Pernille Ripp

being a teacher, books, Literacy, Reading, student voice

Books Are A Chance To See the World They Do Not Live In

August 3, 2015August 2, 2015 Pernille Ripp

My classroom library is a large mix of reads. Several thousands of books greet my 7th graders when they enter and are free to leave the room in their hands. Over the last year I have tried to expand it as much as I can afford to make sure that it represents the world we live in, that it represents their experiences, that they can find themselves within our library and use that knowledge to boost their own lives. My students need to see themselves in our books.

Yet, after a conversation with a great friend, I realized that it is not so much the need to find themselves within our library that I should be focused on because let’s face it, most of the world surrounding them is filled with images that look just like them, sound just like them, and share many of their same experiences. They are used to turning on the TV and seeing kids that are like them. They are used to picking up books and seeing like them in the pages. To many of my students seeing something other than white is uncommon. For my mostly white, rural population of readers it is important that they find the rest of the world in the pages. That through our library they can experience the world that they do not live in. That their emotions can be stretched to encompass events that they will most likely never have to encounter. That the library provides them with a window to things that they most likely will never have to live through such as racism, extreme poverty, no access to education, civil war, religious intolerance and a myriad of other issues that exists in only small ways in most of their lives.

So when we rally the cry for diverse books, it is not just so that our kids can find themselves within our pages and find books that mirror their experience. It is so they can see the world they do not live in. It is so they can see a world that may not make sense to them and start to make sense of it. It is so they can start to develop empathy, interest, and community with other parts of the world, other societies, other experiences that do not mirror their own.

Most of my students have plenty of books that they can find themselves in. My job is to provide them with ones they can’t.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark, 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. The second edition of my first book “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” is out now from Corwin Press. Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being a teacher, being me

I Didn’t Become A Teacher

August 2, 2015August 1, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I didn’t become a teacher so I could test my students into submission. So I could talk about them as data points and chart their growth on a spreadsheet.

I didn’t become a teacher so that I could make students cry. Or make them smile on command, make them sit still, make them schedule their breaks to my own benefit. Punish them into submission while I wondered why they seemed so disengaged.

I didn’t become a teacher so I could tell children which books they couldn’t read, where they couldn’t sit, and who they couldn’t work with.

I became a teacher so that I could help students make their voice louder. Help students believe more in themselves. Help students grow, learn, and thrive.

I became a teacher to help students find the guts to say, “This is what I need, this is what I want.”

I became a teacher not to kill a child’s love of learning, but to protect it.

And that is the reason why I am still a teacher to this day. I don’t want to forget that.

being me, new year, students, technology

Before We Periscope From Our Schools, Let’s Think For a Moment

August 1, 2015August 1, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I fell in love with Periscope, the free live-streaming app created by Twitter, this summer while at ISTE. Free, instant access to events happening around the world – finally! The myriad of ways I could see implementing it in my classroom overwhelmed me in a good way. Kids could periscope our class at any time to bring the world in. Students could interact with other students around the world. Students could have a real-time audience at any time we needed. We could explore every day moments in cultures around the world. On and on, the ideas went.

Yet, when I thought about it some more, I started to second-guess my love for it a little bit. I didn’t fall out of love, but I did start to question my own ideas, as well as the professional responsibility that I carry not just as a teacher, but also as an active conference goer/speaker. So what has made me slow down?

The need for privacy. Student privacy and protecting it is at the forefront of my mind as a teacher who shares the work of their students. Some of my students cannot be shown on the internet for a variety of reasons and that is something I respect. What if that child walks by in the background? What if their voice is heard? What if students start filming from our classroom and do not know who can or cannot be shown on the internet? This by itself is enough to stop me from using Periscope in the classroom, but there is more.

The need for respect. When I videotape something I have editing abilities. That means that anything silly, stupid, weird, or somehow embarrassing does not have to be seen by anyone but us. The “live” part of the live-streaming means there is no delay, no editing, no take back. What if a child says something mortifying, screws up, fails in some way and the whole world potentially sees it? One thing is failing in front of your peers and embracing it, another thing is failing in front of strangers.

The need for attention. My first job is to teach the students in front of me. Not the world, not the parents, not other colleagues. So whenever a tool is brought into the classroom, I have to make sure it is not creating a barrier between me and students. Being focused on live-streaming something means that I am not working with students but instead acting as a cameraman. Even if I am live-streaming something that I am taking part in, I am still not giving them 100% of my attention because that would be multi-tasking, which we know decreases our focus.

The need for intimacy. Some of the biggest moments that have happened in our classroom has been when students have let their guards down and trusted us all inherently. When the door was closed and just we were present. That intimacy is gone the minute I start videotaping anything. So often we end up capturing the not quite as great moments because that is all we can get.

The need for purpose. If live-streaming something will add value to the purpose of what we are doing than I will consider doing it, but if it really only boosts me as someone who shares, or in some other way becomes more about me than my students then I am not for it. I worry that some will use Periscope to boost their own popularity and lose sight of why we are all doing this; for the kids.

The need for permission from parents. While most districts have technology policies and permission slips in place that include sharing the work, name, and image of students, Periscope, I feel, is a new level of sharing. So as a parent I would very much like the right to know about its use, the purpose of it, and also have the right to think about it. When we don’t ask, we take that right away from parents.

The need for permission from speakers. I had a wonderful discussion on Twitter on what the protocol is for periscoping professional development/keynotes and such. It seems there is none, but there probably should be. After all, if a conference has spent a lot of money bringing a speaker in and I have registered for it that does not mean we get to share that conference with the world. What we paid for is our own experience. So bottom line is to ask before you periscope and respect if someone says no.

So what Periscope might be great for?

Professional development where you interview other great thinkers or interact in some way and make it about the sharing of thought.

Students sharing knowledge in a pre-determined way. It would be a great idea to have students run a small talk or demonstration purposefully sharing their knowledge with the world.

Showcasing environment or other non-student immersed ideas. I love the idea of being able to send someone a live stream showcasing my classroom set up, library organization or something like that. Again, purpose, control, and meaningfulness is at the forefront of my thinking here.

Tuning into a specific part of the world to see what daily life is like there. This fits nicely with the tag line of “Explore the world through someone else’s eyes.”

So while there are definite great uses to Periscope, I am hesitant to bring it into my classroom when the students are there. Perhaps I am too scared? Perhaps I don’t know enough? I would love to get your opinion on this.

being me, classroom setup, new year

My Classroom Without Students

July 31, 2015July 31, 2015 Pernille Ripp

I always feel funny posting pictures of my classroom because it is not cute, nor lively, nor exciting. It is utilitarian, empty without students, and we have space to roam. Perhaps, though, in its bareness is its beauty. It is a vessel for learning, waiting for my many students to fill it with personality and life. The 1 month countdown has begun, another year awaits…

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The front display as they come close to the room, most of the day I teach with an open door unless we get loud.

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This idea is adapted from the fabulous Jillian Heise who does a picture book a day with her 7th and 8th graders. I don’t know if we will do one every single day but I plan on doing as many as possible, so of course we need a place to showcase them.

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I don’t believe in the power of motivational posters, but this is I believe in, every single day.

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An empty bulletin board waiting to be filled with books. Every staff member at our school has a yellow “Just Read” poster to show students that we are a community of readers.

On the other side of the door is my “Read this summer” poster. This was updated as of last week.

This is almost the view from the door, slightly to the left of it. I have placed tables in pods for now but know that they will be moved however the students see fit when they arrive. Whatever they need to do with them to make learning accessible works for me. I love my window so much, most days we leave the light off. Students flock to sit in the window and read.

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View toward my desk. It is in the corner on purpose; I don’t want to sit behind it away from students. I work with students at the small round table when needed or they take it over. I am just starting to show off all of the new picture books.

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Also up by the front door, my old rocking chair and easel is where we will gather when we have our mini lessons. There are bean bags for the students to use, as well as carpet squares. I don’t ask students to sit on the floor unless they want to, what matters is that we can gather as a group and talk.

A slightly blurry picture of my non-fiction and graphic novel bookshelves. I am so excited my school got me these, less excited that I already filled them.

Probably one of the best things about our classroom; the picture books. How can you not just want to read them all?

There you have it, a tour of an empty classroom, waiting for the students to make it important.

books, Literacy, Reading, students

Why Picture Books – 5 Reasons Why They Belong in Every Classroom

July 30, 2015 Pernille Ripp

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I don’t remember when I fell out of love with picture books, but I do remember wondering why any teacher would invest any money in them if they were not teaching young kids. After all, picture books are so expensive and there is not much to them. No, I would rather invest my money in chapter books, that is where you get the most value. So picture books? Perhaps a few selected mentor texts in my 4th grade classroom.

I don’t remember when I fell back in love with picture books. Perhaps it was the first time students laughed out loud with me at Chick and Pug. Perhaps it was the first time students held their breath with me when I read out loud Pete & Pickles. Perhaps when I cried while I read Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. Perhaps it was when those kids that hated reading so much would ask if they could borrow some picture books so they could read to their little sister, and then tell me all about their night the very next day. Whatever happened, I now know that picture books belong in every classroom, for every reader. Here is why.

Picture books give us a common language.

I love how we can read a picture book and then refer back to it again and again as we weave our threads of community throughout the year. The students remember it, they read it again, and the reminisce about reading it. In a short amount of time we create a foundation for the students to bond through and a way for us to be a part of their world. Even within my 45 minutes of instruction time, I know I can at least read a picture book out loud, most days. And if you don’t teach English, read one once in a while, students need community in all classes, not just the literacy ones.

Picture books can teach us complex matters in a simple way.

When my students became curious about the great Malcolm X, I read them Malcolm Little. When we spoke of the civil rights movement and the every day segregation that happened, I read them Ruth and the Green Book. When they feel completely alone, I read them The Invisible Boy. When we have to talk about what our actions do to others, we read aloud Each Kindness which with its less than perfect ending is a perfect mirror of what life is really like. These books don’t offer all of the knowledge my students need, but they give us a chance to start the conversation. There are so many curriculum picture books out there waiting for us to embrace them for the knowledge they give us, not written for the young reader but for mature kids that can take the information and do something with it. Don’t leave your students out.

Picture books can make us feel successful when we have lost our way.

I often teach students who don’t think they will ever be a strong reader. Who do not go home and read, who do not gravitate toward books, but instead spend them them flipping pages and waiting for the bell. I hand these kids stacks of picture books. I tell them to immerse themselves and come up when they are ready for more. There is no judgment from other kids, nor jealousy. Our picture books are waiting for anyone to read them.

Picture books relieve stress.

If a child is having a bad day, I can hand them a stack of Elephant and Piggie books and know that at some point a small smile will form. I can hand them anything fantastical that is nothing like their real life and for a moment they have a reprieve. How often do our students get a chance to escape the stress of their lives and still work? Picture books offer me that opportunity.

Picture books can make us believe that we can read well.

For the child who gave up a long time ago on reading. For the child who does not believe that school is for them. For the child who is angry, who is misplaced, who is lost; picture books can make the biggest difference. I once taught a student so angry he scared the rest of the class, but if I could get a stack of picture books in his hands before it was too late, send him to a quiet place, he deescalated. Picture books were not a threat, nor were they work. They were an escape and something that made him feel successful. If a child does not think they will ever read as well as the others, get them picture books, have them digest them slowly, see their progress and see them start to believe that they too can be readers, that they too can belong. There is no shame in picture books, not when we embrace them fully as teachers. Not when we make them a part of our classroom. Remove the stigma so that students can find success within their pages, rather than feel there are no books for them out there.

PS: To see some of new favorite picture books, go to the list part 1 and the list part 2. You have been warned, they are amazing.

Be the change, being a teacher, new year

As We Start Another Year

July 30, 2015 Pernille Ripp

There are journeys we start where that path is laid out, the route determined, the destination clear. While hard at times, they follow a set course and we plod along, knowing where we will end up. Knowing where our hearts will be once we finally get there. Then there are those journeys that start when something ends, when something abruptly happens and we have a moment of clarity and we realize that now another direction is needed. Sometimes these journeys start without us knowing and we don’t discover them until we are far on our path. Confused we wonder how we get here, where we are going, and why we didn’t know we were traveling anew. Those are the journeys that can change us the most.

We are travelers in education. Always searching for a path, always searching for a way. Tirelessly plodding along, sometimes pushing our students ahead of us, other times dragging them along. Our journey changes often, seemingly from year to year is a guarantee by now. We notice as the years pass, as summer inches closer and then ends. We notice when a crop of new students show up and then leave us. We notice seasons, months, and sometimes even weeks as we plan for our hopes and dreams.

Yet the daily journeys we take, the journey we begin and end within the span of 8 hours is often viewed as minor or insignificant, not worthy of our daily ponderings, not quite worthy of our dreams. After all, a day is simply a step, not a destination by any means. Yet, it is these journeys, the ones that happen every single day in our rooms that can matter the most to our students. To those children that travel along with us. A single day can change their course for many years to come. A single decision made by a teacher can change their path forever. We forget about that responsibility, probably a wise move in some ways, lest we drive ourselves crazy with the knowledge that even our small movements can cause oceans of change for others. Yet those journeys are the ones we should be watching.

Every day we have a choice to make; do I teach my students or do we learn together? Do we explore or do we wait for knowledge to find us? Do we stay on our path or do we change course? Do we support or do we hinder? Do we encourage or do we fault when missteps happen and our path gets rumpled? Do we always take the lead or can students show us the way? Do we listen to their voices when they tell us to change course or do we stubbornly stick to the path because we know best?

The day-to-day wrapped up in it mundanity offers us the perfect opportunity to make a change. Change doesn’t seem scary when you think of it as trying something for just one day. You can go one day without punishing. You can go one day without homework. You can try for one day to ask students what they want. You can try for one day to stop talking so much. One day does not seem like much, but it can be the seed to bigger change.

We have a choice of whether or not we notice the day-to-day or if we continue to plan as if we have unlimited time to reach every child. We don’t. We don’t know when the students we teach will no longer be ours. We don’t know when a child has moved beyond our grasp. So as we plan for the long, focus in on the short. Yes, keep the destination in mind, but don’t forget about the journey. What you do today has an incredible impact on what you will do tomorrow. Make each step count, make each step worthy of your time, and don’t forget that it is ok to get lost once in a while, as long as you bring your students with you as you try to find your way.