. We should all carve out the same lesson plans, preferably guided by our aligned materials. We should all make sure our students walk away with the same specific knowledge and skill set. Then we would have true standardization of the American public school system.

In reality though, you will walk into one school and see many different ways of teaching the same scripted material. You will see teachers address children differently, you will see them approach lessons in different ways. No classroom will look the same. No lesson will sound the same, sure core ideas may be present, but the way they are taught will be different. And thank god for that. We have to teach specifically to our students. We cannot plow our way through scripted curriculum and not stop when a child doesn’t understand or we see an opportunity for further investigation. If we do, then we are not doing our job as teachers. The very nature of what we do and who we do it with prevents true standardization even if politicians think they can test us into submission and sameness.

So I have decided to not get too hung up on the Common Core, sure the idea is quaint, let’s all get on the same page and be rigorous together. Yet the way it has been processed by curriculum providers and districts clamoring to be aligned is nonsense. The states racing to the top without really knowing what that means hasn’t helped much either. If the Common Core is truly meant to push deeper learning opportunities then why would I ever want a scripted curriculum? Why would I want to pretend that my students learn the same way as an inner city school in Chicago or a small school in rural America? Why would I want to pretend that I even teach the same every year? If it is meant to standardize then they will have to standardize the very act of teaching and the very act of learning, which is an impossible thing to do. And for that I am thankful.

reflection

What Does It Mean to Be a Great Teacher?

June 12, 2013 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

Talk of being a great teacher surrounds us; in the news, in the corridors, in our own minds. We all dream of being great and when we get our own classroom we strive for greatness. Yet, being great can mean so many things today.

Does great mean high test scores?

Does great mean major student growth on their assessments?

Does great mean smiling students or many laughs?

Does it mean students who feel safe in your classroom?

Does great mean in-depth discussions, perfect spelling, or A+?

Does it mean you give as much of yourself as you expect the kids to give of them?

Does great mean that you cannot stop thinking about the kids you just said goodbye to even though they are legally not your to worry about anymore?

Or does great simply mean that you go in there and try your hardest every day, every minute? That you pour your heart into it and give them all of you?

I know what it means to outsiders, but what does being a great teacher mean to you?

end of year, reflection, students

And So It Was Goodbye

June 9, 2013July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Friday marked the end of an incredible year with my 5th graders. They were ready to go on to summer, they were ready to go to middle school. So we had a small and perfect graduation and these were my parting words to them…

Dear 5th graders,

I walked into your classroom on November 5th hoping that you would like me. Hoping that we could build a community, hoping that you would be up for some of my craziness. I had heard that you were an incredible class, I had heard that you were as sweet as can be, perhaps a little rambunctious, but definitely with your heart in the right place. Little did I know just how quickly you would become my kids, part of my family, and how quickly the end of the year would come.

We have read many incredible books this year, we have laughed about them, cried about them (well I have any way), and definitely rushed to each other and said “You have to read this book!” And think of everything we have learned…

Ivan taught us that words are to be treasured and used to make a difference in the world.

Harry taught us that friendships can make the difference between life and death.

Auggie taught us “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.“

Chu taught us that even the smallest gestures can have the biggest outcomes

Coraline taught us that even though we may think our parents are the most boring parents in the world, they are still the best parents for us.

Carly Rae Jepsen taught us that it’s always a good time.

But it was Jack’s words in Miss Stretchberry’s room 105 that left us with the biggest lesson of the year

Jack writes;

September 13th

I don’t want to

because boys

don’t write poetry

Girls do.

September 21

I tried.

Can’t do it.

Brain’s empty.

September 27th

I don’t understand

the poem about

the red wheelbarrow

and the white chickens

and why so much

depends upon them.

If that is a poem

about the red wheelbarrow

and the white chickens

then any words

can be a poem.

You’ve just got to

make

short

lines.

Jack was right – any words can be poetry. So I hope you leave 5th grade painting with your words, not shying away from stating your opinion, and above all choosing kind.

You have made me so proud, thank you for letting me be a part of your life, and remember; represent.

reflection, students

We Plant the Seeds

June 8, 2013 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

…Remember how you told me you were an angry child?

Yeah…

Well, you’re not anymore, are you?

I guess not, Mrs. Ripp…. and he smiles

The power of the words we say to our students never ceasse to astound me. We can plant seeds in our students with our words, we can build them up, make them believe that they are something bigger, better, brighter, or we can tear them down.

We can make a child believe that they can read any book some day.

We can make them believe that math comes natural to them and that they just need a little more practice.

We can make them believe that they have worth, that their words carry weight.

We can make them believe that they are smart, intuitive, and a natural leader.

We can make them believe that they have a talent, that they are good enough, that they have incredible things to offer to the world.

We can make them believe that they are worthy of many friendships, that others will like them, and that the world is just waiting for them to burst into it.

We can tear away old labels and replace them with new ones. Labels that build up instead of tear down.

Our words, even our every day ones, carry so much weight, do we even realize it?

reflection, students

A Child Tells Me How He Really Feels

June 4, 2013 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

There are those kids that don’t sneak into our hearts but instead kick the door down, scream for a while, and then try to leave again. Those kids that make the most noise, that fight us the most, that make sure that we stay on our toes every single moment they are in our presence. Those kids that you will miss the most even if they were the ones that kept you up the latest every night as you wondered how you would reach them, connect with them, support them as learners.

I have had many of these kids and this year is no different. Tom (name changed of course) came into my life with the loudest of voices and the most hatred toward writing I have ever met in a child. It wasn’t just that he didn’t know what to write, he simply didn’t want to write. Ever. Not even his name. Or the date. Or what his favorite thing was. Tom hated writing and told me this repeatedly. He would rather get kicked to the office, he would rather be yelled at by the principal, he would rather yell at me than write. And yet, I kept at it, helping him, supporting him, pushing him each and every day, refusing to give give in, refusing to take the bait and yell. But more importantly than me, he started believing in himself. He started to write just a little, even if it was through lots of complaints. He picked up his pencil and wrote just enough so that i would leave him alone, enough so he could show he got it. So today he handed me this memoir to finish the year…

My worst day ever was when I met Mrs.Ripp it was so boring all we did was just talk about something I forgot. she was so bogus for noting. I didn’t even do anything she was just being mean I would hate to be Mrs.Ripps class next year I’m telling you the truth Mrs.Ripp. You were as mean as a pitbull.You can be so bogus sometimes and the worst teacher but sometimes she can be nice other times she mean in the morning she’s nice but in the afternoon she’s mean but I think she will be nice to her other students.She nice to be on the first day but the second day she was super mean and I was just minding my business doing me.I hope she nice to her other class.she even taking minutes off of the field trip and thats not fair that was bogus I got 10 minutes because I didn’t do my thing but dang just mean.

Some teacher may get upset. Some teachers may think it is rude. But I am not that teacher. I love this writing. I love his honesty, his use of periods, and the fact that he used a simile. I love that he had me read it aloud to the class and that he smiled when he handed it in. Look at how much he wrote! Look at what he did. He wrote and that to me is the biggest victory ever.

I will miss him a lot, every noise, every fight, every refusal or complaint. My classroom will feel too quiet after he moves on. And I think he might miss me a little too, even if I am the meanest teacher ever.