community, new year, Student-centered

Community Building 101 With Mrs. Ripp

Pernille Ripp
Ahhh community building exercises.  Those small sheets of paper that we all so vigorously collect whilst in college knowing that some day they will be our go-to’s.  Some day they will lead us to a breakthrough in our classrooom.  Some day they will be corner stones of our community.  And yet, then they don’t.  In fact, as I cleaned out my files at the end of the year, I found a lot of them shoved into a forgotten corner of my cabinet, crumpled, dusty, and very unused.  I guess I haven’t needed them after all.

So welcome to community building 101 with your teacher, Mrs. Ripp.  A newish teacher that doesn’t quite know what she is doing at all times but will happily share all of the ups and downs.  So first, how not to build community, from someone who has made all of these mistakes:

  • Pre-post your rules.  Nothing says “This is my classroom” like a beautifully laminated poster of all of your rules that have been hanging there for years.  Students certainly know who is the boss then and also that they are indeed just visitors in your room.  Way to set the tone from the first day.
  • Spend days on a constitution.  I like the Constitution, in fact, as a social studies lesson I think this would be marvelous.  But as a community builder, not so much.  Think of it through a kid’s eyes:  days spent discussing the rules for the rest of they year and then pledging to uphold all 20 of them, umm not so much.  Oh and who is going to remember all of them, yikes!
  • Set clear boundaries.  The first year I labeled my classroom with teacher versus student stickers.  Oh yes, I was a label master, making sure the students knew exactly which cabinets, which supplies, and which areas they were allowed in.  I spent the rest of the year reminding them where not to go and I kept hammering in how something was “mine” – sounds like a 2 year old’s behavior, not a teacher’s.
  • Ice breakers.  I know people will disagree here, but I hate ice breakers, they are super awkward and make me feel very uncomfortable for a while until I can retreat back to my own comfort zone.  I have never made a connection through an icebreaker, sorry.  Instead, invest in something meaningful as a classroom like a connection map, or a kid made video tour of the classroom, or something that the kids can work together on.  If they can focus on the task rather than the connecting, community building will start to happen.
  • Tell the kids you will now be building a community.  I am all for setting goals and telling the kids about it, but this one better be left unsaid.  It’s like telling someone you are trying to become their friend; that hyperfocus tends to make things weird.  Instead tell the kids what they will be doing, simple as that.
  • Have a million things planned.  Sometimes the best beginnings of a community comes from spending time together, but when you plan too much or have too much to do, that goes out the window.  So leave a little room for spontaneity, a little room for just hanging out (perhaps on the playground) and a little room for whatever the kids would like to do. 

    So what should you do?

    • Be yourself.  The kids will see right through any phoniness, so if you are a massive dork like I am, let it all shine through.  
    • Share your life.  I often have a video from Thea, my 2 year old daughter, or a funny story about her to start the day out with.  The kids really get to know me and my family and in turn open up about their lives as well.
    • Laugh a lot.  I love to laugh and I think kids are hilarious, if we just give them the time to speak.  
    • Start decorating the classroom.  I stress over and over that this is “Our classroom,” so the kids get to make decorating choices as well as furniture setup decisions.  Every class learns differently and they can often set up a better environment than I can.
    • Start learning.  I love all of the learning that happens at school so we start right away with some curriculum, often the kids cannot wait to see what this new grade level will be about so why wait.  Of course, we balance it out with all the other great non-curricular activities.
    • Decide on expectations together.  I don’t have classroom rules, I have expectations that are set with the students.  We take some time, and we always adjust them throughout the year, but in the end they need to be straight and to the point so the kids (and I) can remember them.  And no, they are not posted anywhere.
    • Give it time.   Great community does not happen on the first day of school but you do plant the seed that day.  So tend to it and nurture it, give it them time it deserves throughout the school year and highlight it from time to time.  I discuss with the students how great of a classroom we have which keeps it a priority and reminds of what we strive to be: a place where everyone feels like they belong and are safe.
    being me, education reform

    I am Sorry Mr. Governor

    Pernille Ripp
    I am sorry Mr. Govenor but those things you say I do every day are simply not true.  That bashing and gnashing I do of my teeth simply doesn’t happen.  Those kids I fail, those initiatives I ignore, yeah that doesn’t happen either.  I am sorry Mr. Govenor but when you say you are fixing education I only have to laugh.  Which classrooms have you been in where you could see a benefit from removing the voice of the teachers and the students?  What classrom have you been too that would do better with just a few more students added?  Which room have you sat in where the teacher has spread their “thuggery,” their political rhetoric, or simply has not worked hard?  You haven’t been in mine, that I know for sure. 

    So I am sorry Mr. Governor, I hate to disappoint, I know you would like me to be a union thug, I know you would really like me to be a “bad” teacher so that I may be fixed.  I know you would like to blame the troubles of Wisconsin on me and my actions, but I will not stand for it.  I will not sink to your expected level, I will not politicize my classroom, I will not preach to my students about the wrongs of the government, but instead teach them about democracy; the history of Wisconsin, and how we fought to set up a state that heard all of its people. All of its people.  Not just the rich or those in power at the moment.  All of its people, the minorities, the laypeople, and yes, even the unionists.  So please stop with your mudslinging and your “saving.”  Please stop with your demoralizing demeanor and your fancy ideas of how to save education in our proud state.  Please stop with your talk of shared sacrifice since all of the people of Wisconsin have done nothing but sacrifice for the last many years.  So Mr. Governor, once more I apologize for not making your job any easier.  For not painting a larger bulls-eye on my back, for not stooping to a level where I deserve to be called an enemy, a thug, and a horrible person.  Your mission would have been much easier if I did.

    being a teacher, community, Student, trust

    Kids Shouldn’t Feel Like Tourists: How Every Classroom Should Be a Tribe

    Pernille Ripp
    Taken today – oh what a beautiful flag

    “I feel like I belong.”  My little brother turns to me as we walk through the Copenhagen aiport minutes after landing.  We are indeed home, even if just for a short while, but I immidiately got what he meant.  I belong to the same tribe he does; the Danes, and with that comes certain hidden knowledge, requirements and social norms that normal tourists simply will not be a part of.  This is all unravled to us as we are raised; how to speak to elders, how to dress, how to survive in a culture which is very liberal but has heightened politeness and manners standards.  The manual for being a Dane has not been written, and indeed, it changes as the population changes, and yet there is a “Daneness” that I recognize.  We are indeed tribe members and not just by looks – in fact not all Danes are blonde like I am – but by culture and behavior.  We are members because we know how to be and the society lets us be, with only a few perplexed comments on our Americanness (13 years abroad will do that for you).

    This is much like our classrooms.  We set them up to be inclusive and welcoming to our students but do we set them up as a tribe?  (And I am not referring to the Tribes program here).  A tribe would mean that every person involved in the classroom felt like they belong and understood the hidden language of the classroom.  A tribe means safety for all of the people wherever they venture in the room and also that they will be protected by other students outside of our territory.  A tribe is bigger than just being a class.  All of this is certainly something I strive for every year so I mulled about this all day and reached the following conclusions.  To be a tribe we must

    • Recognize that we are an entity, that yes we are part of something bigger in the school, but also see that we are our own unit contained within the walls of our classroom.
    • Realize that we are unique.  There are other similar classrooms but this actual composition cannot be replicated anywhere else and this is something to celebrate.
    • Determine our culture.  What do we value, what do we see as proper behavior and how do we act amongst each other?  These are all vital for a tribe to feel togetherness and should not be set by the teacher.  For real understanding, appreciation, and cooperation it has to be set up together.  A tribe may have a leader but it is still a regular person who holds that position.
    • Determine our hidden language.  Discuss the assumptions we bring into the classroom,  set expectations and explore pitfalls.  Unspoken assumptions in particular can be devastating for a classroom and need to be discussed openly so that all involved people have a real chance of ownership and understanding.
    • Allow change.  A tribe should not stay the same all year, it should move and fluctuate as the classroom moves much like a country’s culture.  What should remain though is the sense of belonging of understanding the classroom culture and being able to navigate it all successfully without feeling like a tourist.

    Being a tribe is so much more than being just a classroom, even a really good one.  It allows students to lose inhibitions (and the teacher too) and to revel in a meaningful learning environment.  No longer just visiting for the year in the teacher’s classroom but actually building the foundation of it and then actively maintaining it throughout the year so that ever person who walks into the room can exclaim, “I belong.”

    This goes beyond just building community and rightfully so and will therefore take top priority in the coming year for me.  What about you?

    being a teacher, New Adventure, Student, technology

    So You Want to Integrate Technology – Now What?

    Pernille Ripp
    Technology Is Not TechnologyTechnology Is Not Technology (Photo credit: lgb06)

    I have been given a new label this year, I am now the “techy teacher.”  This label brings many odd and interesting conversations with it, most often involving how to integrate technology into a classroom.  So for all of those just getting started, who perhaps are ready to move beyond use computers as research engines and typewriters, here is a little advice from someone who has been there:

    1. Decide on time.  Ask yourself, and be honest, how much time do you really want to spend on technology in your day?  If the answer is as little as possible then perhaps this is not the year.  If the answer is some, then do  read on.
    2. Figure out the “Why.”  What are you aiming to do with the technology?  What are the goals for integration?  Is it to connet with others then Skype or blogging might be a great thing to learn about.  Is it to give students different project options then perhaps Animoto or Glogster are your venues.  Is it to give yourself more professional development then Twitter is a must.
    3. Do your research.  Reach out to others (through Twitter perhaps) and ask them what they use.  Google your needs, look at reviews, and then decide whether it is a good fit for you or not.   There are so many websites and blogs out there that do all the work for you, Richard Byrne’s Free Technology for Teachers is a great place to begin!
    4. Chose a few.  While there are so many things out there technologically speaking it is best to choose a few to focus on.  I thought I was going to integrate many things the last year and it honestly just got too time consuming.  So align the technology with your goal (see number 2) and get ready to mess with it, and…
    5. Play.  Technology needs to be pretty self-explanatory and I better be able to figure it out within a short amount of time.  If it is something I am showing/using with my students then I better have it figured out within 5 minutes or so.  If it is for my own personal use, I give it 30 minutes but after that, no thanks.  Play with it, walk through it as your students will and learn a little about it.  Often this gets me more excited to use it.
    6. Again – how will you use it?  Now that you have decided on what to use, ask again whether this will work for your educational goal.  I love the idea of VoiceThread but found it too cumbersome for the presentation format so I went a different route.  Just because it is technology does not mean it is helpful.
    7. Stick with it.  The first couple of times I introduced new technology to my students I was a little bit apprehensive, after all, these were 4th graders I was asking to do the work.  And yet, they got it.  The beauty of technology integration also is that if one students gets it then they can also help you teach it to others. 
    8. Embrace failure.  Go into this adventure knowing that things will break, signals will fail, and computers will crash.  Have a back up plan in mind that still accomplishes the same goal.  We have had missed Skype opportunities, blocked websites and overall disasters on our hands, but always managed to laugh about it and move on.  Don’t waste your time lamenting lost technology.
    9. Be courageous.  So what if you are the only one at your school trying this out; be the one who tries new things.  No one at my school was blogging before I started and now all of the 5th grade tried it as well.  You never know who will be inspired by you trying something out.
    10. Make it worthwhile.  I do not believe in tech for tech’s sake.  I only use it to further our learning goals and to broaden my students’ horizon, so use it in the right sense.  Students will respond and be engaged if they understand and see the genuine purpose, they will quickly lose interest if it does not further your purpose.  Remember technology is not always the answer to every lesson,  sometimes whipping out paper and pen can produce the same (and sometimes better) results.  So make sure you use it when it fits, not because you feel you have to.

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    global, projects

    My Other Baby – The Global Read Aloud Project

    Pernille Ripp
    Last year I had an idea, a simple one really; connect classrooms across the globe by sharing a read aloud.  I thought aloud on Twitter, got positive feedback, and “poof” The Global Read Aloud project was born.  Come September when more than 50 classrooms around the world had signed up, I had no clue what to expect, but I was ready with my copy of “The Little Prince” which had been chosen.  And I was not disappointed, for 4 weeks I got to share an incredible book not just with my students but students in other places.  We blogged about it, talked about it, Skyped about it and just overall connected with others.  The coolest thing was definitely when my kids told me how they couldn’t believe other kids were reading the same book as them – mission accomplished.

    This year it is back and better than before.  On September 14th I am excited to kick off the 2nd annual Global Read Aloud with more than 100 participating classrooms signed up so far.  This year promises to bring some of the same and something different.  A huge difference is that there will be two books this year; one geared for older students (Tuck Everlasting) and one for younger kids (book yet to be determined).  I have also opened it up to more collaborators and co-authors as well as set up a Google group for us to connect.  It will be more streamlined and easier to participate for everyone and I will have an easier time keeping my cool.  But what stays is the same is the purpose; the connection.  I don’t care how much participants get involved, I just want them to have a venue for reaching out to others to share this experience with.  So please consider joining us as we venture into another try, check it out, spread the word, let me know if you have any questions.  We would love for you to join us as we connect the world through one book.

    being a teacher, being me

    It’s Only Been a Year – Happy Blogday to Me

    Pernille Ripp

    A year ago, yesterday, I started this blog with a very simple goal in mind; write. On the urgings of my incredible husband who thought I had a story to tell, I ventured into blogging with no plan other than to keep it honest and reflective. Now as my first milestone in the blogging world passed, I am grateful for his insistence. To say that writing this blog has been life changing is not giving it enough credit. Rather than bore you with all of the details of how my life has been changed, I will only highlight a few things. So blogging stopped me from:

    Wasting away with my ideas. Who knew there were others out there on a journey similar to mine? For those people who have cheered me on, thank you. And for those people who have questioned, dissed, and torn me apart – thank you as well. Through constant questioning I have been able to refine, reflect, and realize that I am a human being that makes mistakes and sometimes has bad ideas. What a gift that is.

    Being dishonest. I couldn’t just write about how I was going to change my teaching and my life, I actually had to do it. Putting my thoughts out in public meant accountability, I want to make sure I actually do all of the things I so proudly exclaim. So if you ever stop by my classroom, yes,it does actually run the way I write about.

    Becoming stagnant. If I didn’t change, I wouldn’t have anything to write about, I can just imagine a blog detailing how I am still doing the same thing every day. This has been a journey of teaching and I can see the growth when I reflect.

    Being anonymous. It is much easier to hide behind the anonymous label when I reach out but having this blog has offed me a “new” identity and one that I am very proud of. Being an introvert in an extroverts body has certainly led to a lot of awkwardness but I get now how my kids feel when I put them on the spot as well. If we can’t do it comfortably, why should our students?

    Quitting teaching. Last year I was ready to quit. I didn’t have my purpose, I didn’t have the drive, and I certainly didn’t feel the passion. Now? I want to change the world, I want to reach all of my students, I want to grown with them and learn from them.

    So thank you people, thank you Brandon, thank you to the haters and the believers. Who knows how long my blogging journey will last, but for now I am grateful for the year I have conquered. There have been tears, laugher, many questions and lots of brutal honesty, the next year can only get better (and more honest).