twitter

Um So Like OK – Twitter Can Be Kinda Like High School But Then Not Really

Pernille Ripp
I’ll admit it, when I first joined Twitter as an educator, meaning to connect with other teachers and not stalk celebrities, I was terrified.  Thoughts of “Will they like me?” “Will they be  my friend” “Will they ask me to join the conversation?” haunted my days as I tried to maneuver through the Twitter world.  People just seemed to know each other, to have inside jokes, and ongoing conversations that just seemed, well, closed to people like me.

Flash back to the one year I did in an American high school, super geeky awkward me trying desperately to fit in with all the cool kids hoping that being foreign would at least give me some street cred.  Yeah not so much when you look like a boy with a penchant for hawaiian shirts and bowl cuts.  Fast forward to joining Twitter and terrible clichés of standing in the lunch room holding my tray hoping someone would take pity over me and you can see where I am going with this blog post.

Except, I am not.  Twitter isn’t like high school but it certainly would be convenient if it were.  If this were high school I could whine about people not talking to me or being unpopular because in high school it did really seem like it was out my control.  But on Twitter, not so much.

You see Twitter is what you make it.  If you want to join a conversation, jump in.  No one has to invite you, no one has to scoot over to make room for you, just start tweeting.    If you want to join a group, ask to join, no more initiation or introductions needed from a cool kid.  And if you can’t find a group that fits you; start your own.

Twitter doesn’t care if you are having a bad hair day, which I happen to have a lot of.  Twitter doesn’t care if you have stains all over your shirt from your 2 year old daughter giving you hugs.  Twitter doesn’t care who you are friends with or all the geeky obsessions you may have.  Twitter doesn’t care.  And neither do the people you connect with, except perhaps in a good way.

So from this awkward ex teen to the next, don’t be fooled into thinking that Twitter is like high school.  That is just too easy to say.  Instead jump in, sit down to someone and start a conversation and be patient.  We are all just trying to help each other out.

being a teacher, power

I Get To Teach

Pernille Ripp
Every night, driving home I think of how lucky I am.  I get to teach 25 incredible students and be a part of their journey.  Sure my bag is heavy with books and things to do, but I get to teach.

I get to teach those kids that teachers don’t know everything.
I get to teach those kids that their voice matters.
I get to teach those kids that what we do in school is real life, not something we may need when real life begins.
I get to teach those kids that together we are stronger and that every person matters.
I teach them about failure, and hope, and inspiration, and daring to ask a lot of questions.
I teach them to trust themselves, their opinions, their inferences, and that they too are experts.
I teach them that life has started and it is time for us to live it.

So when the day ends and my daughter gives me her long awaited hug, I don’t take my good life for granted.  I cherish it, I embrace it, and I celebrate it because I get to teach.

being a teacher, power

What You Look For You Will Find…

Pernille Ripp
When you set out looking for something chances are you will find it.  As Frog and Toad search for spring just around the corner, they find that after they turn enough corners, spring is, indeed, right there.  So shall we find what we are looking for if we just keep on searching.

As educators we should remember this lesson; whatever we look for, we will surely find.  So ask yourself; what do you look for every day?  Do you look for teaching to the test, lazy students, and parents that just don’t get it?  Or do you look for curriculum opportunities, learning from failed attempts or wonder, and people that want to be part of your team?  I know what I search for.

We get what we look for.

smartboards, Student-centered

Go Ahead – Convince Me on SmartBoards

Pernille Ripp
This summer all of the elementary classrooms in my whole district were given SmartBoards. Now mind you, I already had a projector and document camera in my room which I used to no end and absolutely love. I even had a remote that I could use to click on stuff. But no, we were given SmartBoards anyway.

I am positive person and I try to keep an open mind but for the past couple of years I have not really been excited about IWB’s in general. I think they lead to a teacher centric classroom and truly are not all that engaging for the students once the novelty wears off. And yet I know there are many of you out there that swear by your IWB. So for this student-centered classroom teacher, show me why. Share with me why you love them so much. Share great student-centered, inquiry based lessons that works so well on your IWB. Please convince me because this tool is in my classroom and I would love to be persuaded of its value as more than something that I can click as the teacher.  I already know of Smart Exchange and all of those sites, I don’t need sites, I need actual tested real-life lessons and stories.

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being a teacher, education reform, Student-centered

Pass the Blame

Pernille Ripp
In the education debate surrounding us a lot of blame gets passed around.  Employers blame colleges for not teaching students workable skills.  Colleges blame high schools for not preparing the students.  High school blames middle school for not setting them up to be hard workers.  Middle schools blame elementary for not setting the foundation right.  And elementary, they blame the parents for not being engaged or involved, for not setting high enough standards.

It is time we stop the blame game.  The time and energy consumed by it could be used to fix and change the system rather than just complain about it.  Our world will never be perfect and neither will our classrooms.  So let’s use that time, energy, and emotion put into playing the blame game and do something about it instead.

If you need someone to blame, blame me, I can take it.  And then move on and focus on what is most important factor here; the kids.