reflection – Page 28 – Pernille Ripp

They Send Me the Angry Ones

February 1, 2013 Pernille Ripp

I tend to get the angry ones. You know the ones; they shout, kick, fume and hold their jaw just so, hoping you will push them over that cliff. They show up in my room all smiles and ready to go but within a day or two, I see something else, that torrent of emotion, that distrust that has consumed their whole school experience, just waiting to unleash on me. So I smile, and I trust, and I go home and think about what I will do with this angry child who needs me more than others.

I didn’t know I would be ok with the angry ones at first, but I am. In fact, my first year of teaching I got one of the angriest ones I have ever met and I loved that child like he was my own. Now I don’t worry when I see the file, the reports, the suspensions and recommendations, because I know what has happened in the past will stay there and together we will carve a new path. And I smile laugh rather than yell even when my very last button has been pushed and pushed and pushed because in the end that is all there is to do. That child already has enough anger for the both of us.

So the angry ones keep on coming and they bring new stories of broken relationships and reasons why school just isn’t for them. And we listen, and we nod, and we take note and look for that kid that is still in there somewhere. And we hope that they leave us a little less angry, a little more trusting, a little more ready for the next step in life. In the end, that is all we can do; hope and believe. Hope we must because the angry ones needs us as well and believe we have to because someone has to believe that there is still a chance. Even for the angry ones.

Be the change, Reading, reflection

Must We Be Passionate Readers to Teach Reading?

January 28, 2013 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

I am standing in the book store staring at all of the books I want to read and bring into my classroom when a boy’s voice cuts through my thoughts, “Dad, can I get this book? Mr. Wischer says it is one of his favorites…” I immediately begin to smile as I poke my head over the shelf, you see, Mr. Wichser happens to be my 5th grade colleague, a brand new teacher, and obviously an influencer of book choices. The dad agrees and the student happily leaves the kid section, excited to read his new book.

I share the story with Brandon and once again look at my own pile of books eager to get home and get them read so that I can place them into the hands of my students. What I read matters, I know this because my students have told me so when they ask me for another book recommendation. At the moment they rely more on me than each other and this year I am finally up for that challenge as I consume more books than I ever have.

And yet, I don’t see many teachers discuss the books they are reading at the moment. I know we are so busy as teachers, I know we all have so much to implement and do, I know we have lives of our own. But where is the shared passion for reading? Where are the book recommendations for our classrooms? Are we too busy to read or are we too busy to recommend?

It leads to my final thoughts which I have no answer for; should we mandate that teachers of reading be passionate readers? Or at the very least stay on top of the current books appropriate and engaging for our grade level? Can we go so far as to demand teachers who teach reading to actually read?

It seems that if you are a middle school teacher in a certain topic you are passionate about that topic. After all, why would you ever sign up to teach math if you hated it? But at the elementary level we don’t have to be passionate about it all or so it seems. We can pick and choose about what we would love to teach and then hope we mask it well enough so that students don’t pick up on our own disdain. We don’t have to like math or science and we don’t have to have read the books that line our classroom walls. But it that ok? Can we truly teach a passion for reading if we do not have it ourselves?

Be the change, reflection, students

In Which I Stop A Child From Writing

January 16, 2013 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

He sits and stares into space, pencil in hand. I can see a few words on the paper but not the story he excitedly told me he would write; the scenes he had envisioned while he was sick. Just a few words.

I rack my brain; what happened from our writing conference to now? He couldn’t wait to leave me to write? What roadblock did he face? I finally get it, that roadblock, the reason his pencil is hovering in mid air tentatively waiting? Me. Me and my great advice. Me and my how to’s, should have’s, and don’t forget about this.

So I shout to him; “Hey, did I get you stuck?” He sheepishly grins, “Uhum.” “Oh man, I am sorry…” I answer. (No really, for some reason I have the vocabulary of a 5th grader today). I think for a second and then I say, “Well, don’t listen to me. Go back to what you were doing and write your story. Not mine.” His gets that smile back, turns his back and finally starts to write.

Sometimes even our best intentions, our well thought out writing conferencing are unnecessary at best and downright creativity killing at worst. I am glad I learned that today.

Reading, reflection

How To Start a Reading Revolution, Perhaps

January 16, 2013 Pernille Ripp

My students have always been readers, not all the kind that steal any time they can to bury their nose in a book, not all the kind that begged for more reading time, but still, they have almost always been readers. Of course, I have my old reading log partly to blame for that, the constant counting of pages and minutes, and the very structured and meticulous note-taking I did whenever I checked in with a child. Reading was not always born out of love in my room but more out of necessity and have to.

Not this year. I grew out of reading logs several years ago and have never looked back, but the love of reading did not abound in my room by any means. Sure, there were those few kids that just had to tell you about their latest book, but they were by no means the majority. And yet I had no intention of changing the reading attitude in my room, after all, I am no miracle worker and why fix it if it isn’t broken? But something changed this year, I am not sure what, but reading has become our passion.

Our room of students no longer groan when it is time to find their books and their spot, instead they groan when I ask them to come to a good stopping place. Must do not thumb reluctantly through my many strange books or constantly reread the same book over and over, hoping I wont notice. Many old reading habits have died and been replaced by a new one; a love and passion to spend our time reading fantastical books.

This transformation started with an evaluation of my classroom library and realizing that I had quantity, sure, but no quality. I had ordered whatever looked enticing but never taken the time to read much of it. I had faith that students would just discover great books on their own and share them with friends, not knowing what my own reading responsibility was.

This year, I read as much as I can, trying to turn off my computer every night by 8 PM and getting an hour of reading in before I fall asleep. My home library has spilled into my classroom and I thrust new books into the hands of students knowing that they will probably like it. I constantly know what my students are reading because we are constantly discussing it. I am encouraging students to give up books that they are trudging through; reminding them that it is ok to not finish every book. I am showing book trailers and getting honest feedback. We are readers and not just at reading time but at any time throughout the day. Books are the most important things to us and those kids that I used to interrupt at all times so I could teach them one more strategy those kids whose reading time was diminished so we could intervene, scaffold and model, those kids who didn’t get to pick a book because we knew better; those kids are reading. And they are reading silently, not because I wander the room with my eagle eye, but because their book is that good.

Today, was one of those days where I couldn’t quite believe how far we have come in two months. One student asked me what to read next since he had just finished “Liar & Spy,” I was astounded since I had given him that book yesterday. Another student did his first book talk and didn’t hate it, this is the kid that promised me he had nothing to talk about. Another kid, who said his goal was 1 book for the whole month of January has read 3 and is excitedly reading “Origami Yoda” at the moment, not even realizing that it is a book meant for kids at a higher level than he is. Or the girl who is counting down the days until the sequel to “The False Prince” comes out, well, actually there is 4 of us counting down. We are readers. Not because Mrs. Ripp threatens us. Not because a reading log tells us so. Not because there is a reward at the end of it all. We are readers because we love books and we cannot wait to share them.

image from icanread

curriculum, reflection

Sshh, Students Reading and a Teacher Too

January 10, 2013 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

I have always been a reader. Some of my earliest memories revolve around books and when that book stumbles back into my life the memories flood back. Sleeping Beauty was my first book that I read in English, not bad for a Danish 6 year old girl. I just offered that same copy to Thea as she turned 4 and she gleefully accepted, well-knowing that it had something to do with a princess. I always have a book going, sometimes more than one but I try to remain faithful. I read whenever I can and have even been known to sneak books to school for my recess and lunch time. Our home has many books and spend way too much money at bookstores and too much time at libraries.

So why is it, that I have always hated teaching reading? At least, until today.

Teaching reading is a different beast. After all, how do you teach that a book can feel like home? That a book can make you less lonely when you once again move to a new place. That a book will bring people back from the dead, if even for a short time. That it will transport and transform an otherwise humdrum train ride, afternoon, or even class if snuck into a desk properly. How do you teach that? Sure, you can talk about it but books have to seep into the lives of children for them to full understand.

I can teach reading, sure; how to read the words, how to sound them out, figure out their meaning, but I cannot seem to teach the falling in love. And yet, something has changed in my room this year; I have finally brought myself into the room as a reader.

I had never shared much of my reading life, sure I would tell the kids how much I read, but I didn’t share the stacks of books next to my bed, or the excitement over discovering a new book. I never rushed into school just to grab a book I forgot or excitedly handed a book to a kid, knowing that they would love it as much as I did, telling them to hurry up and read it so we could talk about it. I loved to read but my kids didin’t really know it.

This year our books take front and center. We read and we read a lot. We now share our books through Biblionasium and through conversation. We swap books, borrow books, and abandon books when needed. We keep our reading time sacred; not the first thing to be sacrificed in an otherwise hectic school day, but the last. We talk about us as readers and just how excited we are. I have finally brought myself into the room in all my glorious book nerddom and the students have embraced and cherished me as one of theirs; a fellow reader who happens to have a lot of books to share and sometimes have to share some lessons.

Sure, there are days where kids drag their feet. Sure, there are days where my lessons fall apart and the kids talk too much and we don’t get to what we need, but then we read. And when we read everything else seems to go back to being ok.

Today I watched in awe as 20 5th graders sat silently, not through threats, but through the power of books. They groaned when I told them it was time to pack up. They asked if they could read just one more minute and dragged their feet when the end was inevitable. They are readers. And I am a reading teacher.

reflection, students

My Epic Reading Challenge Met With Silence

January 5, 2013 Pernille Ripp

I thought I had them hooked. I thought they would be over the moon, buzzing with excitement, having one of those moments that we so often dream about in teaching. Those moments that will forever remind a student why 5th grade was their absolute favorite year in school, ever. It wasn’t bad, don’t get me wrong, but maybe not so much as a buzz, rather than a quiet murmur. A couple of kids smiling, a couple of kids, nodding, not bad, but definitely not as epic as I had envisioned it.

I had just revealed our January book challenge.

A simple premise really; the class would set a goal of how many books we will read in January thus creating a sense of urgency and excitement. We will have until January 31st to reach it and if we do there would be a huge read-in celebration to toast our achievements with surprise treats and games. I thought is was a no-lose proposal. And like I said, they didn’t hate it, but the cheers of excitement I thought would be reverberating through my room with perhaps the addition of a chant of “Reading, reading, reading…” just didn’t happen.

Instead some kids wrote a normal goal; 4 books. Others stretched themselves with adding picture books; 10 books, while some did not hide their distate for reading; 1 book and even that would probably be a graphic novel. “You mean you want us to read more Mrs. Ripp?” I sighed and thought about what to say next.

“It is not just that. I don’t just want you to read more, I want you to be excited, to share your books and to grab them from each other. I want you to want to come to school to tell me what you have been reading, tell me what to read next, and to see our goal grow.” “Oh…”

They get it. They want to please me. And some of them are a little bit excited. Most though, they are still learning the magic of a book and a story that swallows you up. Some still struggle with what to read next. Some still struggle with focusing in on a book. But a couple of them get it, a couple of them ask me what to read next. A couple of them told me how they had read during snack time, turned off their computer, read to their little brother. Those kids are with me; the rest? I am still working on those and that’s ok, I am up for the challenge.