Pernille Ripp

Your Child’s Teacher; Who Cares What Parents Think?

February 25, 2012July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Image from here

Yesterday I fired my OB. The uneasy feeling every time I saw him could not be dismissed and I figured now was better than later. His lack of concern for my well-being, his nonchalant attitude about having twins, his lack of communication all led to this decision and after I made it, I was relieved. Sure I have to start with a brand-new OB at 16 weeks, but I think it is worth it. So why do I share this bit of info? Because I couldn’t stop thinking about how much it had to do with the role a teacher plays in a child’s life. In fact, a child’s teacher is one of the only things we have absolutely no say in as parents, one of the only areas in our life we are left without a voice.

In America, a child is assigned a classroom teacher at the elementary level and that teacher is the biggest educational influence that year. Parents have usually no say in who that teacher is and have to place their faith in the hands of the previous grade level teachers and the principal. Sure they can ask for a placement but I wonder how many principals actually honor it? Now don’t get me wrong, I can understand why every single parent doesn’t get to pick their teacher -talk about a popularity contest – but still, shouldn’t there be room for some sort of input? After all, that teacher can make or break the future of this child’s education and ultimate fulfillment in life.

Most of the time the placement of the child works seamlessly and there are no parent complaints, but sometimes it fails. Sometimes the teacher’s style of teaching, of communicating, of caring for that child flies in the face of what the parent believes in and that uneasy feeling crops up. Sometimes a principal is involved, sometimes, the parent just sucks it up and hopes for a better one next year. But is this right? Should parents have to wait a whole year to get to a new teacher? Shouldn’t they be able to have a say in what type of teacher their child gets at the very least? The type of nurturer and mind-shaper they think will benefit their child.

I think one of our downfalls in our schools is that we think we are the only child-experts. That because we have taught for amount of years we know what is best for children even if a parent doesn’t agree. I think that needs to change. We need to allow parent input in placement, ask them about communication style, about homework and classroom management, ask them what type of environment their child will flourish in and then place that child accordingly. Don’t make it about the teacher; make it about the child and allow for choice in this sacred cow of the American school system. I fired my OB, why can’t parents at least decide who gets hired for their child?

being a teacher, classroom management, Student-centered

Surprise; The Biggest Obstacle in The Classroom Isn’t Your Students

February 23, 2012July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Image from here

Nor is it what happens to them outside of the classroom… it is you. Perhaps a simplistic view of the world but think about it for a moment; how much does our mood affect the moods of our students? How much does our body movement, our choice of words and even our inflection affect those we are surrounded by? And that doesn’t even mention the choices we make as far as how the classroom is run and what type of curriculum we teach. So while there are many outside factors that do play a significant role in how a student performs in school, the one consistent factor is you and how you choose to be with your students.

Every day you have control over:

The expression on your face
The tone of your voice
The words you use
Your body language and its hidden signals
Who you give attention to
How you give attention
How do you get attention
How much control you cling to
The respect you give
How you speak to other people in front of your students
How disruptions and unexpected events are handled
How curriculum is taught
How much choice your students have
How you handle students who fail to meet expectations
How you handle students who are distracted
Anything that has to do with the flow of your classroom

And the list could continue. Think about all those choices. Think about the effect each one of them can possibly have on a student and then think of what you can change. We do have a lot of power.

being a teacher

Yes It Is All About the Children But It Also Has To Be About the Teachers

February 22, 2012July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

reddogreport.com

I agree that education is all about the children, after all, they are the ones we serve, both as individuals and as communities. Those children we send into our educational system, whether it be public, private or home schooled are indeed what a great education is about. But at some point we gave up our dignity as educators. We got so infatuated with believing that it is all for the children that we forgot that we need decent work environments to sustain us. That we need to be a little bit about ourselves as well.

The quickest retort to any educator who stands up and fights for change is “You are against the children.” We are not allowed as teachers to ask for better pay, because some believe that the money will then be taken away from the students. We are not allowed to ask for respect in a profession that gives little otherwise, because teachers are public servants funded by the tax payers and we should just be happy that we have a job. We are not allowed to point out that we do work more than 8 to 3 every day and most of us do not get the summers off because that doesn’t fit with the box that society has created for us as lazy, indulgent, and taking an easy job. But most of all, we are not allowed to say that yes, indeed, it is about the children, but it is also about the teachers.

As teachers we cannot be all about the children if we do not have work environments that support and nurture us. Communities that rally around us. Governments willing to pay us a better wage. If we fight for change we must not be for the children, but instead selfish and demanding. However, those children that we all serve, deserve to have teachers that don’t need to work an extra job on top of the 60 hours many of us put in. Teachers that do not spend their own money on extra supplies because otherwise the students will suffer. Teachers that are respected because they do make it all about the children. So yes, I agree, education is all about the children but it also about those teachers that prop them up to be the leaders of tomorrow.

being a teacher, school staff

Females Shouldn’t Be Principals and Other Idiotic Statements Overheard in Education

February 21, 2012 Pernille Ripp

Not too long ago I heard someone (a female someone) say that they were not sure that a female principal would make a good fit at an elementary school. Now mind you, this wasn’t any particular female principal, just the general notion that females really don’t have a place running a school. When I probed a little deeper there seemed to be a notion that with all these female teachers that tend to flock to elementary levels (5 years old through 11 years old) there is a need for a strong male to keep us all in line. After I picked my jaw off the floor I went home and could not stop thinking about it.

So I present to you the arguments I have come across when I hear negative talk of female principals running a school:

Women are ruled by their emotions and we all know how women get when they have PMS.
Women tend to cause more drama, not able to distinguish between fairness and friendship.
All those women in a school need a strong male role model to be ruled by.
All those boys in our schools need a strong role model to look up to it.
Women may be good at organizing but they are much too nice to make hard decisions.
Demanding parents will be able to run a female principal right over.

And this isn’t a single person voicing these opinions; this is permeated into the general school culture. Why else do we not hear these types of blanket statements made about male principals? What is holding all of us organized, fair, capable women back from being principals? Are we just too nice to hold a position of power or will our emotions truly get the better of us? Please enlighten me so we can stop the nonsense.

students, technology

It Is Not About the Gadgets – Why Every Teacher Should Have to Integrate Tech Into Their Classroom

February 18, 2012July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Image from here

I once sat on an interview committee in which the candidate p[proudly proclaimed that to integrate technology her students would use word processors and publish their work in a monthly book. My toes instantly curled. It wasn’t so much that she had used the words “word processor” but rather that she thought tech integration meant to have students type on a computer and then publish their work, that that would make them ready for this century of jobs. So a couple of things come to mind whenever we discuss tech integration in schools.

Students have often more seamlessly integrated technology into their lives than their teachers and didn’t even need to take a class on it.

We chalk this up to them being digital natives or because they have an interest in it. Yet not all children are digital natives and most of them have had role models that show how to use the technology. They also know that tech is valuable and can add to their lives rather than detract from something else.

Some teachers assume that clicking on a SmartBoard or having students type their papers mean that they are “integrating” tech. This is one very limited usage of tech, in fact, it doesn’t really count as integration. True integration is when a student decides to film a video to show whet they have learned rather than create a poster. True integration is when students have ideas and fearlessness to use technology to show their learning as a natural extension of the classroom. Not to type a paper.
There seems to be no urgency when it comes to actual technology integration into the classroom, but more of an urgency on how to buy the flashiest gadgets and then offer limited training or support. How often do we hear about a district that has spent too much money on 30 SmartBoards, 100 iPads and how they will be placed in the hands of the students to enhance their learning? How often do we then hear about the support they will offer their teachers or how those products will actually be used to enhance learning? There seems to be an assumption that if you give they will use it effectively, which we all know is not true. Some teachers might, but most will use it superficially and after a while the product will languish, unused, outdated, and just another relic of someone’s hastily thought out idea.
Some teachers feel that integrating technology is optional. Integrating technology is no more optional than teaching how to use a pencil. And while many may find that extreme, we cannot equip our students with the skills they need to be successful learners and teachers without teaching them to use technology properly. Many schools see typing as a necessity but then cannot bring that view into how to stay safe on the internet, how to search properly on a computer and myriads of other things that technology can offer us. How to use computers effectively is now a life-skill and as teachers it is our job to equip students with these.
Teachers who have been labeled “techie” teachers are sometimes viewed as a one-trick pony, that is all they are passionate about and therefore they cannot possibly have an effective classroom. I certainly am one of the techie-teachers in my classroom but many are surprised at how little we use tech on a day to day basis. That is not to say we don’t use it, because we do, but we also do many other things. In fact, using a tech tool is just one option my students have to show their learning. What I do practice is fearlessness in tech usage and that I pass on to my students. Not that they always need to use some sort of tool, we use our pencils more than a computer, but that they can effectively use whatever whenever they need to.
Teachers think they have a choice in their classroom. I am sorry but the choice should not be teachers’ anymore; every school should have an effective technology integration curriculum to offer students the skills they need. We do not have a choice in teaching literacy or math and should not be given one when it comes to technology. This is not about what WE want the kids to know but what the KIDS need to know.

And I am sure I could continue the list, however, these are my main concerns. We cannot afford to not focus on proper technology integration in our schools. It is not about the gadgets, it is not about the typing, it is how to use technology tools fearlessly, respectfully, and effectively. All things every teachers should be teaching, no excuses.

internet safety, student blogging, Student-centered

You Teach a Child to Blog…Common Concerns with Student Blogging Answered

February 16, 2012 Pernille Ripp

You teach a child to blog and the whole world opens up to them. And yet, with that whole wide world comes a whole lot of responsibility. Some of the more frequent questions I receive is how I keep my students safe when they blog, how do I prevent cyber bullying, and how do I convince parents that this is worthwhile. While I may not have all of the answers or any quick fix solutions, I do have a lot of passion for this.

First things first; student safety is paramount. I use Kidblog for this reason. It allows me to control who sees our posts, who comments, and also how open I want our account to be. But I don’t just give students their account information…there is a lot of preparation before then:

We talk at length about blogging, why it is important to us, why it is a privilege.
We visit other student blogs and we discuss whether we agree with their posts, with their etiquette and we decide how we want to represent ourselves.
We discuss what constitutes an actual blog post and what we share with the world. We discuss the difference between Edmodo and Kidblog, and there are many.
I show them scary videos of giving out information on the internet to strangers, we discuss how the Internet is like the mall.
We talk, reflect and then have further discussions before we even do our first mouse click. we create a paper blog to get a feel for commenting and I show my own blog to show them the power of blogging.
And this isn’t an only at the beginning of the year conversation, it is an always conversation. We always discuss safety, we always practice it, and we remind each other whenever need be.

Then there is the ugly reality of cyber bullying, and yes we face it head on and battle it. I have never had another child bully a classmate through blogging. They revere it too much. That is not to say that all of my students love each other, they don’t, they are 10 years olds, but they do respect each other. And I think that is the most important ingredient to prevent cyber-bullying; respect. We respect each other, and the differences we may have. We respect the privilege that it is to have a blog, to have a voice to the world. We discuss how this is a big deal and how we would never want to hurt someone purposely or even shine ourselves in that light. There is no anonymity on our blog, I make sure of that, and the students would have to sign their name to any comment that they leave. While they may not always get a long we still have a sense of community that we work hard on achieving and maintaining from the very first moment we are together. I love my students as if they were my own kids and I think they feel that we are a family. That feeling takes us far.

Finally, the apprehension of parents. I have been incredibly lucky with my parent support but I have also worked hard for that. I have been completely transparent with the purpose and scope of our blogging. I have shown them examples and the direction in which I want to take the students. The communication is paramount to the success. I am not trying to exploit the works or thoughts of their children, and I am not bringing them into danger. They know I work hard to keep them safe and I think many of them appreciate the inherent internet safety message that these students embrace. But there is an opt out; blogging is not mandatory, nor is it part of their trimester report card grades. I have never had anyone take the option, they hear about it before they come to my room, and it is highlight for many. Parents understand that and I think they love seeing their child’s thoughts on so many times, their growth as a writer, and how their child is handling the responsibility.

Student blogging has changed the way I view my students and their voice. It is now an essential part of our classroom, our community, and of our curriculum. We revere, we tame it, and we use it properly; sometimes for fun and sometimes for serious study. There is no one solution to everything but there are several ingredients that have to be present if student blogging should be successful; respect, communication, transparency, and expectations. With those in place you will go far.