student choice – Page 19

aha moment, Be the change, Passion, student choice, student voice

5 Rules We Impose on Students that Would Make Adults Revolt

November 22, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I remember the first time I walked through a silent school, the quiet hallways, the shut doors. You would think it was testing season, but no, simply a school going about its day. At first I felt in awe; what order, what control, what focus! Yet that night, as I shared my story with my husband, I realized something; schools aren’t mean to be silent. They are filled with kids after all. Quiet sure, but silent, no. Yet here this school was; silent, and all I could think about was; why? So what things are we expecting students to do that we would probably not submit to as adults?

Expect them to work hard all day with few breaks. I could not do the schedule of my 7th graders; five 45 minute classes, then 30 minute lunch, then 3 more classes. In between those classes? 3 minutes to get from one place to the next. And high expectations everywhere they go. We assume that they can just do it because we were subjected to the same, because the classes are all different, because this is not that bad, but as adults we would never be asked to sit focused, giving our best, and problem-solving for such long periods without taking small brain breaks, stretches, or in some other way reigniting our focus. I know we do it so that we can fit everything in, but it still amazes me that we think it is is a good system.

Silent hallways. Or most of the times we force silence when it is not for studying. Of course, there needs to be quiet in the hallways while learning happens, but silent hallways – not needed. Neither are silent lines, silent lockers, or silent lunch rooms. Quiet and respectful can include talking. Once, when I asked why my 5th graders had to be silent while they got ready for lunch, I was told it was in order to speed them up, apparently talking slows them down. On the surface that may be a great reason, we want them to get to lunch sooner. BUT. These kids have just spent how many hours being told when to speak, not being allowed to speak to their friends, and now we tell them they have to be silent for longer? As adults, we speak to our colleagues as we walk down the hallway, in fact, sometimes more loudly than the students. We get to where we need to go just fine, often with a better focus because we got to relax for a minute.

Only go to the bathroom during breaks. I remember telling my students that they had better use their lunch breaks to go to the bathroom because we didn’t have time the rest of the day. Then I got pregnant and the whole idea of planned bathroom breaks imploded. Yes, there are good times to leave the classroom and bad times, and yes, some kids will use the bathroom to get out of class because they are bored, tired, or want to simply get out. So what? To ask students to only go certain times, serves little purpose other than to establish teacher control. Going to the bathroom can be just the brain break a child needs to come back awake. We use it all of the time as adults, why need trust students to do the same?

Do hours of homework. I have long been an opponent of meaningless homework. My severe distaste is based on many things, but one of them is that we have just asked students to put in a full day of hard work with us in the classroom. Now, we are asking them to work even more outside of school. Yes, some jobs require work outside of work hours, hello teaching, but not all, and often those jobs are by choice. However, when we ask students for several hours more of their time, no matter our intentions, after they have gives us their best in class, we are treading on dangerous territory. Why would students want to give us their best in school if we simply ask them to do more after? I expect my students to work hard, use their time well, and get work done with me. Yes, there is sometimes homework, no I am not perfect either, but I do think long and hard before I assign anything.

Be ready to show mastery on the same day. This one took a while for me to realize. You see, it doesn’t matter that you taught the concept at the same time; kids learn at different rates. We know this intimately as adults; what may take our friend a day to understand, may take us a week or more. Nowhere is that more apparent than in college where some students seem to study for weeks, while others breeze through the same material, ready for the test. So why we expect our students to show mastery on the same day I will never understand. Obviously it makes sense from a management perspective; it is hard to manage 113 students on different learning journeys. It is also coming from a completion standpoint; the end of the quarter is the end of the quarter. Yet research upon research shows us just how crazy this notion is, so why do we keep pushing it for it? We need fluid mastery to serve our students best.

What other rules have you encountered? Why do we do this to kids?

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA, who has taught 4th, 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” is out now from Corwin Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

aha moment, student choice, student voice

These 5 Minutes Will Make a Difference

November 3, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I find myself looking at the clock more and more. Call it the constraint of 45 minute class periods. Call it the middle school urgency that seems to haunt my every move. That clock on the wall; yeah, it seems to be always leering. Yet lately it has been taking on a new role for me; no longer the reminder of how little time I have left to help these students grow, but now a reminder of how much time we still have. How much time we still have to talk. How much time we still have to share. How much time we still have to teach each other.

Why this change in perspective? I have just started giving my students 5 minutes. 5 minutes to discuss. 5 minutes to figure out. 5 minutes to prepare. It is indeed quite impressive how much can be accomplished in just 5 minutes.

5 minutes before the quiz, they review with each other. 5 minutes before the assessment, they speak to one another and compare notes. 5 minutes before the share with class, they share with a friend. Giving them those 5 minute means that my students are more confident, are less rushed, are more ready. Giving them those 5 minutes mean that I am forced to slow down and let them think, let them digest the learning, frame in their own words and then support each other.

I have no research to back me up. I have no test scores to show the difference, but what I see in front of me has sold me. Students who are ready. Students who are willing. Students with more confidence in their abilities. we are moving toward becoming a community of teachers, not just learners, 5 minutes a day.

Be the change, Passion, student choice, student voice

6 Changes Toward Personalized Learning

October 31, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Say personalized learning to most people and it conjures up classrooms where every child is doing their own thing and the teacher is furiously trying to maintain order and overview in an otherwise rule-free classroom. Yet, this is not exactly what it is. Instead, personalized learning to me means student voice and choice, where student input is used to create a personalized learning path that allows students room to explore their passions while exposing them to new things. Sounds great but where do you even begin on this path? Or even better, what are you already doing that would count as a step toward personalized learning?

Change the way they sit. I ask my students to sit wherever they want as long as they can work. Only once in awhile do I have to interfere as to their seating choice and I have much happier students. Why? Because they got to have a say in their classroom environment, they were given control.

Change the way they work. I ask my students to discover how they work best; do they like to hand-write things, type, dictate? Are they kids that love to write papers rather than make a movie? How do they want to read? How do they want to think? If students are to discover how they work best we have to give them choice and room for exploration. This doesn’t mean that every single thing has to be open for anything, but simply providing choice in some things is a step in the right direction.

Change the knowledge they have. One push-back against personalized learning has been that students don’t necessarily know what they need to know, and I agree. That is why personalized learning also has to include exposing students to various topics, such as the materials we have to cover due to standards. However, there are many ways to expose students to these topics, so don’t do the same thing over and over; change it up and allow for student ideas in the way material is covered.

Change the expectations for all. We tend to teach the way we learn best but that is not always the way our students learn best. So rather than plan by yourself, plan with your students. Their ideas are often much better than ours anyway. This also allows us to move out of our comfort zone rather than use the same type of format, or go with just your own thinking. So ask the students HOW they would like to learn something and then heed their advice. You don’t have to go with every single idea but try a few of them at least.

Change the timeline. I used to think all students had to gain mastery of something at the same time because I had taught it to them all at the same time, until I had my twins. Kids, even born at roughly the same time from the same mother, do not learn things at the same time so why do we expect our students to? My students will now show me mastery of the standards when they feel they are ready within the quarter. Sure, it will require a more lucid timeline but it really doesn’t add more work to me, all I need is a more flexible mindset.

Change the conversation. I used to be the queen of all answers and solutions. If a student had a problem, I fixed it. If a student needed help, I helped them. I used to think that was one of my main components of being a teacher; the helper/fixer/teacher role. Now I know that students need support so they can help themselves and figure things out themselves and my language reflects that. Rather than giving an answer, I ask a question back. Rather than affirming an answer, I ask them to explain it. I ask for their input, I ask them to reflect, I ask them to provide solutions and to teach others what they know. This classroom is no longer about what I need them to do or know, but what they need to do or know, and that carries power. So change the way you speak, include the students in the conversation, and stick with it.

Starting a journey toward personalized learning can be a terrifying endeavor, but have faith; every step you take toward giving your classroom back to your students matter. Every idea you have that gives the students more power matters. We have to create environments where students are passionate learners, that want to take control of their learning journeys. I wrote my first book on how I did my journey, hoping to inspire others, and still my journey continues. I am not done changing the way I teach because every year I have new students to grow with. It is not just the students that need to be exposed to personalized learning, it is us the adults as well.

Be the change, being a teacher, new year, student choice, Student-centered, voice

Some Myths About Student Choice and Voice

August 11, 2014 Pernille Ripp

If you ever listen to me speak, whether in a podcast, at a conference, or just over tea here in Wisconsin, chances are at some point I will mention student voice. And then, if we continue discussing teaching, student choice will also pop up. I can’t help it. It is what I fervently believe in. It is what I live for in the classroom. Yet, sometimes when I bring it up, I get strange looks, like “Is she insane?” type of looks. Or just confused expressions, nonchalant shrugs, or even indifference. Sometimes though I get excitement, then confusion, then questions. Those are my favorite types of moment.

So what are some of the most common myths about student voice and choice?

That it is hard. Giving students a voice is not hard. Asking them for their opinion is not hard. Implementing it is. Listening to it without judgment is. But asking the first question, not hard, not even brave. Acting on what they tell you, now that takes courage.

That is a mess. Sure, students working on different things can be messy, but it is far from a mess. A mess would indicate no direction, no instructions, no real purpose. Messy can indicate a variety of things; creativity in progress, exploration at hand, failure and triumph all at the same time.

That it is utopian. Offering students a choice in what they are doing, even if it is a small one, is not an unrealistic expectations for students to have. After all, as adults (which I believe children will be some day) we are given choices all of the time. Sure, certain things are determined by things outside of our control, but so many things can be handed over to students to decide. We just have to look for them.

That it stands in the way of learning. Often choice is seen as a hindrance to cover what we need to cover, yet, in my experience the opposite is true. Giving students choices and a voice in the world will help you cover more curriculum. You can have students unpack the standards with you and come up with ways to cover multiple ones in projects. Plus student engagement inevitably goes up when they are engaged in the learning progress.

That it will breed negativity. Often the assumption is that if you give students a voice all they will do is complain, but that is simply not true. Sure, there will be complaints, but there will also be constructive criticism, braistorming, ideas, questions, and hope. We will not know what we get without asking first.

That it is the answer to everything. I love student choice and voice, but there is more than this to creating a successful learning journey. You can add it, but it won’t fix everything. To do that you have to figure out whether you would want to be a student in your own classroom and then start fixing what you wouldn’t like. Student choice and voice are just parts of the solution.

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.

classroom expectations, classroom management, community, discipline, punishment, student choice, student driven, Student-centered

Don’t Act Like An Idiot – My 5th Graders Make Our Rules

January 13, 2014January 13, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Silence…not something that happens in a room full of 27 students.

Then one hand cautiously rises, then another, but still mostly silence…

A minute ago I had asked my students, “What do we do in this classroom when you don’t behave well?”

This was now the reaction I faced; confused looks and silence. 4 years ago, my students would have prattled off a list: we write our name on the boards, you give us a checkmark, we lose recess, we lose free time, we call home, we go to the principal’s office. All very common consequences in classrooms. But now, 4 years later, I have unintentionally stumped my students.

One student finally says, “Well, you expect us to not act like idiots, so we don’t.”

Another student jumps in, “Yeah, and if we do something stupid then you tell us to fix it.”

And a third, “So we just talk about it and figure it out.”

Aha! We discuss their behavior and then we fix it in whichever way it needs to be fixed.

I threw away punishment because I always punished the same students. It also never solved the problem but just added a grudge between the student and myself. Today, some question whether students can truly act well when you don’t punish. When they don’t know the consequences of their behavior. Some think that no punishment equals no rules, no perimeters, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.

No punishment means no public shaming, no loss of privileges, no loss of recess unless we need private time to talk. It doesn’t mean no structure, no expectations, or a free for all of student chosen behavior. It means I expect my students to make the classroom rules. I expect them to behave well. I expect them to make good choices. I don’t have a perfect classroom, but I have kids that try. I have kids that know what the expectation is. I have kids that make a choice everyday, whether to be active participants in our learning journey, or whether to act like idiots. They don’t always make the right choice, but if they don’t, then we deal with it on a situational basis.

So no, I don’t need to punish my students into behaving, and not because they are all angels (ha, far from it) but because as a classroom we have decided to learn, to share, to behave like a typical 5th grader.

Don’t act like idiots, in true 5th grade language, and represent. Those are some of the rules for our classroom. I din’t make them but I do give them to grow and become part of our culture. Most kids know how to act in school, it is time we gave them our trust and a chance to prove it.

Edit: As you can see from a comment, the word idiot can be taken to something much deeper than is its intention here. When my students and I use the word “idiot” it is meant to convey a 5th grader that deliberately chooses to do something they shouldn’t, not someone with an intellectual disability. I never mean to offend but here I chose to let the word stand since it portrays the conversation we had.

Reading, student choice

How to Confer About A Book – Even if You Haven’t Read It

July 16, 2013 Pernille Ripp

As I continue to sift through my notes from my week at Teacher’s College there are so many ideas I want to share with those who have not had the chance to go. So although these are not my ideas, they are definitely some that have made me think and I know will help me in the coming year as I focus on bettering my readers workshop. After all, let’s face it, I read a lot of book, but I will never be able to read all of the books my students bring into the classroom, and that is a great thing. That does not mean though that we cannot confer with them about their book and still have a quality discussion and exploration.

First a few notes on conferring the better way:

Know that it is okay to read the blurb on the back!
This is part of the child’s reading journey and should be treated as something sacred. Make sure you have ample time and energy to do it right rather than feeling rushed or unfocused.
Make sure you give clear and achievable feedback, preferably in a concise manner.

3 directions you can take:

Confer about reading behaviors.

This can be a discussion about how the child is as a reader. What is their rate of devouring books? How are they with distractions? What is their reading plan? Which books can they not wait to get their hands on? Fluency and expression can also be discussed here.

Confer about the book.

Have them work on retelling the story. Have them discuss the main character and how that main character is developing. Other things they can discuss are the problems, the motivations, the author’s purpose, and even what big ideas they are having about the texts.

Confer about skills.

This can be a discussion of past mini lessons you have taught and how they are using them.
Push for a second line of inquiry. So if a child brings up one aspect, push them for one more place or one more aspect to show how they know this of the text.
Or you can use this incredible cheat sheet for Bands of Text Level (courtesy of Teachers College) – research shows that texts that seem to be at the same level also share many of the same characteristics, so while you may not have read that particular book, if you can figure out the complexity of the text you can ascertain many general traits that the particular book may have and base your discussion on that. And while every book is not going to have these I found it interesting to think of how many books do have many of them.

There you have it. While nothing beats being able to discuss the actual book with a child because you know it yourself, there will be times when I know these strategies will help me. While I do not level my texts, I found it very interesting to see this breakdown of text complexity and how we can help students recognize how their text gets more complex.

In the end, this is about the child talking and you supporting them in their exploration. I think I have too often rushed in with too many questions, too much of my own thoughts, to really make a child think about the text they are reading. So treasure the one on one time you get with this child and their book and make sure they know just how much it means to you. And then be quiet and listen.

image from icanread

I am a passionate 5th grade teacher in Middleton, 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 “The Passionate Learner – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” will be released this fall from PLPress. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.