Pernille Ripp

Saying Goodbye

July 29, 2011July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

How do you say goodbye to someone that has been there for you for 13 years? How do you let them go, peacefully, and still let them know that you are there no matter what? That you will never forget all of those years, all of those times spent together. About an hour ago in the middle of an #RSCON3 presentation, my cat Bailey fell over and started crying. She has been sick her whole life, I picked the runt of the litter, the one that farted and sneezed when I picked her up. And yet, I knew that this time it was more than. This time something was seriously wrong. And the vet agreed, there was no coming back from this one and so the decision was made and she drifted off peacefully, more at peace than I have seen her in months, off to a better place.

And so I sit here in an empty house picking up the pieces. Picking up our memories and remembering them for what they were; unforgettable and ours. Bailey picked me as much as I picked her and she loved life. She would purr and wiggle in urging you to pet her, give her attention, until her belly was raw from all of the stroking. If you tried to sleep on the couch you knew she would be right there, cuddled up by your ear, not willing to move even when you had to get up. Naps simply were another excuse for her to be close to us because that is where she felt she belonged. And I agreed. For many years she would sleep right on my head and all night I would battle with her over the pillow. I would listen to her snore and wheeze due to the chronic respiratory infection she had gotten from her mother. And yet having her right there, sometimes right on my head, meant a certain comfort, of being home and being with someone, even if Brandon was out of town and the house was too quiet.

I found Bailey 6 months into me moving from Denmark to America. Practically alone, unless you count the one boyfriend I had, until I found her. She was 9 months old when I stumbled upon her, already having been rejected by one family as being too mean and too sick. For me it just felt right. Her and I could do anything together. Through breaks ups, lonely night and finally finding my soulmate she was there, always ready to cuddle, always ready to be together, running to the door whenever I came home. When I moved she came with me every time, always finding peace as long as I was there. Her illness would go through cycles and we thought we would lose her more than once. But she always pulled through. The joke in my family was that she would outlive us all. When she was 7 she was viciously attacked by a stray dog and we thought at first that this was it. She proved us all wrong. And when the doctor said that her back leg would have to get amputated, she proved us wrong again, regaining the use of it within a couple of months. Through all the years of trying to have a child, she was there when I needed her. With every failed atte,pt and all of those tears, she sat patently on my lap reminding me that she was there and she understood that it was sad but that life would move on as it always did. When we found out Thea was coming and my belly grew, Bailey would climb on top of it, having found a new place to snuggle up to – even if it kicked her at times. She just knew when I needed her to just curl and be.

So I write this post as a tribute. Some may think I am a crazy cat lady and that is alright. For this crazy cat, I am. In an hour I present at the Reform Symposium, and Matt, my co-presenter, always the gentleman, graciously told me that he could handle it all. I declined, I will be there because that is what we do as teachers. We pull through and we get the job done. No matter what is happening in our personal life our jobs move us on and the demands continue. We know that what we are committed to is important and we don’t back away from that commitment.

I am not sure why I write this post but I had to. I had to say thank you to the tiniest little cat who always just was. We found each other when we both wanted so desperately to be loved. Thank you for loving me so unconditionally and teaching me that quiet time can be the best time of the day. Thank you for just being there. For putting your faith in us to treat you right, for naps, and car rides, and all those moments where you jumped up on my lap reminding me that life is about love and showing those that love you that they mean the world to you. The house is too quiet without you.

reform symposium

How Does One Pick – Some Must See’s at #RSCON3

July 28, 2011 Pernille Ripp

I swear my life this weekend will be difficult for my family. I may be absent most of the weekend, definitely distracted but very engaged. (Just not with those in my house). Reform Symposium 3 is here and I am thrilled to not just be presenting twice but also to be learning alongside with educators from all around the world. So as I sift through the schedule I decided to pick a couple of don’t misses for me that fit my learning journey. This was very hard as there are many presentations happening simultaneously so thank goodness for the archives.

Here in time order are the presentations I am hoping to catch:

John T Spencer’s presentation “It’s Personal – From Differentiating Instruction to Customizing Learning.” I have seen John present before and he always makes me think, his blog is a must read for me, and this is a topic I am passionate about.
Ann-Caryn Cleveland’s presentation “Empowering Women and Girls in Technology.” I am not familiar with Ann-Caryn but thrilled that she will be presenting on this topic and hope to get lots of ideas for empowering my own female students.
Joe Bower’s presentation “You Say You Want This so then Why are You Doing That?” Joe is a huge reason for why I had the courage to get rid of grades in my classroom so this presentation is a can’t miss for me. Joe continues to inspire and push my thinking as an educator and is a must follow. However, it coincides with two other amazing presentations that I have to catch on the archives or I may jump from room to room.
Will Chamberlain’s and Paula Naugle’s presentation on “The Power of the #Comments4Kids Hashtag” This hashtag was an integral part of my classroom last year and led to so many global connections for us, I would love to hear these two great presenters speak about it.
Deven Black’s presentation “My One Great lesson This Year or What Happens When the Teacher Get Out of the Way” is another presentation that is sure to spawn a lot of ideas. Deven’s idea has been one that has also driven me so I am excited for others to hear about it and hopefully get out of the way as well.
Mary Beth Hertz’s presentation “Teaching with Video Games in Mind” looks fascinating. I would love to be able to take ideas from this and integrate it into my curriculum. Mary Beth always brings new things into perspective and her blog is also a must read.
Chris Mayoh’s presentation “Pupils as Teachers – Digital Leaders in the Classroom” also ties in with what I am trying to accomplish in my classroom. I am always looking for ways to create more autonomy and pave the way for student-centered learning.
Brad Patterson’s presentation “Sharing values in the Classroom: When, How, and Why…and Why Not” simply looks like it will be a worthwhile discussion. I often wonder whether to share something or not and am definitely looking for guidance and discussion on this.
Terie Engelbrecht’s presentation on “Differentiating Instruction for Today’s Learners” will be of great value for me as this is a huge part of my district’s philosophy and I have been differentiating my heart out with mixed results. Anyone that can give me ned things to ponder is welcome.
Mark Barnes will be presenting on something I am very passionate about “21st Century Assessment: How Narrative Feedback is Eliminating the ABCs” I think if you are still doing just traditional letter grades you are doing your students a disservice. This should be an excellent discussion for anyone interested in exploring moving away from traditional letter grades.
Michele Anthony will be presenting on bullying in “Little Girls Can Be Mean” on Saturday. As a 5th grade teacher who is currently reading “Odd Girl Out” I look forward to hearing how to prevent bullying more systematically within our schools.
Josh Stumpenhorst speaks about his quest for “Student Driven Learning” Josh is not only well-spoken but on an exciting journey to discover how to give his students a bigger voice in the classroom. Josh is lucky or unlucky depending on your view because at the same time as his presentation there are 2 other intereting presentations happening:
Steve Johnson’s “Let’s Talk About How to Help Kids that Come to Us from Poverty” and Henrietta Miller’s “Taking PD to the Next Level with Tech Brekkies and TeachMeets” Both of these look very thought provoking and useful.

And this is only Friday and Saturday. I do not think I will be able to catch many presentations on Sunday due to family time but I will also be trying to grab some keynotes as well as panel discussions. As you can see, there is so much to choose from! So whether you go to one presentation or go to many, I know the learning will be deep and you are guaranteed to be inspired. Don’t miss out on this amazing FREE professional development opportunity.

being a teacher, blogging

To Blog is to Bare Oneself and I’m Ok With That

July 27, 2011 Pernille Ripp

Hello, my name is Pernille Ripp and I am blogger. Two years ago I would never have been able to introduce myself that way, it has only been a year and yet this journey has profoundly changed me, my teaching, and my world. And yet how does it feel to be out in the open? How does it really feel to be blogging with my real name, real thoughts, and real fears?

I decided to blog because my husband thought it would give me an outlet for all of my thoughts. I have always loved to write, poetry in particular, and I have pages upon pages filled with horrid teenage misery that hopefully no one will ever find. I have tried journals and seen them fail – who would want to read my thoughts after I die? What a selfish notion. And yet blogging for me is a journal in some way even though it didn’t start that way. Instead my blog came about as a way to digest all that was happening in my head, a reflection of my classroom and the things I had been taught in college unraveling. I wrote for myself, for my own clarity and then something happened; people responded. They shared their stories, their lives with me and trusted me with their words and sometimes even asked for advice. From me! A fourth year teacher who is an infant among the great teachers. Encouraged by their thoughts, I kept on writing about whatever I had to change. I figured if I made it public it would be more binding to me, it would become more urgent because the world was watching. And again people responded, some kindly, some not so much and I found myself debating, articulating, and always reflecting upon my actions and my words.

I have never considered a pseudonym, not that there is anything wrong with that but for me it just didn’t even cross my mind. Mostly because I thought no one would read my blog anyway and I am honest to a fault and therefore wanted to represent me in the online world. I never considered hiding my blog from people I worked with or others that meet me in the “real world.” After all, I have nothing to hide and I am not ashamed of admitting that I still have a lot to learn. As a teacher there has, of course, been conflict. Some people do not appreciate me writing and think I should know my place. Some people think my ideas are too out there and do not like what I propose for my classroom. Some people think I am addressing them even though I only reflect upon my own choices and education as a whole. And so the battles happen between my blogging and people who may take offense. There have been days where I have cried, and days where I have rejoiced. Once a parent emailed me a comment on a piece I had written. Baffled I told her I did not know she read my blog. She responded that she had a for awhile and admired my thoughts. I shouldn’t be surprised; all sorts of people read it, and yet here was someone who’s child was directly affected by my teaching style saying that what I did was a good thing. Humbling. So I write as if I am telling a story to the head of my district, I choose what I write about it and try to remain positive. The world does not need anymore reminders of just how awful it can be but it does need reminders of all that we can change if we believe in it. The change starts with me, with my real name, and real life details.

So I blog with my heart and my mind knowing full well that I cannot please everyone. I know that some people who cross my path may not agree with my ideas, and I am at peace with that. My blogging has shaped a new facet of my identity, one that is rooted in reform and thinking about the needs of the children versus my own needs as a teacher. This writing in the open has brought sorrows yes, but it has also brought so much joy to my life. I now enter my classroom with passion, knowing that this is the kind of room I would have loved to have been a student in. I am becoming the kind of teacher that makes my mother proud. Blogging did that for me.

global read aloud

It Started With an Idea – The Global Read Aloud

July 27, 2011 Pernille Ripp

This project started with an idea, as most things do in life, and yet this idea in particular resonated deep within me. It brought together two passions; the love of books and a love of global citizenry, the notion of creating global citizens in my classroom. And yet for this cautious teacher from idea to reality was quite a leap of faith. When you publish an idea to the world chances are no one will listen. And what may be so important to me may be nothing to others. And yet this idea found people who became just as passionate about it as I am .

So the Global Read Aloud was created and it survived it first year with more than 40 classrooms actively connecting. And they loved it and more importantly, the students loved it. So this year, it is a little bit bigger, a little bit changed; two books rather than one, and yet the heart of the idea remains: One shared read aloud – one global connection.

So join me and more than 200 other classrooms this fall as we embark on another global read aloud. You choose how much time you dedicate, you choose how you would like to connect. Share the world of books with your students as they realize that all around the world children are discovering the same book. Share the love of listening to incredible books being read aloud and for the love of questions. We have made it easy for you to participate, all you have to do is take a small leap of faith with us. Welcome.

blogging, reform symposium, Student-centered

Ask the Children – Reform Symposium 2011

July 26, 2011 Pernille Ripp

I wanted my students to blog because I wanted them to create an online portfoloio. Little did I know that in doing so our whole classroom would change, our world viw would be affected and even the most reluctant writers would beg me to not delete their blogs. Yeah, when I say blogging changed my life, I am not exaggerating.

So this Saturday at the Reform Symposium I am excited to share the story of my classroom and how blogging changed our world. I have written about this with my students throughout the year but never presented on it before, now is the time to inspire others to take the leap and make it meaningful. Blogging became such a vital part of me stepping away from the center of the classroom and allowing the students to express themselves honestly, frequently, and easily that I could never see removing it from my curriculum.

We say we want to give the children a voice; blogging does that for us. We say we want to hear their thoughts, blogging does that for us. We say we want to grow as educators, well, ask the children. They will tell you what you are doing wrong and what they love. So ask them but do it right and join me on Saturday July 30th 7 PM CST to engage in a conversation about how blogging can change us all.

being a teacher, education reform

Stop the Tear Downs

July 25, 2011 Pernille Ripp

Education and particularly teachers are under a harsh lens right now. Everywhere you turn headlines scream out new nasty discoveries about bad teachers, horrible programs, and how schools are failing. As a teacher, it is hard to not drown in all the negativity. Yet as most of the teachers I have encountered, we choose not to drown, and instead we focus on our students, on our lives and continue to do what we do beast; teach, knowing that this too will end and at some point sanity must be introduced back into the conversation, right?

Yet as the rhetoric gets more cutthroat and the divide grows, this mentality of us versus them has formed and cemented itself into too many educational debates. No longer are teachers united, rather it becomes veterans versus new, tech users vs non-tech users, always a split, always two sides, never just one united front. And we teachers buy into it as well. If one teacher is heralded for doing something good, other teachers get upset because then they must be doing something wrong. If a school is highlighted as working well, then other schools within the district must be performing poorly. Rather than view success of one as success for all, it becomes just that; success for one and failure for everyone else.

This epidemic of negativity must stop. We are tearing each other apart, trying to climb to the top, vying for the same spotlight. But that is not what teaching is about, we teach our students that we are only as strong as the weakest performance, and that we must celebrate everyone. And yet, somewhere that message is lost. The public may want us split, because then it is easier to create “reform” and yet now is the time we must band together. We must relearn to celebrate successes and not be afraid to share them. It is time for people to speak up when something incredible happens in their classroom or in their school, and it is time for everyone else to celebrate it, not tear it down. This isn’t me versus you, it’s all of us together.