Two years ago, prompted by a blog post asking for ideas, I submitted a proposal for a book to Powerful Learning Press. I remember thinking that I was way out of my league, that I had no right to submit anything, and who did I really think I was. Yet, I knew from writing this blog and having many conversations with incredible people that some of the stuff I had written about had helped others. I knew that there were many teachers out there wondering how they could change the way they taught, wondering if it was okay to break the rules? So I hit send and then promptly forgot all about it, after all I was a new mom to twins and barely getting any sleep. I took a leap of faith, hoped for the best, but resigned myself to the idea that no one would probably be interested.
Now, I see what taking a leap of faith can do for you. Two years later the book that I asked if I could write, is being released. “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students” is out today! The story that I hoped to tell about breaking the rules from within without alienating your entire support team, about working within a standards obsessed curriculum and still having students like learning, about assessing students without giving them grades is here. That book that I thought I maybe could write has been written and is now ready to be judged by you.
So I hope you like it, or at least, I hope it makes you think. I hope it offers concrete ideas that you can implement or help someone implement in their own journey to change. I hope you will help me create more passionate learners around the world.
If you would like to connect with me, please reach out. I can be emailed through p (at) globalreadaloud (dot) com
I also get to do a Twitter chat Sunday, May 18th at 7 PM EST
And finally I will do a live event on June 22nd 7 PM EST. To sign up for this, go here
I look in the mirror, studying every flaw so that I can later point them out to my husband. To make sure he knows that I know that I don’t look like when we first met, 13 years ago.
I see the flab, the stretch, the things that gravity have not been kind to and I squint, and I wish, and I wonder what can be done other than never showing any of these parts to anyone every again. Because who wants to see this version of Pernille? Who will ever think that this body is any good? And then it hits me. This body bore 4 children, 2 of them at the same time. These arms that I am wondering whether I should show are the same ones that hold my children, that hug my husband, that allow me to do so many things. These legs and my giant feet are what takes me through the world, that allow me to run after the kids, to rush to help, to climb the stairs to soothe a child with nightmares. This face with its wrinkles, eyes that are tired, skin filled with imperfections is what I use to share my love, my laughter, my happiness with anyone who crosses my path. This body is what allows me to be a mother, a woman, a teacher trying to change the world.
We are our own worst enemies. We point out every flaw we can find and flaunt it to the world so that everyone will know that we know we are not perfect. That others will know that we do not think highly of ourselves either, that we know we are nothing special. We do it in front of our children so that they can learn that as grown ups we are riddled with flaws that mean we are not as good as we once were. We tear ourselves down so that others don’t have to. We tear ourselves down so that we will not threaten others in their hunt for perfection.
We do this as teachers too, we get quiet when someone compliments us, mumble thanks, pass it off as if what we do is just something that happens and not something that we work so hard at. We don’t point out our own greatness but will gladly share our flaws. We invite others to criticize yet hardly ever share our strengths, our talents, our moments of glory that keep us coming back. We reflect on our teaching and only see everything that we failed at, every mistake we made, every thing that we wish we could change, and don’t see all the good that we do every single day.
This is my vow to stop. This is my vow to allow myself to feel good. Not just about my body but also about what I do. I work hard at being a good mom, I work hard at being a good wife, I work hard at being a good person, I work hard at being a good teacher. I will not wait for others to point out my moments of greatness, I will look for them myself. I will not stand in front of a mirror and tear myself apart anymore. The negativity stops with me and it stops today. Who is with me?
I am a passionate (female) 5th 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.
Another video in our Mystery Skype series. In this one students briefly discuss what they do after the call, including the very important supervisor led discussion that wraps the call up. In this discussion, the supervisor speaks to the strengths and weaknesses and the problems of the call, while the rest of the group brainstorm solutions. This is all led without the teacher and a major ownership opportunity for the students.
I am a passionate (female) 5th 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.
My amazing students have been shooting videos to help others start with blogging and Mystery Skype. I am excited to reveal our first video in our Mystery Skype series; how to prepare and ideas for jobs. Please feel free to use this video with whomever you see fit. More videos are coming before the end of the school year.
I am a passionate (female) 5th 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.
To unleash my words of destruction, let it fall over his deaf ears, while he would continue to stare defiantly at me.
His chin was ready to catch my words, deflect them even if need be. His shoulders back, proud of what he had done even if it had broken more than three school rules.
I cleared my throat. he stood up taller.
Then I asked, “Why?”
A look of uncertain flashed through his yes but then quickly disappeared.
“Because I could. because I wanted to. Why? What are you going to do about it?”
“This isn’t like you,” I said. “This isn’t the kid I know. This isn’t the kid that is proving everybody wrong.”
His shoulders slumped a tiny bit and I knew there was a chance we could talk.
I have yet to punish a child into behaving. Don’t get me wrong, I tried for several years to punish all of them into being good.
I punished them with grades. I punished them with referrals, with shouting, with lost recesses and lost privileges. I punished them with phone calls home, meetings, and stern look upon stern look. Sometimes they straightened out for a bit, if I yelled loud enough. Other times they just got more certain of their path of destruction, smarter about the damage they inflicted.
I stopped punishing four years ago and started asking “Why?” instead. It wasn’t a miracle word, nor did it fix everything, but it planted a seed. A seed that can grow into a conversation. A seed that can blossom into trust, into community, into a deeper understanding.
I grew weary of punishment because it didn’t change the kid. It just made them more stubborn in their ways, it made them hate school, it made them hate me. I became a part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Sometimes I was the problem and I was the reason they were behaving so destructively.
Now, when a child has rough day, a rough month, or even a rough year, I first look inward. What am I doing to add more to the problem? What am I doing that fuels it? Then I reach out to the child; how can this be solved, what is really going on? I keep asking why until I find something that we can use to move forward. I am not there to fix a kid, I can’t fix anyone, but I am there to help them help themselves. I am here to help them grow. Punishment will never do that.
PS: Today, Zach, one of my incredible students posted this on his blog, I swear he read my mind
In my opinion, a good teacher needs to have three very important qualities. First of all, a teacher needs to be able to put situations into a student’s perspective. A teacher should be able to think “How would a student react to kid/teacher points?” or “Would my class enjoy this project?” or think similar thoughts. Sometimes, just putting something into a student’s eyes is the best way to solve it. Second, a teacher should be able to think ahead. You can’t plan a project if you don’t have enough time to do the project! A teacher should be able to think ahead and make a plan about what they will do each day in advance. Lastly, but certainly not least, a teacher should always ask “Why?”. Sometimes, teachers just assume that a student is not behaving without thinking about the condition. What if the student is having troubles at home so the student can’t get that homework assignment done. Or, what if the student is having a headache, so he can’t focus on his book. My one piece of advice is “Never assume a student is willingly misbehaving.”
So there you have it
I am a passionate (female) 5th 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.
It is not often you get to add a new title to your life, “author” was not something I had ever dreamed I would be able to add. Sure, I come from a line of authors, but me? Write a book? Yeah right. Yet I did, and it found a home with Powerful Learning Press, and now it is almost ready for the world to read. In fact, I sent it out for review to a few people this week – gulp!
On May 14th, my first book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students” will be released as an e-book. This book is my heart. It chronicles my journey from a traditional teacher to whatever it is I am now. But it is not just about my journey, it is about giving the classroom back to all students. It is about ideas, little ones and big ones, that anyone at any point in their teaching journey can implement. It is about ease not about creating more work. But most importantly it is about passionate learners and how we can re-engage our students by giving the classroom back to them.
I hope you will consider reading it. Here is a link to pre-buy it before the release date.
If you would rather purchase a print version, we are currently exploring the interest in this. So if this is something you would prefer, please fill out this form.
And did I mention the foreword is by the amazing Diana Laufenberg, a person I so admire. The book is so much better because of her.
I am a passionate (female) 5th 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 Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” can be pre-bought now from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.
Pernille Ripp 