Pernille Ripp

Be the change, Student-centered, writing

So How Do We Create Passionate Writers?

July 9, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I started my reading transformation 2 years ago, realizing that I needed to create a sense of urgency and passion regarding books in my classroom. I knew I should focus on writing, I knew I should dedicate more time to it, more energy to it, and yet… I just didn’t know where to begin. It wasn’t that I was a bad writing teacher, after all, my students write a lot and often, but my passion just wasn’t there, in the classroom to urge the student so push themselves further. To really find themselves as writers. Yet, here I sit, the author of two books, a blog that is read by a global audience, and barely was that transferring into my classroom. So where was the disconnect. Why did I not turn my students into passionate writers as well as readers?

I knew I had obstacles; a determined curriculum that had us on a breakneck pace. Students at such varying degrees of ability that there didn’t seem to be a middle ground. Things that had to be taught no matter what. And time, never forget time, and just how little we have of it. But still, there has to be a way, within our prescribed curriculums to create excitement and urgency in the craft of writing. There had to be others who had better ideas.

So I turned to Voxer, I have a group there with people I really respect, and they started sharing their ideas. So thank you group, here are some of the highlights for how we can create passionate writers:

Choice in process. We cannot underestimate the power of choice in our writing curriculum and what it means for students to be able to explore their own true writing style. Yet, within a prescribed curriculum, it can seem as if there is no choice. I have found though that I can give students choice of how they write, greater engagement occurs. Sure there is a process, but that process may look different from child to child based on what they prefer. Some will want to type right away, some will stick to a pencil. I have even had students dictate stories to others or to a Livescribe pen. Let them discover how they write best and accomodate as much as you can, then at least they can focus on the writing, not the process,

Choice in topic. Even within a curriculum that tells me what students should be creating, there are many ways to add choice in topic. If the area of focus is argumentative essay, don’t limit what the students can write about. Help them discover something they are passionate about and help them explore.

Choice in audience. This was a great point brought up by Chris Wejr and something I had not considered. I always assume that students want to share their work with as big of an audience as possible, but this may be far from the truth. Students may want to only share with me or a trusted friend. Students may want to publish it for the whole world to see. What we need to do as teachers is figure out what each child would like and then honor that. I would not have wanted the whole world to see my writing as a 13 year old, I bet I have students who don’t either.

Choice in partner. I often have students write together but when I pair kids up I can sometimes stop their writing process. Writing can be very personal, so I often think of what type of writing is occuring and match that to the relationship students need with their partner. Sometimes having your most trusted friend as your writing partner can be a very good thing.

Authentic purposes. Last year I was able to find more authentic purpose in our writing, so when we wrote our op eds, they were for the newspaper to be published, not just me. When we wrote a non-fiction picture book, they were for our 1st grade buddies. When students had a genuine audience and purpose for their writing, they felt more in control because they understood what the task at hand was. They knew they had to write succinctly for the newspaper to publish their words, they knew they had to find an accessible voice for their 1st graders.

Passion. Once again, we have to invest ourselves into writing, whether it be through modeling, discussion, or general excitement. Much like we share our passion for reading by thrusting books into the hands of students for them to have an incredible reading experience, what if we did the same with great writing emphasizing how spectacular it is? What is we start telling students that we thought of them when we read something because it reminded us of their writing?

Minimizing our critique. While I believe we have to teach students to be better writers, I think sometimes our eagerness to help can stymie the process. So figuring out what the best process is for each child to support their growth without killing them with corrections. Sometimes it is okay to just write for the sake of writing. Sometimes it is even ok to share uneditied writing just to show off our ideas. Not all writing has to be finished or polished.

Spontaneity. This great point was brought up by Ben Gilpin and I couldn’t agree more. We should look for the moments in our everyday where we are inspired to write and that does not just need to be within writing time. I get ideas to write all of the time and then try to find the time to actually jot down my thoughts. What if we created environments where journaling and small moment writing was a natural part of our day?

Sharing our writing life. I tell my students all the time about the things I write, but how often do I show them? How often do I write in front of them? How often do I stop and write in the middle of the day because inspiration strikes me? I think much like we showcase our books reads to create a reading community, we have to showcase our writing too.

What other ideas do you have? What did I miss?

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 a teacher, being me, classroom management, new year, punishment, Uncategorized

So How Do You Manage Your Classroom When You Don’t Punish?

July 5, 2014July 7, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Following the debate over public behavior charts, many people wondered what they could do in its place to still keep students engaged and on track? I referred to a few posts but then realized that I did not have just one post that laid out exactly what I do in my own room, tips and ideas are in many different places. And then I realized, I don’t really have one system because my approach changes every year depending on the needs of the students and the type of community we strive to make. And yet, there are threads that run through every year with my students of what we do.

I don’t set the rules. The students know how to do school, in fact, by 5th grade they are experts at it. So instead of me telling them what the rules of the room is, I ask them to make them. They discuss expectations in their table groups and then share with the class. Nothing is written down on paper but instead we get a feel for what type of classroom we want.
We create a vision. Every year, I ask the students to create a vision of the room. Sometimes a theme emerges and other times it is just our hopes and dreams. This is one of the first steps in our community building.
We do community building all year. Even on the last day of school we are trying to create family, and so we do challenges throughout the year, we have “huddles” (meetings led by me or students), we discuss how our room is doing, we change our rules, we set up new expectations, we sometimes even call people out. Building community is not a beginning of the year thing, it is an all the time thing.
We do challenges together. The very first day we do a bloxes challenge simply so I can get the students working together, this has to do with seeing them grow together and how they function without my guidance. I love what this simple challenge shows me about the students.
When a problem arises, I consider my option before speaking. Rather than call out a student for misbehaving I often pull them aside, ask them to leave the room to think about it, or do a quick check in. Humor also gets me far in many situations.
When a larger problem arises, I stop if I can. Often when a students is very, very angry, it needs my intervention or if more than one student is involved. There is a root to the anger and something needs to be done to uncover it. While it is very hard to stop what you are doing if you are the one passing out the information, often my students are engaged in a self-driven project r investigation. This therefore frees me up to discuss/deescalate situations. Not always, but often.
Engagement matters. If my students are engaged, they misbehave less. So if behaviors seem to be out of control it is often because of what we are doing. If we need to stop, reevaluate, and re-think whatever we are doing then we do just that. Yes, there is curriculum we need to do, but there are many ways to get through it.
I ask the students point blank what is going on. I used to assume I knew why a child was misbehaving, now I ask them instead. If its because they are bored, I dig deeper. If it because of some other reason, we find the time to figure it out, even if it means for now they sit and take a breather for a bit.
I ask the students how they think their day is going. If a child seems off, I can guarantee I am not the only one that notices. That child, more often than not, is acutely aware of it as well. So why not take this opportunity to build a deeper relationship? If a child is acting out, there is a reason, we have to try to find the time to work with them and uncover it.
I look for the good. I used to get so fixated on all of the things that were going wrong in the room, all of the “naughty” things a child kept doing that I forgot to see all of the good. I now remind myself to look at the moments of kindness, the hard work, the laughter and learning that happens within a room on a daily basis. I hold that up higher in my mind than the bad. Sometimes it is all about mindset.
Every day is a new day. Rather than label my students, I try to wipe the slate clean every day (of course, this is easier said than done). Just like I want a new chance every day, I afford that to my students as well.
There are consequences, but they make more sense. When I tell people I don’t punish they assume kids get away with whatever they want in our room, but that is not it at all. There are consequences yes, but they are not meant to publicly shame a child, but rather to have them reflect and work on their behavior. This can certainly still be viewed as punishment in the eyes of the child, but I do try to have a growth opportunity for them instead of just a one action fits all solution.

In the end, I believe student motivation is a huge part of why students behave in a certain way in our rooms. In fact, so much so, that I wrote about it in my book, “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students.” I therefore leave you with an excerpt from the book to help you peek into my brain some more.

Not punishing students does not mean letting things slide or letting them walk all over you. It simply means handling situations calmly and figuring out the “why” behind the behavior and then working on that rather than enforcing a set of rules. How you react changes from situation to situation — something that’s much more difficult to do when you have cut rules into stone the first week of school.

Much of misbehavior comes from students’ perception of control within the classroom. That perception also affects their intrinsic motivation for wanting to be successful participants. A problem with punishment and reward is that it often only motivates in the short term. And yet many teachers do not know how else to get students to behave. I certainly was not consistently successful until I realized that the problem wasn’t the students, it was more often the curriculum and how I taught it. Meaning, it was really me. While I may not be the one who decides what to teach, I am most certainly the one who decides HOW to teach it. If I thought that mostly lecturing (which even put me to sleep in

college) was going to capture the imaginations of 9-year olds, then I was in the wrong job. So I began to think and learn a lot more about motivating learners.

My lessons in motivation

Here is what I know about motivation from shifting my own teaching practice:

Choice matters. When students choose not just what they will do for a project but also what they would like to learn about (within some boundaries), you get buy-in. This continues to be one of the most simple and exciting realizations I have experienced.
Motivation is contagious. When one student gets excited and has an opportunity to share that enthusiasm, the contagion spreads. 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 indicators that my students are super excited about something inside those boundaries I mentioned.
Punishment/reward systems stifle learning. This short-term approach to motivation proved to be more harmful than helpful. It created a toxic learning atmosphere. Now 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. No one is excluded from anything. When homework doesn’t get done (I have limited homework when kids don’t get enough time to do it in class or they don’t use their time well), I ask them how they plan to fix it, and most students choose to do it at recess. This is fine by me; they are free to go out and play if they choose.
Be excited yourself. The fastest way for kids to lose interest is if you are bored. I faced up to the fact that I hated some of the things I taught and how I taught them (goodbye grammar packets). Something had to change. Now my students joke about how I almost always introduce something new with “I am so excited to do this…”
Consider outside factors. Some students have a lot more on their plates than we could ever fully imagine. We need to ask questions, get to know our students, and be a listening ear. When my husband lost his job, it was hard for me to be excited about everyday life. I was too busy worrying. I understand how outside worry can influence the way we function within our school. I’m sure you do, too.
Manage and guide what’s in front of you. We will never be able to control what our students go home to, but we sure can guide what happens in the room. Good teachers choose to create a caring environment where all students feel safe. Students let their guards down and feel it is okay to work hard and have fun. It’s the first essential step toward building a learning community.

And finally, read more about old and new ways to deal with common forms of misbehavior in this chart I’ve put together.

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.

being me, reflection

When Teachers Bully Teachers

June 29, 2014December 29, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Three years ago, I wrote an anonymous post and asked a friend to post it for me. The story was burning up inside of me, but at the time I was too scared to publish it because I was in the middle of the situation, and terrified that it would only get worse. Yet I knew that there had to be others out there like me, who were going through the same situation, who felt so all alone just like I did.

Today I choose to reclaim my past as I leave my old district and school and venture forward, it is time to take back the power that this situation had over me. It is time to move on and away from the past. It is time to tell the story of what can happen when teachers bully teachers.

The year I got hired at my school my mentor moved away. I was eager, ready to learn, and most of all ready to form a team. Unfortunately I was the third wheel to a two-some that had been together for some years and had gone through some pretty heavy-duty stuff. They switched classes, they knew each other like the back of their hand, and I was the puppy always trailing behind, hoping they would throw me a bone. It wasn’t that they excluded me, I just don’t think I knew how to fit. After a while, I decided to go on my own, after all, my students were waiting for me to teach them and not having a team was not going to be a good enough excuse to fail my kids. So I forged on, challenging myself and hoping that one day my team would find space for me. That year I was by myself through difficult parent situations and difficult student situations. I ate lunch in my classroom because no one sat with me in the staff lounge. It wasn’t that they didn’t like me, they just didn’t have time for me. Instead other teachers were busy pointing out how I was a favorite since the principal spent so much time in my room. They didn’t realize that the reason he was in there was because I invited him just so I had someone to help me that first year. I didn’t realize how I was viewed until later in the year I was pulled into my principal’s office to be reprimanded for having said “Have a nice weekend” in the hallways. I was told that someone had complained about me since I should be thankful I had a job and not look forward to the weekend so much. In fact, it was later included in my formal observation that I should know my place more. Stunned, I asked who it was, but was refused an answer. I left that conversation wondering who would want to get me into trouble over something so trivial well knowing that it could have been many people. I felt so alone.

I heard the rumors about why I was hired (because of my looks), I heard how I was the favorite and was therefore given easy classes, extra things for my room, and basically had a free pass. I cried about it, got angry, tried to discourage the principal from coming into my room. It didn’t help. He stopped coming but the rumors continued. The whispers as I walked by in the hallway, the icy stares, the unreturned hello’s. The social isolation would have made any mean girl proud. So I got really quiet and tried to keep to myself, finding a couple of people I could trust, continuously trying to reach out to my team, hoping that someone would take pity on me. Few did, after all, I had done it to myself.

Once more I ended up in the principal’s office; this time a teacher had turned me in for disagreeing with a veteran teacher in a small meeting. I was written up for being disrespectful and not knowing my place. Again I asked who had come to the principal and was given no answer. It was not in my best interest to know and I should be happy that there were not more severe consequences. It was even put in my formal observation for the year, my permanent record, and I had to submit an apology to the teacher, who by the way, was not the one who had complained about me. Instead I was told to keep my mouth shut, know my place, and try to get people to like me. The ignorance of my principal that he, in fact, had anything to do with the fact that people despised me was more than I could take. I started to contemplate moving but decided that I wanted to stay to try to make a difference, to change the attitude, rather than to let them run me out.

This year I knew was going to be a challenge. One powerful teacher, in particular, had become the ring leader of my hate group. She complained about me to anyone that would listen, including my fledgling team, parents, and, of course, the principal. For some reason she had power and people listened. I knew that some of my more unorthodox ideas such as limiting grades and homework were really going to upset people, particularly some veteran teachers who already disliked me, she being one of them. And yet, I knew I had to keep growing as a teacher whether people hated me or not because after all how bad could it get? I would always have my principal or so I thought, instead I didn’t. He left me alone because he was told by senior teachers that they knew I was his favorite and how hurtful it was to them. So instead I became isolated, fending for myself. Thank goodness for a couple of good friends, my husband, and Twitter or I would have lost it.

Throughout this process I have been forced to look in the mirror again and again. Am I those things that people claim? Am I a person not to be trusted because the principal is my confidante, because I am his favorite? Will my students fail because of me? Will they not be prepared for the rest of their school years because of what I did to them? I have had to reflect and tear myself apart as I wonder; did I do this to myself? Sure, there have been days I have not been proud of, days where I should have kept my opinion to myself, or tread more lightly. Yet there has also been so many days where I did not deserve the treatment I was given, where even after extra effort, people just did not care, did not believe, did not want their minds changed. I also question myself; is this all in my head? Have I created the awkwardness, the silence, the people passing by my door rather than coming in? Then I realize that it did happen, that the rumors were spread, those hushed conversations, those scoldings really did happen. Perhaps I could have done more but I guess I will never know if it would have changed anything. I know I have not been a perfect team member, I know I have made mistakes, but I have also tried to do my best. I have been open, eager, welcoming, and ready to share. And yet somehow all of this was not enough,

So what has this year been like? Like the worst high school experience, the only thing missing has been being locked in a locker or having my car keyed. All year I have fought comments about how awful I am as a teacher and how dare I challenge what veteran teachers are doing. I have been told that other teachers worry about my students since I am not teaching right or even preparing them well. I have been told that I need to know my place over and over and that no one likes me. I have been told that no one wants to be on my team and that I am giving the school a bad name. I have been called selfish, delusional, and ineffective. I have been called a bad teacher. So this year I have cried, vented to close friends and just tried to rise above it. I know what is best for my kids. I know that I am good teacher. And yet, I am worn down.

It is funny; I have lied so many times about how supportive my school is of me, that I sometimes start to believe it. My principal was supportive, in secret, my special ed teacher, ELL teacher, and a few friends were, but that is really it. Some teachers have not cared, which was a welcome relief or just outright told me how they feel. The powerful teacher told me that she is genuinely worried for my students since she does not feel they will be successful next year and that I shouldn’t be allowed to teach. At least this time she said it to my face rather than behind my back.

So a couple of weeks ago, I did the unthinkable, I applied for a transfer to another school. After a secret meeting was called to discuss how the principal cannot be trusted and the powerful teacher cried about how she was the victim at our school, I thought; enough. I don’t want to be the scapegoat anymore. I don’t want to be in a place where success is not celebrated. Where challenges are not desired. This is not me. I love teaching and I want to teach for many years to come, but I cannot go to work in a place where I am not welcomed. Where I am blamed for things I have nothing to do with, where people feel they have a free pass to tell me how they really feel about me and my teaching style without even knowing anything. So I am leaving, and my heart is lighter, and yet I feel like a coward.

I feel like I should stay and fight for change like I have been the last 3 years. Like I shouldn’t rock the boat. But I can’t stay, it will devour me if I do. When I pressed send on that email letting my employee coordinator know that I wanted to transfer, I felt the biggest weight lift. And then I felt tears. These years of being hated, of not knowing who to trust or who to confide in has taken their toll. It will be a long time before I try to have a close relationship with my principal, in fear of being labeled, I will have a hard time trusting team mates. Too many times the accusations came from the team I was supposed to have and the protection did not come from my leader.

Postscript – I didn’t leave. I never got any of the transfers but instead received a phone call late one night. It was the ring leader calling to apologize. I still remember her words telling me that she knew she had done me wrong, that she had been a bully, that she had prayed about it, and she was sorry. In fact, she was so sorry that she had decided to leave the school (not just because of me). She asked me if I could forgive her and although I should have said yes, I told her I didn’t know. The damage she had done to me was so raw that I couldn’t think of forgiveness at this moment, I still don’t know if I could. So I stayed and I became a 5th grade teacher and found a team, one that might have thought I was a bit crazy, but still supported me. One that taught me that we can all get along, that there is room for all sorts of teaching, and that there are ways to discuss our differences. I stayed three more years until my heart called for a new challenge and a new district. Which is where I stand today, poised at the edge of a new adventure, hoping that this never happens to another teacher.

Be the change, being me, books, Student-centered

Oh Yes, I Wrote Another Book…

June 28, 2014 Pernille Ripp

People often ask me where I find the time to do what I do, and honestly, it is not that I have a magic wand. I multi-task a lot, sometimes I am over-connected and need to find a better balance, sometimes it is late at night when I can’t sleep, and at one time it was sitting next to a little, tiny baby growing in the NICU.

My second book, published by Corwin, is coming out in September, and it was written in that little room, in the NICU at Meriter Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin. I filled it with the hopes for Augustine and the type of school I wish for her when she gets to be 5. I filled it with the dreams I have for the schools I work at, for the teachers I learn with, for the students I teach. And so my second book is filled with empowerment. A plea to transform our schools from top-down decision machines, to environments where there are many leaders, many ideas, and staff, as well as students, that feel that they are in control of their educational journey.

Much like my first book, “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students,” this book is meant to be an idea book, a book that gives you things you can do right now to change your environment. A book that will give you hope, hopefully strengthen your vision of what a learning environment can look like, and re-ignite your feeling of power in education.

So this book, “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners,” will hopefully end up on your to-read list. It will hopefully change the way we do school, no longer relying on our old methods, but instead embracing all of the stakeholders, including the students, when we discuss what school should be like. I hope together we make that change, not just for ourselves, but for all the kids we work with. Just like Augustine at 6 months is realizing her own potential, we need to make sure that our schools support all students and all staff to leave their mark and change the world.

To pre-order your copy, please go here.

Be the change, being me, new year, Uncategorized

What’s Your Change this Summer?

June 27, 2014June 28, 2014 Pernille Ripp

One of my most favorite things about summer is that time to finally change something. While I change a lot throughout the year, summer is like my new year. The time where I have the energy to really think through practices, to get re-energized, to change something, big or small. Because that’s the thing with change, it doesn’t have to be monumental to matter. It can be just taking one step in a new direction, implementing one new idea, thinking one new thought. And while I tend to binge change, I thought it only appropriate to share some ideas that may help you change.

How about reaching out for global collaboration?

There are so many ways to get connected and to have your students get connected these days, even with the strictest of district policies and the smallest amount of tech, there are so many ways. The Global Read Aloud, a project I created in 2010, sets out to make it easy for you. You read aloud the same book as teachers around the world at the same time and then make a connection with others reading it. More than 150,000 students are signed up for this year so far. Others ideas for connection is through blogging, Twitter, Skype, Projects by Jen, The Traveling Rhino, or making your own project.

How about reading a great book?

There is nothing quite like sitting down with a really well-written education book to inspire your own journey. “The Book Whisperer” by Donalyn Miller did that for me a few years back, as well as “Awakened” by Angela Watson (a book study is about to begin on this great book!). This year I am excited to finally take the time to read her second book “Reading in the Wild” and cannot wait to get inspired again. Also, on my to read list is “This is Not a Test” by Jose Vilson, “Falling in Love with Close Reading” by Chris Lehman and Kate Roberts, and “Encouragement in the Classroom: How Do I Help Students Stay Positive and Focused” by Joan Young. Finally, you can even read my book if you would like, it has been getting great reviews, “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students.”

How about a challenge?

It is not too late to get involved with some of the many challenges floating around the internet this summer. One of my favorites, and not just because the educator who is behind it all, Todd Nesloney, is a pretty awesome guy, but because it is so broad, is the Summer Learning Series. While the challenge is on it’s 4th week this week, it is not too late to get caught up. I have been doing some of the challenges mentioned and have been loving how I am getting connected.

How about learning a new tool?

This has been the summer of Voxer for me. This great little walkie talkie app has brought me even closer to some of the people I connect with and introduced me to so many new people. There is definitely something special about hearing people’s voices along with their ideas. Connect with me if you want, my user name is pripp5439. But that doesn’t have to be the tool you use, pick one, and make it your own.

How about learning a new skill that has nothing to do with education but then still does?

I will be starting Yoga in two week and I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally realize this dream. I just haven’t found the time before, but now I am making the time. So what have you been stalling on that you know will help you have a better life? Now is the time to start.

How about teaching someone something?

On July 24th, I get to lead a session on global collaboration through blogging here in Wisconsin, a subject near and dear to me, but it doesn’t have to be professional teaching to count. I am also teaching my 21 month old twins, Ida and Oskar, to go to the potty and Thea, my 5 year old, to ride a bike with no training wheels. There is always an opportunity to help others.

How about becoming a passionate reader?

There is nothing better than a great book you cannot wait to share with others. Some recent favorites of mine include:

The entire Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare
The Desperate Adventures of Zeno and Alya by Jane Kelley
Noggin by John Corey Whalen
Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

How about meeting someone new?

Whether you are at one of the many conferences this summer, moving to a new school like, or moving to a new city (also like me), what are you doing to meet new people? I have been blessed with the opportunity to create a great new team and I cannot wait to get to know them.

How about whatever you feel like? What is it you really want to take time to do? Every step we take matters, why not take it in the direction of change?