Category: Uncategorized

Ask my husband and he will tell you, I seem to have been in a funk lately.  Nothing serious but just the feeling of a cloud hanging over my head.  Today, during our staff meeting, as we discussed gains in test scores, I couldn’t help but feel a little more down.  Yes, gains in test scores are something to acknowledge but there are so many other things I would rather celebrate.

How about we celebrate the kid who 2 months ago couldn’t go a day without telling me how much he hated writing, who today told me his story was done but that perhaps he needed more details.

How about we celebrate the kid who asked if they could blog just one more time because they really had something they needed to say to the world.

Let’s celebrate the kid who told me they couldn’t wait for Wednesday where they would get to build their model in science.

Or the groups of kids who told me not to worry about a sub tomorrow because they know exactly what to do and could probably run the day without the teacher.  We promise we will make you proud, Mrs. Ripp.

Let’s celebrate the kid who volunteers, even for the boring stuff, just because they want to help.

Or the kid who always has a compliment to whomever seems to need it the most.

Let’s celebrate the child that remembered the formula for a triangle and then was able to teach the rest of the class.

Let’s celebrate the kids that know they are onto something but just not quite sure how to get there.

Let’s celebrate the kid who told me they were starting over because this was no good and they knew it and there had to be a better way.

Let’s celebrate the kids who try, try, try and then tell others about how they are trying.

The kids who aren’t afraid to put their faith in me every day hoping that the adventure we are about to go on is something worth there time.

Let’s celebrate those kids and their accomplishments.

Not always their test scores.

Not always their data.

But them, those kids.  Let’s celebrate them.

Something I am often asked is how my parents react to all of the “weird” things I do in my classroom, such as limited homework, no grades, no punishment/no rewards.  I am often found without an answer to this question because most parents don’t have a reaction, or at least not an adverse one.  While this may stem from all of the upfront communication I do at the beginning fo the year, it may also be that parents actually like the changes I have incorporated.  (And sure, some don’t, I am not perfect, but 99% will start a conversation then).

Often parents seem to be cast as our enemies or adversaries   Those poeple who think they know but really don’t.  Those people who may think they have the best interest of their child in mind but really are terribly outdated in their notion of school.  I ave found that my reality couldn’t be further from the truth.  The parents I work with are educated on their child and their needs, they are the ones that know them best.  They also know that school has changed since they went themselves, and many welcome the changes that they see.  Many are glad that their child is not subjected to the same drill and kill as they were in their youths.  Many have questions, rightfully so, and start real dialogue with me about why I do the things I do.  Often I walk away with great ideas from these conversations.

It is too easy to cast parents as the bad guys when we are afraid of changing our classrooms.  It is too easy to think that they will be opposed.  We truly wont know until we try, and we truly wont be able to try until we get parents aboard.  It is not as hard as it can look to be, but it does take courage and placing faith in your parents.  Are you willing to do that?

Last year I didn’t nominate but just highlighted, the year before that I nominated a lot, and this year, well there are just a few that I want to highlight.  It is not so much that they need an award but I want them to know that what they have written in the past year or however long I have been reading has mattered to me, oftentimes it has moved me, many times it has directly transfereed into my classroom or school.  So here are my year’s select Edublog Nominations

Most Influential Blog Post – “The Luckiest People” by Miss Night on her blog Miss Night’s Marbles.  This post finally made me realize that I needed to blog about loneliness and how we may miss the lonely kids in our rooms.  It was one of the hardest posts for me to write this year but definitely worth it.

Best Librarian Blog – Mr Schu Reads – I don’t know where I was all of these years but I feel stupid for not having discovered John’s blog until now.  His passion for books and everything reading is contagious and there has been many times I have purchased books just because of his recommendation.

Best free web tool – I am starting to feel a little biased but  have to stick with Kidblog.  The fact that this blogging platform continues to be free and such a great venue for student blogging, blows my mind.

And as for the rest of the categories I just cannot pick.  I am continuously blown away by the many incredible people I follow on Twitter and in my RSS feed.  Many have inspired me, helped me, or just been there for me in the last year.  Thank you all for all of your inspiration.

It finally happened, that moment I have been dreading; my students turned into numbers.  Never mind their names, never mind even their initials, instead a four digit number stared back at me from the wall.  The occasion?  Our first assessment meeting where we already throw around numbers like we actually know what they mean.

So now I have a list of who the number belongs to and I have a chart of what the letters by the numbers mean.  And all I can think of is how did it ever get to this?  How can we stand by while our kids are boiled down to three scores, three snapshots, that supposedly tell us everything we would ever need to know about their struggles, their strengths, their futures?  But we do and now they don’t even have a name anymore, for confidentiality purposes I am told.  I can’t help but feel that it shows how far away from the child we truly are.

image from icanread

5 hours into a marathon feeding session and I am practically in tears; how will I ever satisfy this child with what I have?  Oskar and I have been at it since 10 PM and the clock ticks dangerously close to 3 AM and yet he won’t sleep, all he wants to do is eat and be held, and this parent of 3 is at her breaking point.   As I feel the panic rise within me I realize that this is exactly why there is formula, why we have an alternative when we feed our babies, and so I calm myself down, take a deep breath and try to push the guilt away.  Sure, this is not ideal, it certainly is not the natural parenting I had envisioned, but right now Oskar is screaming bloody murder and I need to stop the guilt, get with the program and get over myself.  Having twins means making a lot of changes, and sometimes realizing that my idea is not what is best at that time.

As teachers, we need to sometimes let go of our own ideas as well.  We need to realize that the program we have envisioned, trained for, and perhaps even used before, may not be the program that will work this year. The program that we have so loved, eagerly anticipated, may just not work with this group of kids.  So letting go of our own foolish pride becomes priority number one.  Letting go of what we thought would be the right thing to do becomes of utmost importance.  Once we have let go, we can start to work on acceptance and figuring out where to go from here.

Sometimes our plans and our desires don’t work the way we want them to.  Sometimes we have to let go of what we thought would work, we have to let go of what we envisioned.  That doesn’t mean we are sacrificing ourselves or our ideals, but rather that we are working with the kids instead of forcing them into our idea of them.  In the end, that is what great teaching is all about; working with the students you are given and not the students you had envisioned.  So hey, it’s ok to let go.

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With summer quickly fading into the distance and school starting again in North America parents are doing their best to gear up for another year. Sometimes it can seem positively overwhelming so before panic strikes, here are some things teachers would love for you to know to make the upcoming year a smashing success.

• Give them a break.  It’s ok if your child didn’t study the upcoming curriculum all  summer because we get it; summer are for relaxation and family time.  So your child does not need to come in knowing everything, in fact, we prefer they don’t so that we may teach them instead.  Have them read books over the summer but give them a break from the homework if you can.
• We welcome your visits, but not all the time.  I love having parents in my classroom but sometimes they are just a massive distraction.  So if you want to come in unscheduled, please don’t.  Let the teacher know that you would like to come in and check if it is a good time, sometimes it just isn’t, and please don’t take it personal.
• Let your child do the work.  While some parent assistance is nice, this is not your time to shine.  If your child does not get something, we need to know and there is no way for us to find out if you help them too much with their homework or projects.  Instead, let the teacher know that this was difficult, that way we can do our job and you don’t have to go back to school.
• If we have a concern, please take it seriously.  It is very difficult for teachers to bring up new concerns but sometimes it needs to be done, so if your child’s teacher does bring up a new concern, please listen to them. Even if the behavior described is something you have never witnessed please keep in mind that there is a real reason for the teacher to bring it up.  Together you can figure out whether there should be steps taken or if it just is an adjustment period.
• Remember teachers are human too.  We are not perfect nor do we pretend to be, so sometimes we mess up.  Whatever your concern may be, discuss it with us, bring it up, but please be kind.  There is never any reason to treat us terrible just because you are upset.  Treat us the same way you would like to be treated.
• Give us time to respond.  Often your emails or messages are given prompt attention but sometimes the school day just gets in the way.  Give us a couple of days, or tell us if this is time sensitive so that we may respond appropriately.  We would rather give your matter the attention it deserves than a rushed response.
• Trust us.  We are professionals who have been hired because the district believes in us.  This year will not work if you do not trust us at least in the beginning.  Almost all teachers are in this job because they believe in making a difference for all students through teaching.  If we get undermined at home your child learns to disrespect us as well and that makes for a tough relationship.
• Let your child be responsible.  Sometimes your child will fail an assignment, forget their homework, or have a bad day.  Let them navigate these things to learn the deeper lessons.  We all became responsible adults because our parents let us navigate life.  Support your child in school but don’t help them make up excuses or come to their rescue every time they mess up, this is all part of growing up.

What did I leave out?