Pernille Ripp

I used to think I would end my days as an administrator, now I laugh at the notion. Nothing against administrators, but being a teacher has proven to me that I have no dreams of being a principal anymore. So I cannot pretend to write this post as a letter to a future me, instead, I hope it will serve as a small homage to the amazing principals I know and as a guide to those just starting out.

Dear principal,
I offer you a wish list of do’s, some hopes and dreams, some things I have seen amazing principals do, from this single teacher to you.

Do be accountable. When you say you are going to do something, please do it, no matter how big or small. If the every day gets in the way, please let us know, we understand there are only so many hours in a day. Tell us your plan for getting it done or why you can’t. Don’t make promises you cannot keep.

Do be confidential. It is hard to open up to your boss sometimes so confidentiality is key, and not just with our personal lives, but also with what happens in our classrooms. If you see areas we need to improve, let us know, but please do not tell other teachers, it only breeds embarrassment, not an urgency to change.

Do trust us. Part of being a strong leader is allowing yourself to trust others to do their best, even if their idea sounds a little crazy, even if they teach in a different way. Ask questions, be curious, but do trust our methods when you can.

Do share you stories but keep them short. It is wonderful when a principal has experienced something similar, that tells us this is not a singular event. Acknowledge the similarity and then help us problem solve, time is precious, let’s not waste it.

Do listen well. Part of being a role model is showing teachers how to be effective leaders, and great leaders listen well. So while you may have much to share, wait until the right time to interject, sometimes teachers are only looking for a shoulder rather than a solution.

Do advocate. Sometimes we need you to advocate for us to others, please stand behind us when you can or come to us when you can’t. We should be in this educational journey together, so have our backs.

Do lead by example, but be wary of titles. I see many principals call themselves the lead learner, the lead thinker and so on. While I embrace the notion of setting an example when you take that title it can diminish what all the other staff is doing. If you are the lead thinker then no one else will ever be expected to think as much as you or even think differently than you. As the lead learner I would expect you to learn more than me, learn better than me, and also share more than me. For some principals that is true, for others it is not. I am not sure that a title is either needed or conducive to foster joint responsibility or innovation.

Do draw your own conclusions. Part of being a fair and trusted leader is to make sure you have the full story, so seek people out, do your own research before decisions are made and above all, be fair.

Do be connected. Some of the best principals I have met have been connected ones. They bring new ideas into their schools, they have a finger on the pulse, and they are the first to share the amazing things happening at their school. So connect in some way with others, not just to promote your school, but to learn from the world.

Do be visible. A principal I worked with knew the names of every single child and parent in the building. This meant something to the people he encountered every day and he did it partly by being out in the school. I know there are mountains of things to do in your office, but take time to be seen. It shows us that the people matter, not just the duties.

Be honest. Being a great leader also means being honest with yourself, with your staff, and with the kids. If I am doing something that needs improvement I would like to know. If I did something amazing, let me know. Don’t sugarcoat it too much, cut to the chase and stay honest.

I am sure there is much I have left out, what else do amazing principals doI 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” will be released this March from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, being a teacher, reflection

What Becomes of the Lonely Teachers?

February 7, 2014December 29, 2014 Pernille Ripp

“…Don’t worry about it, I will take care of it.”

So read the text message from my teammate Mark when he found out I was in the hospital trying to stop the birth of Augustine (in vain, I might add). And with that little message, I could stop worrying about the 27 kids that rely on me Monday through Friday and start worrying about the baby trying to meet us way too early.

Mark didn’t have to write my sub plans, in fact, he didn’t have to do anything for me, he has his own classroom full of kids to work with, his own plans to write, his own family to take care of. But he did, and he didn’t make a big fuss about it, it was simply what he does, and what we do as a team.

I often wonder about the teachers that shut their door, tired of trying to make connections, tired of trying to make their team work. Did they ever have a team that took care of them? Does anyone notice when their door is shut? I know when I have shut mine, whether by choice or accident, someone has always knocked on it, concerned and just checking it.

Yet,we know there are teachers that come to school, teach, and then leave without many people knowing that they were even there, without many people reaching out to them to make sure they are having a good day. We are so concerned with our lonely students, but do we share the same concern for our lonely teachers? Do we reach out and go out of our way to make sure everyone feels included and welcomed? Do we stop by and invite them to have lunch with us if they are sitting in their rooms? Of for coffee after school? Do we tell them that we will take care of them if they need it?

I know I forget to, I know I get too busy trying to catch up with the ones I already have established routines with. I know I forget to include, to ask, to invite, but I try. And it is in this trying that I find my own hope, that perhaps if I try and everyone else tries, that perhaps those teachers we let slip through the cracks will be caught by someone and for once they wont be the ones shutting their door, for once they wont be the ones that no one noticed that day. For once they will belong. But we have to notice first, so on Monday, please take the time to notice who is by themselves. Notice who shuts their door, notice who seems alone. Then stop, say hi, start a conversation, try. No one should have to be alone in a building filled with happy children. Everyone should have a Mark in their lives.

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” will be released this March from Powerful Learning Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Be the change, grades, reflection

My 5 Year Old Schools Me on Grades

February 3, 2014February 3, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Thea ignores me.

“Here it says that you don’t know your letters, numbers, or shapes.”

Thea continues to ignore me.

“What letter is this? (As I point to a big D).

Thea glances up. “A?” My heart drops. “It’s not A, it’s D. D for daddy. We have to practice this!”

Thea walks away then yells, “I don’t want to learn my letters!” and leaves the room. She told me.

Welcome to my biggest parenting fail to date.

You wouldn’t think that I cared about report cards. You wouldn’t think that I would skip right over the “3’s” and “4’s.” Hurriedly read the positive comments her teacher meticulously typed. Skim down until my eyes found what my heart knew would be on there, the “2’s” – the ones that means that she is not where she should be, the ones that means she is not as good as the other kids. Yet that is exactly what happened on Friday afternoon. Never mind the great things Thea has accomplished, never mind all that she can do. My parenting eyes went straight for what she doesn’t know and then got stuck on a tangent until my darling 5 year old left the room. End of conversation, mom.

So why do I share this story? Because this is exactly what happens in most homes when we send home a report card. Parents eagerly skim until they see the negative, the mark that isn’t as good as the others. We skim over the great remarks, we notice the good, but we really focus on the “needs to improve,” the area of supposed deficit. We hone in on that, it appears to be instinctual, and that becomes the topic of conversation, that becomes the point of contention. Then we harp on our kids until they wither leave in protest or defeat, Mission accomplished, we have parented them well. But it shouldn’t be this way. The numbers or letters that tell us what our child still needs to work on should be the biggest point, bring the other stuff into the conversation but don’t make it the main event.

I know this and yet I fell right into the pattern. I know that a 2 does not define Thea. I know that a 2 just means she has to work on something. And yet that afternoon I couldn’t help but feel that she was not doing enough, that she was not good enough as compared to the other kids. That I haven’t pushed her enough to learn something so simple. That I shouldn’t give up when she refuses to learn, that I haven’t set high enough expectations. That I have failed my 5 year old already as a parent. That she will never learn her letters, that she is now forever doomed. Yes, all this from a progress report from 4K.

And then the teacher in me that hates grades kicks in. The teacher that sees what grades do to warp learning conversations in the home. The teacher that sees the damage that happens when we try to quantify and compare our students. My rational side catches up to me and reminds me that a “2” means something to work on. That Thea is quite capable, yet stubborn as a mule. That Thea is a quick learner when she is ready for it. That a report card from 4K is not setting the path for her future. That this is not the whole story of my little girl and it should not be allowed to be. And I breathe and I go back and I notice the “3s” and then the “4s” and then finally the comment that says that she cares about others and is a great friend. And I smile and I know she will be ok. That I will be ok. That there are bigger things to focus on than numbers. That there is more to my little girl than a report card. Even if I forgot about it for a moment. She is ok, I am ok, and the piece of paper is just a snapshot, not her whole story, not her future path determined.

Why do we forget that? Why do we give grades so much power? Why do we think a grade can define our child? I know better, we know better, yet how do we change grades and what they mean? How do we shift the focus from the number to the learning? From the deficit to the potential? Or do we all need a 5 year old to leave the room and refuse to learn until we see the harm report cards can do?

advice, aha moment, Be the change, being a teacher, creativity, students

How to Unleash the Uncreative Children

February 1, 2014December 29, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I was a dreadfully uncreative child. Sure, I would draw trees, flowers, animals, but whenever someone told me to unleash my creativity, my heart sank and my page usually stayed empty. Writing was slightly better, but I tended to stay on tangents so much that even I couldn’t tell my stories apart after awhile. And singing? While I loved to sing, I couldn’t just create something out of thin air no matter how hard I wanted to. No, I would never be a jazz singer.

When I look back on my childhood I see that I was probably not alone. Many of my friends weren’t explosively creative either and while these days when we have uncreative children we tend to blame our school system, I think it was just the way we were. We didn’t know how to be creative so we weren’t.

I see this play out in my classroom as well. I ask students to come up with whatever type of project they want and they go into a slight panic, not quite sure where to go with that much choice. Or tell them to write a story about anything they want and some of them are so stuck in a writers block that they actually sit there frozen, never even lifting their pencils. So what can be done with those kids that are stuck in a panic battled with creativity? How can we unleash their potential?

Give them limited choice. I think choice is one of the biggest gifts we can give to students, however, to some the thought of free choice limits their imagination rather than urging them to create. So give them some choices and then urge them forward.
Give them examples. I know this sounds counter-intuitive to spark creativity but often some students simple need to see what is possible before they venture out on their own. Sure, they may borrow ideas from what we show but in the end they still create.
Check in often. While we tend to think of creativity as an adult-less venture, those kids that struggle with the process need check-ins and reassurance letting them know they are on the right track and help getting unstuck.
Celebrate the small risks. We tend to look for the impressive but when it comes to some students, we need to celebrate even the little ventures into creativity. Boost their self-esteem and let them know that what they are doing is right.
Praise, praise, praise. As an uncreative child I always thought I was doing it wrong, if someone had told me I was doing it right, I would have had more faith in myself. Often lack of creativity comes from the same place as lack of self-confidence. Make sure it is not empty praise but rather specific and to the point.
Give options to collaborate. I almost always give students the choice to have partners in projects simply because they spur each other on.
Break the mold of creativity. We tend to only allow for creativity within certain subjects but why not open up all of our subjects to creative thought and exploration? Some students will do better unleashing their genius within math than literacy. Make room for them as well.
Be persistent. I was almost allowed allowed to give up on projects as a child whenever they failed rather than see them through, and while we should know it is ok to abandon something, as teachers we should also encourage our reluctant students to push forward. While it may not be the best creation, it is something, and that is always worth celebrating.
Highlight everyone. Part of not being creative was that I knew who was considered creative in my class. Those kids were given special attention every time. I was never in the group therefore I quickly deduced that I was not creative. Be careful that we don’t let our labels of students stymie them.

Reading, reflection

Where to Find Your Next Great Read – Some Ideas

January 30, 2014April 4, 2014 Pernille Ripp

Your library is amazing… words I never thought I would hear about my own classroom library. And while I don’t think we are quite at the amazing level, my classroom library is a lot better than it used to be. Not perfect by any means, but it now has books students want to read, filed in a way that ensures they can somewhat find them. If I had my way my entire classroom would be a library but than is another post.

A question I often get is how do you know which boks to read? How do you know which book to get for the classroom? How will I ever start building my own amazing library. So here are a few ideas:

Ask the kids! Want to know what the kids are reading, ask them and then make a list somewhere. I have mine on Amazion as a wishlist and whenever a giftcard pops into my hands, click, more books that the kids are reading.
Read the blogs! Between the Nerdybookclub and so many of its authors I am constantly finding books to buy/read/pass on. Others are out there reading and reviewing so start finding them.
Join #Titletalk – this monthly Twitter chat devoted to different aspects of reading always creates an abundance of must have books for me. This is the most expensive Twitter talk you will ever participate in.
Ask your librarian. My librarian, Deb Dagitz, knows a lot about books so I have no qualms asking her for recommendation. In fact, she will also hand me books to read unsolicited which always turn out to be amazing.
Pay attention. I am always asking students outside of my classroom what they are reading (annoying habit I am sure) and also paying attention to children reading in general. A lot can be learned simply by looking at what is being read in the outside world.
Read yourself. I love to read and I particularly love to read books for my classroom. I often pick up new books on a whim and then they lead me to another book and another. In fact to have a passionate reading classroom, you have to be a passionate reader yourself.
Ask other teachers. I think we forget all of the amazing teachers at our own schools. These teachers are also trying to build incredible libraries and may just have the book you have to have as well. So start a conversation at lunch, staff meetings, or in the hallway.
Browse the book stores. Whether local or a chain, get to know your book stores and their departments. I love seeing what strangers recommend or what they are putting on display.
Read the lists. Many websites do end of the year best books lists so be inspired by them. I have already turned to the crowd-sourced one from Goodreads a few times, as well as the one determined by Amazon.
Watch the awards. I didn’t get to watch the ALA’s with my students as planned so I cheered from my livingroom when Flora & Ulysses took home the Newbery. Look back at past year’s winners and start to add them to your reading list, there is a reason these books are winning awards.

Where do you find your next read?

This post was sponsored by Grammerly. “I use Grammarly’s Plagiarism Checker because even amazing students can sometimes run out of ideas.”

Be the change, reflection, Student-centered

Why Our Past Should Stay in the Past

January 29, 2014 Pernille Ripp

I thought by now I would have it all figured out. That my lesson plans would almost write themselves. That by January I would be planned until May. I thought by now it would be a routine. As easy as riding a bike. As easy as following a recipe. I thought by now teaching would just be another thing to cross off my to-do list of things I was done with for the day. I was wrong. And I am glad.

I used to let the past define me. If I had done something the year before then I certainly was going to do it again the following year. After all, I had put so much time into learning about it. I had put so much time into thinking, creating, and then implementing the lesson. And it had worked, sometimes with great success. Yet, whenever I pull something out of a file cabinet (whether literal or the one in my head) it never seems to quite fit the kids I work with now. It never seems to garner as much excitement as it did the first time. It never seems to be as much fun to teach. It still works, but it is not enough for me anymore.

So I have learned that my past lessons may support me and give me a place to start, but they should not dictate what I do in the future. The ideas I may have are still worthwhile but they should be nourished and pushed to grow to fit my current students, not the ones I had the year before. Students don’t mind the same material, but I think they mind when it is taught the same way as the year before. They want to feel our excitement and let it feed theirs. They want to know that we are teaching to them and not just a nameless group of kids. They want to feel special, as much as I hate using that term. And I’m ok with that. After all, it is the change and the quest for the perfect lesson that keeps me coming back day after day, year after year.