I didn’t set out to learn from others, after all, as a new teacher, I was pretty sure I knew a lot. In fact, I thought because I was new, I knew more than many who had been out of school for years. I didn’t think I could learn that much from others because my own ideas were so wonderful, so original, so new. And then I learned my very first lesson: how I knew very little. And once I had realized that, I found out that some of my best lessons have come from others.

I learned that being a good listener will make people want to talk to you. While it can be fun to talk about the cool things one gets to do, or the incredible things one has learned, life is not about promoting your own words but instead about listening to others. Teach yourself to be a good listener, eye contact and all, you will reap the rewards in so many ways.

You can be part of the solution or part of the problem. While I sometimes find myself on both sides at the same time, I try to make myself work proactively to solve something. This is a conscious decision, because let’s be honest, it is much easier to gripe about something then it is to think of solutions.

It’s okay to wallow in self-pity, but only for a short time. Thanks to Angela Watson’s incredible book, “Awakened,” I realized that I didn’t give myself a time limit in my self-pitying. So I either was stuck in a rut for whole days or I tried to suppress it, thus never solving the actual problem. Now I embrace when I am down, then I get over it.

If you are in a bad mood, figure out why, and then get over it. I used to let a bad mood permeate everything I touched, rather than think about what key event had led to the bad mood. Now, I stop and recognize what has happened, try to solve it or realize it is what it is, take a deep breath and release it.

If you want a team, be a team player. While it is great to come in with all of your amazing ideas, as well as the notion that what you are doing is the best way to do it, this will not create a team. Learn when to share, learn when to compromise, and learn when to inspire.

This too shall pass. I remember when I had my first negative parent interaction and how it completely destroyed me. I kept thinking this was it, that I had now been deemed a terrible teacher and there was no way out. Then a few days later, I realized that my heart was not as heavy as it used to be, that I had gained a little bounce back in my step. The lesson still hurt, but it had turned from soul crushing to growth promoting. The same applies for when I am soaring high as a teacher, while this may sound pessimistic, I know that something will knock me down a little at some point. I am ok with that, because this is how life is.

Everybody has something to add. And by everybody, I mean everybody. Too often as teachers we only give expert status to those people we like, how about widening our scope and including other people in our building a voice as well. From the custodial staff to the students, they can all add something to the conversation.

If you are feeling insecure, chances are someone else is as well. I thought I was the only extroverted introvert in the world until I found others just like me. If you are not sure how to appraoch someone to start a conversation, they probably don’t know how to approach you either. So take the first initiative, connect with someone new, and invest your time in relationships.

If you want to be liked, be nice. I know this may sound silly, but this has been a big drive for me in everything I do. Smile, listen, give your time when you can, and be a nice human being. I would rather be known as a being nice than being an expert any day.

I am a passionate (female) 7th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press. Second book“Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners” can be pre-ordered from Corwin Press now. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, being a teacher, reflection

How The World Sees You Matters, So Tell Your Own Story

June 19, 2014June 20, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I started a classroom website 4 years ago with the intention of keeping parents informed. What I didn’t realize was that while I may have been doing just that, I was also telling the story of my classroom to the world. I was posting pictures of the students working, videos of things we did, information to those who cared. I didn’t realize others took note until I looked at the statistics one day and realized that it was not just parents who were tuning into our story. The world was seeing what was happening within our walls. And the world was paying attention.

Why does that matter? Because what I chose to display was, and is, a story of positivity. A story that showcases the incredible thinking my students do. A story that shows their investigations into failures, their curiosity driven learning, and their growth as leaders throughout the year. I chose what I put out into the world to represent our classroom and that is what people see when they search for us. Not the words of a district, or a parent (although they share our story too), or a journalist, but our own words, us telling our story.

How we share our classrooms, our schools, our districts matter. In fact, many people such as Tony Sinanis and Joe Sanfelippo talk about the brand of your school and asks, “Who is telling your story?” Are parents? Is the newspaper? Are kids? Are teachers? Are administrators? Because if you are not telling the story the way you want it to be told, then who will?

So I urge you to find a way to tell your story. To share your story the way you want the world to see it. As a district share the amazing events happening within on a Facebook page (yes, this is my new district!), Twitter, or whichever way that will work. As a principal, take pictures of your staff doing incredible things, tweet them out, highlight them, share them with staff, with parents, with anyone who will listen. As a teacher create a classroom website, a Facebook page, a blog, anything where you can share the stories of your students and then have your students share it with you. You shouldn’t let others tell your story, who knows if they will get it right?

being me, connections

Why You Should be Voxing

June 17, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I am not one to post much about new tech tools, after all, I don’t use a lot, which I know may be a surprise to many. I tend to find a few that I really, really like and then use them to death, telling everyone to use it and then helping everyone do it. I don’t review a lot of tech tools on here because that is not what this blog is about. In fact, I can’t even remember the last time I wrote a post about anything new. But it is time to introduce the world to something new, that may just make your whole summer; Voxer.

What is Voxer? It’s a free walkie-talkie app. Now, you may think, like I did, why would I want a walkie talkie app on my phone? The first time I was told about it by my friend Leah Whitford, I didn’t get it. Then I forgot about it. Then the Bammys finalists announcement happened, and another friend urged me to join the conversation happening on Voxer. So I did, and I have loved it ever since.

First of all, Voxer adds another layer to my connections. I can now hear someone’s voice on my own time (the audio messages are archived for whenever you want to play them) and that matters to me. I can tell a lot simply by a tone or a quick comment. Much easier than texting, much more meaningful than a direct message on Twitter.

Second, Voxer lets you add as many people as you want to a conversation. I am a part of a few different groups that started out discussing one thing, but have since branched out into other topics. I have loved seeing where these conversations have headed and also the new people that have joined that I did not know before. (Don’t worry, you have to invite people to the conversation).

Third, I can reach out so easily now. I have reached out to several of my friends and fellow connected educators with everything from a quick hello to asking for a favor. I have also been sent messages from people I have never spoken to or met but that I have connected with through Twitter. You decide whether people can find you or not, I like that I am findable though so I can expand my connections.

Fourth, it is making my commute awesome. Because the audio and text messages are archived within the conversations chronologically, I can catch up whenever I want. All I have to do is hit play and listen.

And finally, for all of the other reasons that I left out and a much better explanation of how to use it, please see Joe Mazza’s post on Voxer and how he uses it. And a Google Doc where people have shared their Voxer names and info.

Reading, reflection

5 Reading Truths And How To Work With Them

June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I haven’t been reading much. My current book “Clockwork Princess” by Cassandra Clare mocks me from my bedside table. It is not that I don’t want to read, I just don’t want to read that book right now. I don’t want to give it up either. And so every night, I find myself in a reading conundrum, not sure how I should proceed. You would think as a 34 year old this would not happen, yet I realized if it is happening to me, then imagine how often it happens to our students. How often do they get caught in a reading block? How often do they need a break? So I share with you my 5 reading truths and how to work with them…

Reading Truth 1: Even kids who love to read need a break.

This year I had some of my most voracious readers yet. One girl read a new book every night. Yet, as the year winded down I noticed that her bookmark stayed in the same book, day after day. I asked her and she told me that her brain was tired. That the book was amazing but that right now she just needed to read very little of it. I nodded and then handed her some picture books to read. Sometimes all we need is just a little change to get back at it.

Reading Truth 2: A hatred for reading will spread like a virus.

I expected to have kids who hated reading at the beginning of the year, in fact, it is something we discussed quite openly in our “Why Reading Sucks” lesson. As the year progressed, fewer kids felt this way or at the very least expressed it and I thought my work was done. Then something changed. Whether it was spring fever, running out of great books, or something outside of the classroom, one boy told me he hated reading. The next day someone else did as well and slowly I saw the same hatred from the beginning of the year creep in and take hold. What did I do? I challenged it at its core, reflecting with each child why their attitude had changed and handing them each a new and exciting book to restart their interest. More often than not, it was more that they had no great books to read and were thus forcing themselves through a book, rather than actually hating reading.

Reading Truth 3: If you don’t read, some won’t either.

I have written about this before and it is something I am adamant about, if you want readers, you must read yourself. Kids see through you in a minute if you are not reading something yourself. As one boy told me this year, “If reading is so good to do then why doesn’t this teacher read?” He had a point. When I don’t read, my students take notice because I don’t have books to recommend to them, I am not excitedly sharing something, I am not sharing my reading life. If we are teaching students to be lifelong readers, then we better be modeling it ourselves, even if it means reading a book in very small chunks. (This by the way applies to really any subject matter in my opinion).

Reading Truth 4: We have to find time to discuss reading if we want it to be important.

Actions speak louder than words, so if we ask students to read outside of the classroom, then we have to find time to discuss that reading within the classroom. Much like a child will quickly figure out if assigned homework is not checked and then not do it, reading requirements need to lead to something more than just saying you have read on a reading log.

Reading Truth 5: It is okay if reading is fun.

I get so caught up in reading gains and comprehension skills, reflections, and discussions. While my students grew immensely in their reading discussion skills, I had to make it a priority that reading needed to be fun. We have so much to do in class. We are constantly pushing ourselves, our thinking, and working with a text. But once in a while, it is okay to sit back and just listen. Once in a while we don’t need to deep discuss, close read, or even reflect while we listen. We need to get sucked in, laugh out loud, and wonder what will happen next.

Reading is our little bit of magic. What our brains do when we read well is quite incredible. Don’t let these things get in the way of the magic. Don’t let our focus on becoming great readers stop us from that exact purpose. Reading should be passion-filled, first and foremost. So think about it, are you creating a passion-filled reading classroom?

Be the change, being a teacher, books, reflection, Student-centered, students

A Second Book Cover Revealed…

June 16, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Some of you may know that I was lucky enough to be asked by Peter Dewitt and the amazing crew at Corwin Press to be a part of their Connected Educator book series. Peter asked me in the fall of 2013 and I thought I would have plenty of time to write the book, after all, doesn’t being pregnant afford you a lot of time to put your feet up? Well, Augustine arrived 10 weeks early so this book was finished watching her sleep and grow in the NICU, which only made me write more urgently for the need to change our schools and classrooms. So today,I am thrilled to be able to reveal the cover of my next book…

This book’s title really says it all. Another how-to book, just like “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students,” except this time focused on how to turn a whole school culture around, as well as within the classroom. Written for administrators and teachers, this book will give you many things to think about, easy ideas to implements, and tools to change your school culture right away.

The book is available for pre-order now and will be offered as both a print and an e-book, which makes me so excited! In fact, you should check out the whole series, I promise you it will be incredible!

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

Pick My Brain! (If You Want…)

June 16, 2014 Pernille Ripp

With the release of my book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” we thought it would be nice to have a chance to ask me questions, brainstorm ideas, and discuss anything and everything that has to do with how you are trying to implement change in your classroom or school. So please join me this Sunday, June 22, at 7 PM EDT for a webinar to do just that. No question is too big or little.

Here is the official information and how to join me.

Join us: Passionate Learners Live Webinar with author Pernille Ripp

Posted by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach on Jun 15, 2014 in PLPress | 0 comments

After several years of wondering why her own classroom didn’t match her vision of students driven by curiosity and passion, Pernille Ripp discovered that even the smallest changes can make monumental differences. Trusting yourself and your students and sharing the power of the classroom with them can lead to great teaching and learning even within the boundaries of our confining standards, testing obsessions and mandatory curriculums.

In her new book Passionate Learners, Pernille tells us what and how she changed—and how her students changed with her. We learn about the little and not-so-little things she did over the course of a transformational year, so that she could shift the responsibility for learning – the joy and wonder of it – to the kids themselves.

Now that this book has been out for a few weeks and hundreds of you have read her story, we want to give you the chance to ask your burning questions and discuss your own student-centered classrooms.

Passionate Learners Live Webinar

Join author Pernille Ripp, PLP CEO Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, and PLPress Managing Editor John Norton for a one-hour live webinar on June 22 at 7pm EDT. During this webinar, we’ll take a deeper look inside Pernille’s new book Passionate Learners: Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students.

Whether you are just beginning or well on your way in your teaching career, this webinar can inspire you to break rules, take risks, and eagerly pursue your journey toward a classroom filled with passionate learners. Register for the webinar and get entered in a prize drawing!

Get Webinar Ticket