Category: reflection

Reading, reflection, Student-centered

How I Know My Students Are Reading at Home

Pernille Ripp
image from etsy

I remember the reading logs well, my brothers hastily whipping them out Sunday night asking my mom to sign off that they had read x number of minutes.  My mother never checked, she did not want to be the reading police, after all, she knew my brothers read.  She didn’t care how many minutes or which book, all that mattered was that at some point their eyes met something to read. A great post by Angela Watson got me thinking, how do I know my students are reading if I don’t check their reading log?  How do I know that at some point their eyes meet a text?  There are many ways actually.

  • I watch their reaction.  Kids who read want independent reading time.  Kids who are in a great part of a book want time to find out what will happen next.  Kids who slowly get their reading bin, who distract others on the way; those are the kids I need to check in with and help.
  • I keep an eye on their book bin.  A whole book shelf in my room is the proof that my students read.  Periodically I go look through their bins, noting which books a kid has and whether those book have changed.  If they haven’t, I check in with that child.
  • We recommend.  Another favorite in our room is the speed book dating.  We quickly rattle off a book we love and why it should be read while the listener has their “I can’t wait to read ” list in their hand.
  • We show off our reading.  I have my reading door outside of the room so that my students always know what I am reading and my students can recommend books on a bulletin board.  Our reading is visible.
  • We discuss.  Reading should not be a solitary endeavor so we make time to discuss our books and why they are the best or the worst book ever.
  • We reflect.  I often ask students to tie in today’s teaching point with whatever they are reading right now.  Whether it is in our thoughtful logs or on a post-it, students take a moment to think and apply and once again lets me see what they are reading.
  • We do monthly reading reflections.  This year I really wanted to have a open dialogue with the students in regard to their reading life and although I do constant one on one or small group instruction, I wanted something more formal that I could file away and look at when needed.  My students know they are not judged on what they write but rather that I use it as a way to start a conversation with them.  I always appreciate their honesty and my actions show that.
  • We have great books.  If you want kids to read, have great books.  I do not know how much money I spend a year on books, I know it is a lot, but every time I am able to booktalk a book and see the reaction in my kids, it is worth it.  Couple that with an incredbile librarian and my students are pretty lucky in the book department.
  • I lose a lot of books.  Because I encourage my students to take our books home to read, I inevitably lose a lot of books.  While it is hard to think of it from a financial standpoint, I also know that hose books are being read by someone.  So yes, it is hard to constantly replace books (and expensive) but it is something that goes along with being a reading classroom.

So yes, while my district mandates a reading log, it is not the treasure trove of information that I need.  What I need is conversation, observation, reflection, and interaction.  So how do I know my students read?  I ask them and listen.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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.   Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being a teacher, end of year, reflection

Do You Ask For Their Opinion?

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

I went 4 years without asking those who matter most what they thought of my teaching.  I went 4 years without asking the tough questions, 4 years without opening up a final line of communication, 4 years afraid of what I might hear.  2 years ago I finally created the end of year parent and student survey, I remember it well.  I made it, took a deep breath, and then hit send.  I didn’t know what I would hear, what parents would tell me, but I knew I needed to ask.  The students were just as hard, the kids we teach are so good at telling us what they think we want to hear.  They are so good at not hurting our feelings, yet to grow as a teacher and person I had to get their honest opinion.  So I started asking them as well.

Now, even though this is my 3rd year asking, I am still afraid.  I work so hard all year trying to make the year the very best year for a child, yet I know I am human.  I know I mess up.  I know that I still have room to grow and things to work on.  And so, I continue to hit publish on my end of year survey.  I continue to send it out to parents and ask them to please help me grow.  I continue to read their answers, take them to heart and learn from them.  Even the tough answers, even the ones where I wish I had known earlier, where I wish I could change the past.  I read those too.  And the students with all of their feelings, their opinions, their advice; I read it, I reflect on it, and in the end I grow.  Even if it hurts, even if it reminds me that I am not perfect.

Do you ask for their opinion at the end of the year?  Do you make sure that those we make the biggest difference to have a way to help you grow?  Don’t be afraid, take the leap, and open up the discussion.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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 Starting Today” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press.   Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, being a teacher, being me, reflection

A Vow to Myself

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

I look in the mirror, studying every flaw so that I can later point them out to my husband.  To make sure he knows that I know that I don’t look like when we first met, 13 years ago.

I see the flab, the stretch, the things that gravity have not been kind to and I squint, and I wish, and I wonder what can be done other than never showing any of these parts to anyone every again.  Because who wants to see this version of Pernille?  Who will ever think that this body is any good?  And then it hits me.  This body bore 4 children, 2 of them at the same time.  These arms that I am wondering whether I should show are the same ones that hold my children, that hug my husband, that allow me to do so many things.  These legs and my giant feet are what takes me through the world, that allow me to run after the kids, to rush to help, to climb the stairs to soothe a child with nightmares.  This face with its wrinkles, eyes that are tired, skin filled with imperfections is what I use to share my love, my laughter, my happiness with anyone who crosses my path.  This body is what allows me to be a mother, a woman, a teacher trying to change the world.

We are our own worst enemies.  We point out every flaw we can find and flaunt it to the world so that everyone will know that we know we are not perfect.  That others will know that we do not think highly of ourselves either, that we know we are nothing special.  We do it in front of our children so that they can learn that as grown ups  we are riddled with flaws that mean we are not as good as we once were.  We tear ourselves down so that others don’t have to.  We tear ourselves down so that we will not threaten others in their hunt for perfection.

We do this as teachers too, we get quiet when someone compliments us, mumble thanks, pass it off as if what we do is just something that happens and not something that we work so hard at.  We don’t point out our own greatness but will gladly share our flaws.  We invite others to criticize yet hardly ever share our strengths, our talents, our moments of glory that keep us coming back.  We reflect on our teaching and only see everything that we failed at, every mistake we made, every thing that we wish we could change, and don’t see all the good that we do every single day.

This is my vow to stop.  This is my vow to allow myself to feel good.  Not just about my body but also about what I do.  I work hard at being a good mom, I work hard at being a good wife, I work hard at being a good person, I work hard at being a good teacher.  I will not wait for others to point out my moments of greatness, I will look for them myself.  I will not stand in front of a mirror and tear myself apart anymore.  The negativity stops with me and it stops today.  Who is with me?

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press.   Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, reflection, Student-centered, students, Uncategorized

How Blogging Has Enhanced My Parent Connection

Pernille Ripp

I didn’t think parents of my students would ever read my blog.  Why would they?  And yet, now that I have been blogging for four years I am often amazed at how often the parents of my students actually read what I write.  Not just on our classroom blog, but also on this blog; my personal one.  While there are many small benefits to this, it has also brought on a sense of responsibility to them.  I blog about my thoughts on their children, it is their children who inspire me, it is their children that urge me to change, reflect, and grow.  That heightened responsibility of how I represent our classroom and myself is only one of the things that has urged me to continue blogging and sharing.  With each of the blogs, there have been many other benefits.

Benefits of a Classroom Blog:

  • Parents know what is going on.  This is huge!  I update regularly with what we are doing, showcasing work through text, photos or video.  it gives parents (and the world) a direct view into our classroom.
  • Parents know where to find information.  Having a child in school can mean a lot of different papers coming home.  Now I post everything on our blog for easy reference (even for myself) so it is easy to find.
  • Parents know what is coming up.  I have a calendar embedded on the side of our blog, this is always updated with deadlines, event information, and if I am out of the room.  All parents need to do is look at our calendar to see what is happening.
  • Parents can easily ask questions.  No longer reliant on a sometimes vague recollection of what actually happened through a tired child, they can see what is happening and then ask about it.  Thea, my 5 year old, sometimes has a hazy memory of what she did at school so I love that I know what is happening in her classroom to help me facilitate a conversation.
  • Parents know us as a community.  Because I get to highlight all of the amazing things we do, parents get a feel for what type of classroom we are.  They don’t have to trust me, they can draw their own conclusion.
  • Parents can comment.  I love when our parents, or others, comment on our classroom website.  It makes us excited to see that people are paying attention to the wonderful things happening.
  • New parents know what we are about before their children become part of our class.  When they google me, my classroom website comes up, what greater peace of mind to a nervous new student(and parents)  than seeing some cool things that are happening in the classroom?
  • Finally, it becomes one more portal for my students to connect with the world.  My students use our blog to post surveys, show off their learning, and connect with others.

Benefit of a Professional Blog:

  • Parents know my values.  I try to stay nuanced but this blog is my platform for trying to abolish grades, homework, and punishment in the classroom.  Parents can read my thoughts behind it and know that they can always start  a conversation about it as well.  They don’t have to ask my educational philosophy, it is all right here.
  • Parents know me personally.  I blog very personal stories, such as the premature birth of our daughter or the passing of my grandfather.  I put it all out there because it affects the way  I teach, parents get to know me in more personal manner than just being a classroom teacher would allow me too.
  • Parents feel respected (I hope!).  I blog extensively on the importance of bringing parents into the decision making process, as well as listening to them as experts.  I hope this gives parents the courage (sometimes) needed to broach even difficult subjects with me.
  • Parents see how I represent their children.  I try my hardest to represent my students in the most meaningful and real way as possible.  When I mess up, I blog about it.  When we fail as a class, I blog about it.  When we have incredible moments, I blog about it.  Parents don’t have to wonder how I feel about their kids or my job, I write about it extensively.

I didn’t set out to blog to create deeper connections, but it happened.  When we let parents, and the world in, we show we are unafraid of showing what is happening in our worlds.  We show that the time we spend teaching and the time we spend learning is worthwhile.  We show the world that what we think and do matters.  We give a voice to our students, but also to ourselves.  but most importantly, we let parents know that what they think matters too.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press.   Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being a teacher, reflection

What Happened to the Spirit of Teaching?

Pernille Ripp
image from icanread

I became a teacher to help students grow.  To help them face their challenges and conquer them in meaningful ways.  To help them figure out who they were and where they fit into this world.  I became a teacher to teach, in the truest sense of the word.  Not to trust a computer to do my job.

With the craze of data collection and the push for more and more tests to gather even more data, I cannot help but wonder what happened to the spirit of teaching?  Where is our push for better teaching, not just based on data, but rather on the spirit of the child that stands in front of us?  Why is it common that a teacher’s intuition or a teacher’s experience with a child  takes second place to what a computer or an anonymous test grader thinks?  What happened to us being trusted as professionals?  Can a computer or a bubble test really tell us more about a child that than what we already know?

I am not dismissing data as a whole but rather the seemingly absurd way we push for more and more as if the computer can unlock the secret to all that a child needs to grow. What happened to the notion of the whole child as a learner, of the child being on a journey to become a person, not just a worker?  I know my students will one day have jobs, but right now they have a life to explore.   A life to create and a person to grow into.  Where are we leaving room for that in our curriculum?

I wonder how we can move into meaningful data collection.  Whether that is an oxymoron in itself.  Is there room for the child on our data walls?  Or has the data itself swallowed the child and they have just become a statistic.  A name to be moved up and down a wall, despite what a teacher might say.  What happened to teaching?

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press.   Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being me, new year, reflection

What if They Eat Me Alive?

Pernille Ripp

The nightmares have already started.

You know the ones; you wake up with your heart pounding, sweaty palms, and this sinking feeling in your stomach.  The students hated you again.  They were out of control.  The parents complained.  You forgot what you were doing.  You weren’t prepared.  Ah yes, the back to school nightmares have already started for me.  Yet school is not out for another 7 weeks, so why is my heart racing every morning when I wake up?

Last week, I took a giant leap of faith and accepted a 7th grade English position in an incredible district, Oregon, with the possibility of working with a new amazing  team.  And now, my dreams haunt me.  I always thought I would be in 5th grade forever, maybe inch my way into 6th, but 7th?  Those are for the truly brave teachers.  That grade level is for those teachers that can handle anything.  Not for me, I am not that good.  Yet, when this opportunity arose, I knew I had to try.  I knew I had to jump.  I knew I had to believe that I could do it.  So now my nightmares are making me pay for it as I feel like the new kid on the very first day of school.

What if they hate me?

What if they think I’m not funny or that my ideas are stupid?

What if I can’t help them become better writers?

What if they don’t want to read?

What if they hate picture books?

What if they eat me alive?

I hope by September 2nd, when those first kids enter the room, that my nightmares have stopped.  I can only hope, and prepare, and dream.  And find really great picture books.  Keep your fingers crossed.