reflection – Page 6 – Pernille Ripp

Be the change, being a teacher, being me, motivation, reflection, Student-centered, students

Some Thoughts on Motivation

July 13, 2014 Pernille Ripp

When I moved this blog to WordPress some posts did not survive, so in an effort to move some of my favorite posts with me, I will be republishing them here. This post first appeared in May, 2011.

“Mrs. Ripp, this is so boring.” That sentiment greets me on semi-regular basis from one child. Most days he is passionate, funny, and involved, that is, if he likes what we happen to be during. Today is no different, he has been involved, engaged, and eager most of the day but now the fatigue has set in and the writing prompt just does not want to get done. This is a regular occurrence throughout America, passionate students that are mostly motivated at all times but sometimes hit slumps. This post is not about them.

Instead, this post is about those kids that put their head on their desks, that groan when we give directions, that could not care less about threats, rewards, punishment or motivating pep talks. Those are the kids we all meet; the truly unmotivated. Those students that do not see the relevance, the importance, or even the wisdom behind school. Those students that feel that this is just a temporary illness, something to be waited out for real life to begin. And yes, we have them even at the elementary level.

The other night, I shared on Twitter, “I always wonder if having unmotivated students just mean that what I am teaching is unmotivating, I think it does.” Lo and behold a man I admire greatly, Tom Whitby, was kind enough to engage me in my train of thoughts. As we discussed, my own thoughts became much clearer:

Motivation is linked to the teacher whether we we believe it should be or not.

If a student fails, the teacher is most often the first to be blamed before any outside factions are investigated. (Whether this is appropraite or not).

We have the most control over what happens within our classroom.

As part of this discussion, Tom Perran offered up this article discussing how teachers only have control over 10 of 16 motivating factors. And yet as teachers we do have to own up to our part in motivation. Last year, when I sat through another round of book report presentations I yawned often, stretched to stay awake, got droopy eyelids, and yet admonished the students for getting restless and unfocused Hmm, that doesn’t seem right.

As teachers, part of our job is to provide engaging lessons, but it is this definition of engaging that seems to mess us up. I used to think that by engagement it meant me lecturing for a while and then giving the students work time, as long as I kept the questions coming, the students were engaged, right? For some reason most of the time my results were less than stellar. I also used to think that as long as I provided some sort of choice then the students would find their motivation. And while our more self-reliant students did because they already have a sense of duty instilled by the teacher, some students didn’t. Enter in punishment and rewards. If a student didn’t turn in their work then recess was taken away, and if that didn’t work then a 0 was given. Ooh a failing grade. They even got their name on the board and were not offered a chance to enter the weekly drawing for the monthly pizza party, confused? So was I.

The problem with punishment and reward though is that it often only motivates in the short term. A student knows that as long as they hand something in, even if it is awful, then that counts as a finished product. As a teacher, I often lost sleep over what to do with these students. they seemed already by 4th grade to hate school, finding it a punishment for childhood, and worst of all, they knew how to work the system. So what to do? Again, I realized that the problem wasn’t the students, it was the curriculum and how I taught it, so really it was me. See, I am the biggest in school motivator there is. While I may not be the one that decides what to teach, I most certainly am the one that decided HOW to teach it. And if I thought that lecturing (which even put me to sleep in college) was going to capture the imaginations of 9 year olds’ then I was an idiot.

So after almost a year of changing things up, this is what I have realized as far as motivation:

Choice matters. When students choose not just what they will do for a project but also what they would like to learn about within a perimeter, you get buy-in. This continues to be one of the most exciting simple realizations I have come across.
Motivation is contagious. When one student gets excited and has an opportunity to share that enthusiasm, it catches. My students get to blog about projects, we have huddles where we share and we are a bit louder than we used to be. But guess what? Those loud noises are usually students super excited about something.
Eliminate punishment and rewards. This short-term motivator seemed more harmful than helpful to me. This year we have class parties when we feel we want one, I have lunch with all my students several times a month because they ask me to, and no one is excluded from anything. When homework doesn’t get done, I ask them how they plan to fix it, most students choose to do it at recess. Fine by me, they are free to go if they choose.
Be excited yourself. The fastest way for kids to lose interest is if you are bored. I realized that I hated some of the things and taught and how I taught them (goodbye grammar packets), so something had to change. Now my students joke about how I almost always introduce something new with “I am so excited to do this…”
Look at outside factors. Some students have a lot more on their plate than we could ever realize. Ask questions, get to know your students, and be a listening ear. When my husband lost his job, it was hard for me to be excited about things as well because I was too busy worrying.
Control what you can. We will never be able to control what our students go home to but we sure can control what happens in the room. All the teachers I know choose to create a caring environment where all students feel safe. This alone means students let their guards down and feel it is okay to work hard and have fun.

Loss of motivation doesn’t just happen overnight, I believe all students start out motivated and then life gets in the way. At some point during their school years they start to hate school feeling it is stagnant and irrelevant. I therefore do everything in my power to ensure that students leave my classroom still liking school, perhaps a small goal, but an incredible important one. If they like to be in your room, then it is up to you to figure out how to keep them engaged.

I am a passionate teacher in Wisconsin, USA, who has taught 4, 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” can be pre-ordered from Corwin Press now. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, classroom management, punishment, reflection, Student-centered, students

Do We Really Need the Public Call Out?

July 13, 2014 Pernille Ripp

When I moved this blog to WordPress some posts did not survive, so in an effort to move some of my favorite posts with me, I will be republishing them here. This one was first written in April, 2011.

“Joe, you need to pay attention!”

“Sit up, Peter!”

“Lisa, what happened there?”

All day and every day, we use our students names when they are off task, when they are fiddling, sleeping, or simply not performing to the high standard we have set for them. We see something out of sorts, judge their action, find them guilty, and deliver the verdict all within a few seconds. As our lesson continues, we don’t always have the time to dig deep so we assume instead that we know why they are fiddling, why they are not paying attention, and so we correct, coerce, call out their names until they are with us again.

Their names. Something that is so intricately linked with who they are as a budding person. Their names so linked with their identities. And yet we use them to our advantage, without a second thought as a way to maintain control, as a way to punish.

This week I asked my students to finish the sentence: “Being a good teacher means…” and what Nathan wrote really made me think: “Don’t yell out the kids name that does something wrong.” At first, I scoffed at this notion, after all, what else are we supposed to do as teachers when our students are off task? Calling out their names is one of the most efficient ways to re-direct them quickly. And yet, as I thought about it more, I understood his thoughts. Calling out a student’s name in front of the whole class means that the whole class knows that the student is not doing what they ought to. Some teachers use it specifically for that purpose; the public enforcement of expectations. And yet, calling out a name means that what one student is doing (or not doing) becomes the focus of the entire class. Yes, you achieve your goal of attention redirection, but you are directing everyone elses’ attention to that child without fully knowing what is going on. So I make it my mission to reduce the public negative call out.

So what can I do instead, because we all know, there are times when even the most attentive student gets off-track and I would otherwise use their name to re-direct right away,

I could take a breath, hesitate, and see if another strategy can grant the same outcome. Can I redirect them silently? Can I signal them? Can I tap them on their shoulder, or pass by their work area? Do I need to shout out their name?

I could also re-evaluate, do a quick scan of the room, is this the only child off-task? Is the whole class really not interested anymore? Did I speak too long, do we need a break or to do something student-directed or hands-on?

Yet, sometimes, it is not me or the students that are the problem. I am reminded that my students live full lives that sometimes interfere with our school day. This is when I take the time to stop and talk and ask if everything is alright, is there anything I need to know? Sometimes they are just so excited about something happening that they cannot focus, other times it is lack of sleep, of food, or they are distracted by life situations. Sometimes, they will just tell you they are having an off day. That is alright too, after all, we all have off days.

This isn’t a perfect system, nor is it intended to be. It is rather one more step in learning how to be a better teacher, one that doesn’t cause embarrassment for the students because I don’t need to embarrass them into behaving. One that takes the time to figure out the real reason behind distractions and then works with the student rather than just dolling out punishment.

So once again, my students teach me how to be a better teacher. I should be using their names wisely, reserving the public call out for when it is truly necessary. Nathan taught me that and for that I am thankful. He had enough courage to tell his teacher the wrong of her ways, and lead me to deeper reflection. When we ask our students questions, we may not like the answer, but there is always a great reason for that answer. A reason that should not be taken lightly, but rather explored, reflected upon and then acted upon.

Be the change, being me, classroom management, reflection

I Do Not Manage

July 13, 2014 Pernille Ripp

When I moved this blog to WordPress some posts did not survive, so in an effort to move some of my favorite posts with me, I will be republishing them here. This one first appeared in March, 2011.

I am sick of the word “manage” as in “classroom management” or even better how do you “manage” your students?

Well, I don’t manage them. I teach them, guide them, and learn along with them. I do not come to school intent on herding cattle but rather helping young minds develop their knowledge, as well as their desires to become more knowledgeable. I do not manage my classroom, but instead I collaborate with students to set up perimeters for us to function at our best, be our best, and want to stay that way. I do not manage their desires to learn or become better citizens; I nourish it, sometimes light it, but always, always maintain it.

I do not manage to get through my day, I flourish through it, loving the trials, the ups and downs, the wondrous moments that come with teaching. I do not manage my life or my curriculum, I live it, love it, and will continue to push myself as a teacher, a human being.

I am not a manager, I am a teacher, and I would like to stay that way.

being a teacher, being me, new year, reflection

I Am Afraid

July 11, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I have been to my new classroom twice this summer. Twice. This coming from the queen of being in the classroom over the summer. So while I could chalk up my lack of visits up to the fact that I have been super sick for the past 8 days, or that I have moved to a new house, that I am further away, or that I having too much fun with my kids (which I kind of am), none of those reasons would be true. The real reason is that I don’t know what to do there. I am not sure where to start. I can’t get the vibe of my room and I don’t know where to start.

So imagine how my incoming 7th grade students will feel?

Yet, the fact that I am recognizing this leaves me hope. That means that those unfamiliar cabinets, filled with books I am not sure what to do with, has my attention. That the desks (urgh desks) will need to be rearranged somehow. That my own 3 teacher desks can be downsized. That I can unpack my 100’s of books onto my new bookshelves. That I can go garage saleing for more shelves because 3 bookshelves will not contain my collection of books.

And yet, that’s not really it either. It is not the things that are stopping me. It is the newness. It is the unknown. It is the feeling of being in over my head not sure where I can rest my feet, and yes, I am afraid. I knew how to do elementary. I knew how to do elementary well. I knew what to do with 9 and 10 year olds. But 12 and 13 year olds? Yup, they terrify me . And even though I am okay with that, there is just so much new that I don’t quite know where to begin. As a 6th year teacher you would think I would remember what it feels like to be a new teacher, apparently I don’t.

So I will allow myself to be terrified a few days more. I will allow my mind to procrastinate planning for a new year a few more days. I will pretend that my heart doesn’t itch to unleash all of my books and dreams onto my new room. I will pretend that my thoughts aren’t starting to think of the new adventures ahead. I will pretend I did not just order new books specifically with our first unit in mind. I will confront my fear and then chip away at it. I will take my own advice and plant a seed of change. I will allow myself baby-steps into the room, into the change, into the new me that doesn’t seem to have an identity anymore. No longer a 5th grade teacher, no longer me. I will continue to be afraid but I will start to reach for hope. I will reach for the new me that really is just me but changed. That really is me but just with a new title.

I will allow myself to be afraid but I will not let it stop me anymore. The clock is ticking, the days are slipping, and my new students are waiting.

I am a passionate teacher in Wisconsin, USA, who has taught 4, 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” can be pre-ordered from Corwin Press now. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, punishment, reflection

When Students Go There

July 10, 2014July 10, 2014 Pernille Ripp

It’s 12:38 AM. I have been up for the past few hours, bouncing between sick children who want to sleep in my arms. Quite a feat when there is 4 of them, all sad, all needing so much from me, especially as I battle the virus myself. I finally look at my little boy and tell him to go night-night. That he has to get some sleep to feel better, that as much as I wish I could sleep in his crib, I just can’t. He’s two, he doesn’t understand and instead cries as loud as his little lungs will let him. I give him one last hug, tuck him into bed and then walk out. I hate this part of being a parent.

I don’t even make it in to bed before he stands at the gate to his room, crying and loud! When this doesn’t work he yells the one thing that he knows will make me come. Not “Mom.” Not “Help.” But “Poopy!” This little word, that we have been working on saying as we potty train tells him he will get a reaction. That I will come, because I always come running when he says it. Sure enough, I go against my instinct and go to him, only to find that there was no real reason for the word. It was just a tool to use to get me to come. And it worked, I came, and our cycle starts over again.

I think of this clever interaction and realize how often this trick is used in our classrooms. Not that children yell that word or wake me in the middle of the night. But they do the one thing that they know will give them our attention. They act out in such a way that we have no way of ignoring it. They go there, to whatever thing is their most extreme way of getting our attention and then they use it. Whether it is screaming at another student, slamming the door, throwing a chair (all has happened within my room) or even screaming threats at us, they are going there, asking for attention, hoping for us to react and notice them. It doesn’t make it right, or even show rational thinking, but in the moment, when they need us the most, they know it will work.

That’s why I don’t punish relentlessly. That is why I focus more energy on building community, establishing trust, and opening up communication before we get to that point. That’s why I try to be there for every kid, no matter how hard they push me away, no matter how many walls they construct to keep me out. That’s why I try to show each child that they matter. That’s why I try to not give up even when I am at my lowest point, with no energy left. That’s why I keep trying day after day, sometimes moment after moment to make a connection. To let that kid in, even if they don’t want me in their life. So they don’t go there. So they don’t get to that point. But even if they do, then we have something to build on and get us out of it again. That’s why every kid that walks into our room has a chance every day to change, to start over, to show their dreams, and not just their anger. That’s why I teach the way I teach.

Be the change, being a teacher, being me, new year, reflection, Uncategorized

Stop Labeling Different – It’s Time to Stop Teacher Bullying

July 4, 2014July 4, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I took a deep breath before I hit “publish” on my post “When Teachers Bully Teachers.” I had decided that it was time to stand publicly behind the story, to claim my words, to face my fears, and yet with my fingers hovering over the button, I couldn’t help but be afraid. Afraid that nasty comments would follow, afraid that people would shun me, afraid that it would start all over again.

Within minutes the comments started coming. At first, I opened each one with trepidation; would this be the comment that told me I was full of it? That I had done it to myself? That surely I deserved the treatment I had gotten? Instead, it was story upon story of teachers sharing their experience, of teachers saying it had happened to them. Then my inbox started filling up with private reach outs, then Facebook. As I closed my computer that morning, I looked at Brandon and said, “There are so many of us and I thought it was just me.”

Teachers bullying teachers is real. Principals bullying teachers is real. Within our communities, where we try to teach children how to act as adults, there are many adults not living the words they teach. Some are doing it on purpose like in my situation, others may not know the damage they are doing. But it needs to end. For me, hitting publish was the first step, but now I see that there is so much more must be done.

If you are being bullied:

Know you are not alone, unfortunately. Look at my post and all of the comments it got. This is important, you are not alone, you are not the worst teacher in the world, you are not a horrible person, you do not deserve this.
Stop labeling yourself. I was so good at coming up with excuses for why this was happening to me that I only made it worse. I kept thinking how I was doing this to myself and it was all my own fault. No one deserves to be treated poorly, not even someone who does things a little bit different or has a strong opinion.
Share your story and speak up. Even if you are not ready to confront your bully, share your story with someone; an administrator, a colleague, the whole world like I did. Reclaim your story to stop the process.
Then stand up for yourself or find a way out. There are two ways to fix the situation because suffering through it is not one. One is to confront your bully and try to put an end to the situation, however, when I tried to do this it didn’t do much. SO then know it is okay to leave, to find another job, a better situation. You are not a coward, nor are your running away. You are saving your soul and that is important.
Make peace with yourself. I still worry about what I did but it is time to let it go. With each moment this summer I am allowing myself to put the past in the past. We have to forgive ourselves and allow ourselves to heal.

To stop bullying at your school:

Be welcoming. So much can be said for reaching out to new staff. A friendly hello and introduction can go a long way, but don’t just do it in the beginning of the year, keep checking in. Keep reaching out and making sure every person in the building feels they have someone to speak to.
Reach out to everyone. Sure, my bullying started my first year, but there are others that have said it started later. So make it your mission to make new connections every year, even with current staff, you never know who might be feeling lonely.
Be a nice person. I know many of us assume we always are, but this is something we should all focus on. Be nice, be kind, be open, be inviting. Don’t put others down just because you disagree with them.
Don’t believe the talk. I know many teachers at my old school were swayed by powerful words about me. Instead, dismiss the talk completely or seek out the person who is being talked about to hear their story. One teacher did that with me and it made a huge difference in how I saw her and our relationship.
Stop labeling different. Too often the people we ostracize are those doing things differently. Don’t be afraid of change, or at the very least, ask questions! If someone has made a change in how they teach there is probably a reason for it, so ask them why, dig around a little bit, be open to new ideas.
Recognize your own behavior. Too often we don’t see what we do as malicious or even bullying, but we need to be honest here. How often have we slandered? How often have we snickered? How often have we excluded? Take stock of yourself and see how you need to change.
Follow your own classroom rules. We had one rule in our room, “Represent.” Whatever your rules are, make sure that you are following them too. If the kids can do it, so can we.

We must say, “No more!” and share our stories. Don’t be afraid like I was, don’t suffer in silence. As a close colleague of mine told me when she read it, “I guess I knew you struggled, but I just never knew how severe it was.” And that was my mistake. I should have gone to administration with the union, or I should have gone higher up. I should have stood up, but in the moment it was too hard, too scary, and so I kept my head down and suffered through it. I will never make that mistake again. Please help me stop the bullying.