Pernille Ripp's Blog, page 46

When We Were Alone by David A. Robertson and Julie Fleet.

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Published on January 19, 2017 18:16

3 Questions to Ask for a Critical Re-Evaluation of Your Classroom Library

“Really, Mrs. Ripp, another book about Civil Rights?” Spoken by one of my African American students as I pulled out the picture book I intended to use in our mini lesson.

Another book about Civil Rights….

His words followed me all of the way home. Not because I was worried he didn’t know enough but because of what had followed those first words.

“You always pick those books…”

And he was right. In my eagerness to embed more knowledge about the Civil Rights Movement into our mini lesson on advice from older characters, I wasn’t thinking about his representation to the rest of our mostly white class. How once more what I showcased only supported a familiar narrative. His words prompted a realization that seemingly the only picture books I used or that we even had in our classroom library featuring African Americans in them had to do with either slavery or Civil Rights. Not every day life. Not non-famous African Americans. Just those two topics. This realization has shaped a lot of my book purchasing decisions as of late and just how much work I still have to do.

I have been focused a lot on diversity of books, it’s hard not to when our world seems to need understanding, empathy, and fearlessness more than ever. While our classroom library has been ever expanding with more diverse picks, I have realized through the help of my students that diversity is not enough. That simply placing books that feature anything but white/cisgender/Christian characters in them is not enough. It is a start, sure, but then how do we go further than that?

We ask ourselves; how are characters represented?

Prompted by the comment from my student, I now look for how characters of any race/skin color/culture are represented in all of our books. Is everyone represented? Even sub-groups that my students may not even be aware of? Are we only showcasing one experience? Are we only highlighting the famous people of that sub-group? Are we only representing one narrative of a group of people that live a myriad of narratives? My own ignorance has often led to blunders, such as the one described here, but I can do better. I can make sure that the books I bring in lead to realizations and understanding about others, not more of the same.

So don’t just ask who is represented, but ask how are they represented? How would I feel if my own children were represented in this way?

We ask ourselves; do we have #OwnVoices authors represented?

The #OwnVoices hashtag is one I have been paying attention to as I look at the diversity of our classroom library and even on my own reading experiences. Started by Corinne Duyvis the hashtag focuses on recommending books written/illustrated “about marginalized groups of people by authors in those groups.” That is why I know Google who the author is and what their background is as I decide on placing a book in the library. That is why I read blogs like Disability in Kidlit (soon to be shut down which breaks my heart), follow Reading While White which had an entire month dedicated to OwnVoices books, and also try to educate myself on what is out there. If we want true representation in our classrooms then we have to do the legwork to make sure all marginalized groups are represented in the books we share with students.

So don’t just ask do I have broad representation in characters, but ask do I have broad representation in authors/illustrators?

We ask ourselves; how are books highlighted and selected?

Gone are the days where I haphazardly selected books to put on display or book talk. Now my displays and selection process takes a little bit more time; which books are put out to grab for students? What do the covers look like? Who are the stories representing? I also do not “just” put African American books on display for February to celebrate Black history month, but have them out all of the time. My students should be immersed in a diverse reading experience at all times, not just in carefully selected months.

So don’t just grab a few books to put out because they are new; grab books that will offer students a wide reading experience and will expose them to new authors/titles that will broaden their own world. Do not reserve diverse texts for a few months but have them on display at all times.

While I have grown, I have a long way to go. My wish-list of books right now are a few hundred titles deep, especially as I focus on the sub-groups that are severely underrepresented in our library. I am still educating myself, seeking out new titles, and seeking out those that know more than me. If you want to see books that are getting added to our classroom library, follow me on Instagram as I share all new titles there.

One picture book that I urging every one to read and buy is this one

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From Amazon:

When a young girl helps tend to her grandmother’s garden, she begins to notice things that make her curious. Why does her grandmother have long, braided hair and beautifully colored clothing? Why does she speak another language and spend so much time with her family? As she asks her grandmother about these things, she is told about life in a residential school a long time ago, where all of these things were taken away.

If you like what you read here, consider reading any of my books; the newest called Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration, a how-to guide for those who would like infuse global collaboration into their curriculum, was just released. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. I am currently working on a new literacy book, called Passionate Readers and it will be published in the summer of 2017 by Routledge. I also have a new book coming out December, 2017 . Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Filed under: Be the change, being a teacher, books, global, Literacy, picture books, Reading, student choice, Student dreams

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Published on January 17, 2017 07:53

5 Tenets of Choice

I have long believed in putting the “person” back in personalized learning. In creating engaging classroom experiences with our students as we try to help them discover how they learn best and what they still need to grow in. However working in the public school system in a state that has mandates and tests to take, means that we sometimes cannot just do whatever we want as we explore 7th grade English. Means that I am not always able to tell my students to create whatever they want and make it work within our standards. Means that sometimes we all do the same lesson or produce a similar outcome. Even if I work in a district that is focused on doing what is best for each child and puts immense trust in its teachers. Even if at my core I believe that children need to feel like they have control in their learning experience so that they will invest themselves. And I think this is the reality for many teachers that are trying to do their best in engaging all of their learners. So how do we truly create experiences where students feel empowered and engaged and have choice, even when it is not free rein at all times?

One of the foundations in our classroom is the five tenets of choice. These ideas by themselves are the foundation for many successful educational experiences, these ideas have been around for a long time, and these ideas, when coupled together, mean that my students always have choice in something, even if it is not apparent at a quick glance. While the optimal experience would be for them to have all of these choices at any time, sometimes this is not possible within the system I work. So, instead, I strive for at least two of these, but preferably more, at any given time.

This tiny excerpt from my forthcoming book, Passionate Readers – The Art of Engaging and Reaching Every Child, details the five tenets of choice, hopefully they will be of help to others as well.

1st Tenet

Choice in engagement, meaning how they access the learning; do they need small group instruction, one-on-one conferring, are they independent or want to work with a peer? I have students do a pre-assessment of how they would like to work through a project and then plan my classes according to their needs. To see a sample pre-assessment survey, please see the appendix.

2nd Tenet

Choice in product, meaning what would they like to create to show their understanding and exploration of a concept. Sometimes this means full control of the product depending on the standards we are working with, while other times it only means minimal choice such as the format of their written work.

3rd Tenet

Choice in setting, meaning how and where would they like to learn. As discussed previously, students need to be afforded opportunities to manipulate the learning community environment to suit their needs. This is part of their learning journey and so students can choose where they sit, how they sit, whether they work in the learning community or in other designated areas, as well as how they use the environment they are working in.

4th Tenet

Choice in timeline, meaning when they are ready to be assessed. While this one is harder to do at times, I do try to provide flexible timelines for students, as well as stay in tuned with what else is happening in other classes. This may mean that for a longer project I will tell students what the final day is for them to turn something in but that they can turn it in any time they are ready before then.

5th Tenet

Choice in assessment, meaning how and what I assess as far as their mastery of concepts. Inspired by Kelly Gallagher I will often ask students to turn in the piece that they think showcase their depth of understanding the best and then assess and confer with them regarding this one piece of work. This allows students more flexibility and control over how they are assessed, as well as gives them the opportunity to reflect on what mastery really means. This tenet also means that once students have shown mastery for a quarter, they do not have to prove it to me again but can instead move on to more challenging work. This is a way for me to ensure that students are provided with learning that matches their needs better and also allows them for more self-directed learning.

If you like what you read here, consider reading any of my books; the newest called Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration, a how-to guide for those who would like infuse global collaboration into their curriculum, was just released. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. I am currently working on a new literacy book, called Passionate Readers and it will be published in the summer of 2017 by Routledge. I also have a new book coming out December, 2017 . Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Filed under: being a student, being a teacher, personal, Personalized Learning, student choice, Student dreams, Student Engagement, student voice, Student-centered

Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campory and Theresa Howell, ilustrated by Rafael Lopez

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Published on January 14, 2017 17:19

Our Mock Caldecott Winners 2017

For the past week my students have been busy dissecting, discussing, and loving picture books as we tried to select the one winner and three honors books for the 2017 Caldecott. This is the second year I have done this exploration with 7th graders and as one student told me, “This is one of my favorite units” and I agree. Picture books allow all of my students to access tough issues, complex ideas, and also to gain a new appreciation for this artform. They are a constant companion of what we do in our classroom and in our reading journey. They form the ties of our community. Delving into these books have allowed my students to think deeply about their own opinions and also worked on their debating skills. While our exploration was short, I used some ideas from Jes Lifshitz’s longer Caldecott unit and then meshed my own ideas with it. To see her post go here.

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Some of our Mock Caldecott potentials

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Love these beginning thoughts from my students.

I asked each class to come up with one winner and three honors books. Here are our choices:

1st Hour

Honor: Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campory and Theresa Howell, ilustrated by Rafael Lopez

Honor: They All Saw A Cat by Brendan Wenzel

Honor: Samson in the Snow by Philip C. Stead

Winner: The Night Gardener by The Fan Brothers

3rd Hour

Honor: Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie and illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Honor:

Winner: A tie between

And

Radiant Child by Javaka Steptoe

5th Hour

Honor:

Honor:

Maybe Something Beautiful by F. Isabel Campory and Theresa Howell, ilustrated by Rafael Lopez

Honor:

Winner:

6th Hour

Honor:

Ada’s Violin – The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood and illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

Honor:

Honor:

Before Morning by Joyce Sidman illustrated Beth Krommes

Winner:

7th Hour

Honor:

Thunder Boy Jr. by Sherman Alexie and illustrated by Yuyi Morales

Honor:

Honor:

Before Morning by Joyce Sidman illustrated Beth Krommes

Winner:

Now we wait until January 23rd to see how right or wrong we were

Filed under: being a teacher, Literacy, picture books, Reading

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Published on January 13, 2017 12:29

Small Victories

It is within the small victories we find the biggest changes.

“Are we reading today?” A child asks as the bell rings.

Usually my answer would be obvious, of course, but today we had speeches to get through and so reading would wait. I tell him so and he says, “Good, because I hate reading…”

How often does this scene play out in our classrooms. I know it has been playing out in here since September 1st, sometimes multiple times in a day. Sometimes new voices join the chorus or nod their head vigorously. I hate reading too, and so they bond in their shared hatred.

I smiled at the boy in question yesterday and I asked him, “Do you hate reading as much as you did on the first day of school?”

To which he answered, “No…”

This is the small moment I live for.

This is a victory beyond belief.

This is progress. He may not be a convert, sometime the kids never are, but his opinion has changed. His mindset has changed. If even just the slightest.

Too often we look for the big wins. The kids who declare that we are the best teacher they ever had. That this is their favorite class above them all. That reading , or doing math, or experiencing science, or whatever you love so much is their most favorite thing to do in the whole world, now.

But the reality is that those big wins don’t happen very often. Those big life changing moments for a child don’t always come in school. Or they don’t tell us about them.

But when this kid shared his truth with me, knew that his words were safe, knew that although I had not converted him he had changed his mind just a little, that is what I aim for; growth, change, giving something a chance.

Too often we feel like failures, like we are not enough because we the kids have not grown enough. Have not come far enough. This is what happens when we only look for the big moments. You will wear yourself out chasing them. So instead, look for the small victories. Look for the truths being shared. Look for the child that perhaps still hates whatever you are doing but hates it just a little less. This is what change is built on. This is what it means to teach; finding the small victories and realizing that what we do makes a difference even if we don’t see it every day.

If you like what you read here, consider reading any of my books; the newest called Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration, a how-to guide for those who would like infuse global collaboration into their curriculum, was just released. If you are looking for solutions and ideas for how to re-engage all of your students consider reading my very first book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. I am currently working on a new literacy book, called Passionate Readers and it will be published in the summer of 2017 by Routledge. I also have a new book coming out December, 2017 . Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Filed under: Be the change, being a teacher, Literacy

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Published on January 10, 2017 05:23

Three Keys to Creating Successful Reading Experiences

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It’s January. In the perfect world all of my students would love reading by now. All of my students would bring their self-chosen book to class, eager to dive in, begging for more reading time. In a perfect world, every child would have a goal they were working toward, every child would be eager to book talk their books, to browse our library, to read outside of class. I don’t teach in the perfect world, I don’t think anyone does.

Instead, by now here in January, I have kids that still show up with no books. That still tell me they hate reading. That still would rather flip the pages and not actually read anything. I still have kids who don’t read outside of class, who have no goals, who would rather do everything they can to avoid having a reading check in with me. Not a lot, the numbers have dwindled, but they are still there, they are still prominent, and I still lose sleep over how to help them have a better relationship with reading (or writing, or speaking, or English, or even just school…)

We all have these kids in our classrooms, in our learning communities. These kids that seem to defy the odds of every well-meaning intention we may have. Who do not fall under our spell or the spell of a great book. Who actively resists not so much because they want to but because they feel they have to. And so our initial thoughts are often to tighten the reins. To tell them which book to read. To hand them a reading log so that you can see when don’t read. To tie in rewards to motivate or even consequences to punish. We create lesson plans with more structure, less choice, less freedom overall thinking that if we just force them into a reading experience, perhaps then it will click for them.

We must fight our urges when it comes to the regimented reading experiences. What these kids need is usually not less freedom, more force. What these kids need is not more to do when it comes to their reading. What these kids need is not the carefully crafted worksheet packet with its myriad of questions that will finally make them read the book.

What they need is patience. Repetition. Perseverance. I am not in a fight with these kids. I am not here to punish them into reading. I am not here to reward them into reading either. I am here to be the one that doesn’t give up, even if they have themselves. I am here to be the one that continues to put a pile of books in front of them and say “Try these…” I am the one that will repeat myself every day when I say, ‘Read…” and then walk away. Who will crouch down next to them and ask them how they feel and listen to their words, even if I have heard them a million times before.

We look to external systems and plans because they entice us with their short-term promises. We fall under the spell of programs, of removing choice from those who have not earned it, in an effort to get these kids there faster. Yet, what I have learned from my students is that every one is on a different path. That every child is on the journey and while their pace may be excruciatingly slow, they are still moving forward.

So our classroom is not perfect, and neither am I. I cannot force my students to read but I can create an ongoing opportunity where they might want to. And so that is what I will do, every day, up until the last day, hoping to reach every single one, even if I have not reached them yet.

I am currently working on a new literacy book. The book, which I am still writing, is tentatively Passionate Readers and will be published in the summer of 2017 by Routledge. I also have a new book coming out December, 2017 called Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration, a how-to guide for those who would like infuse global collaboration into their curriculum. So until then if you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Filed under: Be the change, being a teacher, being me, Reading, Reading Identity

On the Need for Classroom Libraries for All Ages

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Published on January 04, 2017 05:25

The Best in 2016 – My Favorite Posts of the Year

Who would have known what this year would bring, how the world would look so different from the promises we arose with in our minds on January 1st. We have made it another trip around the sun and tomorrow we start a new year, a new book so so to speak. Who knows what will grace this blog in 2017.

This was a year of change for my family. Theadora, our oldest, changed school districts, the twins, Ida and Oskar, started 4-K, and my husband left the construction business after 19 years to become a stay-at-home dad and also go back to school to pursue his dream of being a teacher. It seems in a family life of change, I was the only constant. A new book was published, another one almost written and so many opportunities to grow as a teacher. There were 154 posts published on this post, many of them involving literacy, many of them involving books, so which are the ones that stood out to me?

Broken Child

A post about our oldest daughter and realizing that while she does not learn in a typical fashion at times, she was never broken. Excerpt:

She’s got my eyes, you know.

Blue mixed with gray depending on the weather. She’s got my long legs, arms for miles, and a laugh that comes from her heart. Her hands look like my grandfather’s who gave her her name. And those feet of hers are just like mine, growing too fast for her shoes to keep up.

She’s got her daddy’s sense of humor, always ready to make you smile. And also his artistic eye, declaring one day she will be an artist. She will paint the sky with every color she knows.

But she doesn’t have my skills of sitting still. Of staying quiet. Of focusing in.

She doesn’t smile easy or understand when others are kidding. Friendships are sometimes hard to find.

Some would say she is a broken child. Some would say she is a broken child.

12 Ways I Got My Life Back in Balance As a Teacher

A post I needed to remind myself that while teaching is an incredible job it is not the only thing I want my life to be consumed with. Excerpt:

I get asked often how I do it all. How do I teach full-time, have 4 children, a happy marriage, and also write, speak, and all of those other things that I am so lucky to do without losing my mind. And the truth is; I don’t know. There are good days where I feel like I have succeeded in most things and there are days where I feel woefully overworked. There is definitely a chase of balance always going on. Yet, there are some things that have simplified my teaching life that I now take for granted. Things that used to take up a lot of time that I no longer do or have changed to allow me to not work as much as I used to. Because the truth is; being a teacher is a never-ending job. Your to-do list is never done. There will always be one more thing that should get done, one more idea to try. Knowing that, I knew I needed to change a few things, in and out of the classroom in order to save my sanity and have a life.

A post to remind ourselves that the need for classroom libraries coupled with a school library (and librarian!) does not end after elementary school. We need classroom libraries in all of our classrooms, no matter the age.

It took me 3 seconds to decide that I was going to move my entire classroom library into my 7th grade classroom. Coming from 5th grade I wasn’t quite sure what the use of a classroom library would be on my new adventure, after all, we would only have 45 minutes together, but I couldn’t leave my books behind. I couldn’t leave them in boxes. Even if we didn’t need the books as a class, I needed them. My books were home to me and when you change schools, when you change districts, when you change grade levels, you need all of the pieces of home you can find.

My husband carried every single box of books into my classroom. There were more than 100 and they took up an entire wall as I waited for my bookshelves to arrive. He didn’t mind too much, he has realized a long time ago that I my obsession with books is part of who I am. As I opened each box and shelved the books in their new home, I couldn’t help but wonder if any child would ever read them? If dust would soon become their second skin rather than the hands of children. Was there any point in my meticulous placement of books?

Reading Conferences Within the 45 Minute English Classroom, Yes, It Is Possible

I have tried for the past three years to find time to confer with my students within the 45 minutes that I teach. It is so hard, but here are the ideas that have helped it become more of a reality.

Confession time; I am terrible at conferring with my students. This once proud foundation of my elementary classroom is now a crumbling pillar in my 7th grade English class. Call it a victim of the 45 minute I have to teach everything in. A victim of the so much to do. A victim of not quite knowing how to make it productive. Whatever it is, the conferring that I know I should be doing has simply not been getting done.

Yet a few weeks ago, I realized that the one thing I needed the most (besides more time, more books, more knowledge) was the simple conference. The one to one interaction with every single one of my students if even for just a few minutes. Because conferring is the one way I can really reach all students. Is the one way we can connect the best. Is the one way that I can really see what each child needs. Conferring is the best way for me to be a better teacher to all of the needs must of us are faced with. So even within the 45 minute English class, with almost 120 students spread over 5 classes, there had to be a way. There had to be tweaks that could be made to make it work so an experiment began.

The Test Does Not Care

Every spring I am confronted with the hours of tests my students have to take, this year was no different. I have realized though that the test does not care about my kids and it never will.

We teach our students to ask questions, to share, to discuss. We teach them to find help when they need it, take their time when they can, and to always use their tools.

They sit where they are comfortable in order to access the learning best. They reach out to those they trust and they use us whenever they are lost or just want to make sure that the path they are headed down is, indeed, the right one.

We try to create learning environments where discovering facts is only the first step of the journey, using them as a way to further understanding is the next. We use our shared ideas to further the knowledge of others. Where mistakes happen and we try again. We try to create learning environments where students have a voice, where they have choices, where we try to make it personal so that the experience they have makes sense for who they are.

What Every Teacher of Reading Should Do According to My Students

Besides my own children my students have always been the biggest professional development I have received. So it made sense to share their truths as they told me what made them love or hate reading with the world.

I have watched in amazement day upon day as our 7th graders have fallen into reading. Have become still. Have been whisked away to other worlds with their books in their hands and nothing to do but read. I have listened as they have spoken of books, have handed them to each other, have recommended and requested. Have been in competition with one another to read the book first, have asked me for that one book that they just can’t seem to find.

I have watched as my 118 learners became readers. Not that they weren’t before, well some weren’t, but now; books are a part of who they are, at least in the 45 minutes we share. Readers who were dormant are now awake. Readers who were resistant are now in a fragile dance with books that entice them to keep reading. Readers who already read have found bigger challenges to keep themselves engaged. And I am so grateful. Because these kids gave me a chance and I now see the difference as we race toward the end.

So today I asked them; what do you wish every teacher would do for you as a reader and they told me, and then they told me to tell the world.

I’ve Had Enough – No More Public Behavior Management Systems

For years I have fought against the use of public behavior management systems for kids and yet I still see, hear, and read about them every month. Our job is not to publicly shame children, it never was, why do we seem to forget that?

When I was a 5th grade teacher, my classroom was the very last one before the buses. Every day, all of the school’s students would pass by and inevitably some of those students and I would strike up a conversation. Day after day, a little kindergartener would tell me about his day, his shoes, his new fish, or whatever else popped into his mind. One day, he saw me and beamed,”Guess what, Mrs. Ripp!” “What?” I asked. “Peter was on yellow today!” He told this news as if it was the biggest gift, excitement spilling from his little body. Momentarily confused, because wasn’t this child’s name distinctly not Peter, it finally dawned on me; he was talking about another student. “Oh yeah?” I said. “Yes, Mrs. Ripp, it’s exciting, he hasn’t been on yellow all year…” It was November. My heart dropped.

Here was a kindergarten student who every single day so far of the year had been on red. Who every day had their behavior dissected in front of the rest of the class. Whose classroom identity was being distinctly shaped by poor decisions and whose biggest identifier was his behavior. I can only imagine what my kindergarten friend would tell his parent every day about Peter.

The Reading Rules We Would Never Follow As Adult Readers

Written as a reminder to myself, this post resonated with many when we spoke about the insanity of reading rules we sometimes create in our classrooms. I am grateful for the discussions this one continues to generate.

Choice.

The number one thing all the students I have polled through theJust an ImmigrantJust years want the most when it comes to reading. No matter how I phrase the question, this answer in all of its versions is always at the top. Sometimes pleading, sometimes demanding, sometimes just stated as a matter of fact; please let us choose the books we want to read.

Yet, how often is this a reality for the students we teach? How often, in our eagerness to be great teachers, do we remove or disallow the very things students yearn for to have meaningful literacy experiences? How many of the things we do to students would we never put up with ourselves? In our quest to create lifelong readers, we seem to be missing some very basic truths about what makes a reader. So what are the rules we would probably not always follow ourselves?

Just an Immigrant

Many people are not aware that I am not an American and this year I became even more aware of the privilege my origin and skin color carries. I had to write about it.

Eighteen years ago, almost to the day, I stood in a small office in the Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts clutching a sealed envelope to my chest as I tried to slow my galloping heart. In the envelope was a copy of my chest x-rays, not seen by anyone until the official in front of me would open them up. My pile of papers had been handed over and he riffled through them, tossing those aside that seemed unimportant. I am not sure I took a breath at all. I knew that if he found a mistake, if something seemed out of sorts, if something was missing, or a box was not checked, that was it. No questions, no explanations, I would be back on a plane to Denmark and all of the time, money, and hoping would have been for nothing. Standing there as an eighteen year old, I remember feeling so little, so scared, and so unsure of myself. My fate was in the hands of a stranger and all I could do was smile.

“What are you doing here?” or something similar is all I remember being asked. I must have answered correctly, in my perfect English, because he finally stamped my passport and handed it back to me. “Welcome to the United States of America…”

The Worst Class in (X) Years

What do we do when a class’ reputation defines them as a group?

My last year as a 5th grade teacher we were warned, in a friendly way ,of course, as these warnings tend to be. “Oh, you will have your hands full…” Oh, THAT group is coming up.” My team and I had seen these kids come up through the years, that is the beauty of elementary school. Yes, we had seen the tantrums, the fighting, the crazy behavior that made many label this group as the worst in (insert however many) years. But we also had seen the kindness, the energy, the fun that these kids projected and knew that while we may have our hands full, the year with them would be a year where we would always strive to look for the good, rather than the bad because although the bad was so easy to spot, it should not define a group of kids. Sure there were days where we could not believe what was going on but what I remember most about that year was how incredible the kids were. How much fun we had. How there were these incredible lows but also days that were some of the best of my teaching career. My team would agree with me on this. Yes we had THAT group but also loved THAT group.

Every year since then I have taken that same pledge; to always look for the good first. To always praise, to always point out how great of a group this group is. To change the group narrative in some small way. To always assume that this will be an incredible year no matter the reputation of a group. I think it is so easy to fall prey to the notion of the worst class ever. I think it is so easy to just want to get through a year as quickly as possible, I know there are days that seem never ending where we question everything we do. Yet when we do, we forget something very important; not every kid is going to have a bad day every day. Not every kid is going to have a bad class every class. Sometimes it may seem like this is the toughest day yet, but that too shall pass and just like we hope for a better day tomorrow, so do the very kids we teach.

The Least We Can Do

I was asked to do an Ignite at ITEC, I realized that there was one story I wanted to tell above all; the story of Augustine and her much too soon arrival and how it reminds me that the least we can do is love the kids who show up.

On December 19th, 2013, our youngest daughter, Augustine, was born almost 10 weeks early. She came so fast that there was no doctor in the room, just the nurse. She came so fast that I now know what the big red emergency button in a hospital room does. She came so fast that I did not see her. I did not hold her. She did not cry. For the first minute of her life, I did not know if she was alive. It wasn’t until my husband, Brandon, told me she was breathing that I think I took a breath. That life started up again because for that longest minute of my life, with no wailing to calm me down, I had no idea if I was still the mother of three or the mother of four.

They whisked her away from me into their machines, into the equipment that would help her tiny body breathe, stay warm, and her heart keep beating. See when babies are born that early they need help with everything. And we can prepare all we want but it is not until they actually arrive and we see how much they need us that we realize that all of a sudden we have started a new journey, one that will take us down a perilous path where we might not be able to see our destination for a long time.

Dear Dav Pilkey

I have long chronicled Thea’s reading journey on this blog and how it has shaped me as a teacher and as a human being. This letter of gratitude to Dav Pilkey sums her journey up to now.

Dear Dav Pilkey,

You don’t know me, not unless you count the every brief moment I stood in front of you a few hours ago in your book signing line. Yet I feel like I know you, perhaps that is what happens when your books have shaped the reading lives of so many of my students, I have seen the power they hold to transform children, I am grateful. But just recently your books have taken on a new meaning for me.

You see, our oldest daughter, Thea, is what some would define as a struggling reader, we choose not to but instead just see her as a child who has not yet found her place in the world of reading, who so desperately wants to belong but still feels like she is on the outside looking in. Who is developing with every book encounter she has. Who has to work so hard when it comes to something that others find to be so easy. Who for all of the years of her school experience has been given support by extraordinary teachers who have helped her believe that one day those words will come off the page and come alive. Just not yet…

A Quiet Moment

These kids we teach and the books we read, oh what a combination it can be at times.

Life is full right now. Full of so many wonderful things. Full of so many privileges, but also challenges, things that will make me grow as a person, as a teacher, as a human being trying to be a better human being. One of my privileges is to get to teach a class with some pretty incredible kids in it. They are bouncy, creative, loud at times. Sometimes they need reeling in that can take more than few minutes and yet every day as they walk out, although I am a little bit tired, I cannot wait for them to come back.

Today, the day after Halloween, I did not know what to expect. After all, one child had declared to me the day before that really all school should just be cancelled the week of Halloween. As a mother witnessing my own children’s lethargy this morning, I had to wonder what the day would bring. Would these boys even be ready for anything? Would it be a day of wasted time? As the day grew on and the kids seemed to wake up from their tiredness, I started to ponder just how loud the end of the day would be? Where would the crescendo hit?

A Story of A Child That Can

Rather than viewing our children through what they cannot do, we need to view them as they are now; capable, changed, and facing a whole life of possibilities ahead.

For the past three years, on December 19th, I have written about the miracle that is our youngest daughter, Augustine. About her much too soon arrival. About the fear. The uncertainty. The guilt…

I have written about my hope for others to see how a child’s start in life may still haunt them many years later when they show up in our classrooms. I have written about how the very least we can do is love them when they come. How we can prepare all we want and yet never be fully ready.

Augustine’s much too soon arrival has shaped our lives in many ways, and yet…last night when I came home from school I did not see a baby that arrived too early. I did not see a 4 pound miracle. I did not see a child wrapped up in long nights and frightening futures. In machines and medical personel. I saw an almost three year old showing me her pig, Pua. I saw an almost three year old that wanted to watch that monster show. I saw an almost three year old that kept her siblings awake by making cat noises.

As I look ahead to 2017, I cannot wait to see what I will write about.

Filed under: Be the change, being a teacher, new year, student choice, Student dreams, Student Engagement

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Published on December 31, 2016 07:24

On Doing Less

As I contemplate the year that has passed, the year that is about to start, I cannot help but think that it all seems to have gone by in a blink. That this year with all its news, all its wonder, all its sorrows, seem to have rolled me by and is just over. That while I cannot wait to say goodbye to 2016, I also cannot believe that this year is just done, just like that.

I look at the words that were supposed to define this year; hope, change, slowing down, spending less, giving more, and wonder when those words got lost. What happened to our audacity? What happened to our do something attitude? And how did my own children get so big?

So as I look forward to 2017, I cannot help but think of what I want to do less of. Of how I want to continue on this path of slowing down, of saying no, of focusing in on the tasks we have at hand rather than constantly stay focused on what is to come.

This year I have embraced the slow down in the classroom. To take the time it takes us to work through a topic. To move deadlines, to go deeper, to not do as many things in order to do better with a few. And I have noticed the relief in the students, I have also seen it in their work; more thought has been put into it, they care more, they have more questions. They are usually less stressed when they come to English and can actually turn off the outside world and focus on the learning in front of them.

So my word for 2017 is single-task. For years I have fooled myself into believing that I am great at multi-tasking, but really all I am good at is being distracted. For years I have felt my brain search out new stimuli every few seconds, not being able to embrace what I am doing right now, not being able to appreciate what I am doing because I am constantly searching for the other thing I need to do. So this year will be the year of doing one thing, of not having 7 tabs open at one time on my computer, of doing one thing until it is done and enjoying it. Of doing less and experiencing more. Of hanging with my kids without my phone, without my computer, without doing, doing, doing. Of teaching like every moment matters, because it does, of looking at my students more, of slowing down, of being in the moment.

I know I wont be perfect, we never are, but I will keep trying every day to focus more, do less, and do one thing at a time. What will be your word for 2017?

I am currently working on a new literacy book. The book, which I am still writing, is tentatively Passionate Readers and will be published in the summer of 2017 by Routledge. I also have a new book coming out December, 2017 called Reimagining Literacy Through Global Collaboration, a how-to guide for those who would like infuse global collaboration into their curriculum. So until then if you like what you read here, consider reading my book Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students. Also, if you are wondering where I will be in the coming year or would like to have me speak, please see this page.

Filed under: Be the change, being a teacher

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Published on December 30, 2016 06:59

Once Again, On My Own Inherent Privilege

I am not sure where these thoughts fit in, or whether they are even ready to be shared, but I keep coming back to the same conclusion and I feel like I have to write this out. So hang with me as I try to make sense of all of this.

Recently I had my US citizenship interview; that scary sit-down meeting that I have been waiting more than 7 months to have. The one where you fill out a 16 page application answering in-depth questions about your life, your intentions, your affiliations, your identity. You send it in, you pay the money, they fingerprint you and then you hold your breath hoping that they will see you fit to be given citizenship. Or even fit to be considered. And you wait, and you watch the mail, and you check their website, maybe once a day, until finally one day a notice shows up and tells you to be there or else…

So I went and my hands got sweaty and I kept thinking, what if I screw this up? What if they say no? What if the person behind the desk sees something they do not like and this means no? Then what? I walked in on shaky feet, heartbeat racing and it began. I had to answer 6 questions correctly – what is the supreme law everyone -I had to read a sentence, and I had to write. I had to pledge to say the truth and nothing but the truth. I then had to re-answer all of the same questions I had already said yes or no to on the initial application;a long rambling list of loyalty to terrorism, of whether I have committed genocide, if I have ever harmed others, held others against their will, which groups I belong to. All things that I tried not to crack up about because the questions are so crazy and as my students had said, “Who would ever say yes to any of that, Mrs. Ripp?” Yet as the interviewer quickly went through the long list of questions, not skipping a beat, I realized something once again…

No one is questioning my answers.

No one is asking follow up questions.

No one is wondering whether I am lying.

No one is questioning what my “real” intentions are for wanting to become a citizen.

No one is protesting.

No one is worried that I might become a part of this nation.

Because I am a woman.

Because I do not wear a hijab.

Because I am white.

I have written before about the inherent privilege I have in this nation as a white immigrant who looks like an American, who speaks English without an accent. About how no one thinks of me as “other” or “foreign.” About how surprised people are when they find out that I was not born here, nor raised here as a child.

I have written before about the path I am given because of things mostly outside of my control. And yet, today as I read about the removal of Adam Saleh on a Delta flight and tried to find out more about the story, I realized another thing; how many times have I sat on a flight and spoken on my phone to my family in Danish and the only questions I have gotten were delightful ones about that fun language I was speaking? How I have never been questioned about the content of my conversation or been seen as a threat because I spoke another language. How no one has ever looked at me with fear because of an every day action.

And I think of my Muslim friends where the opposite is their new reality. Where they are scared to walk the street with their hijab, afraid of having it ripped off their heads or of the treatment they will be given. And even my friends who are not Muslim but speak a language that sounds like something dangerous. Who may look like something we are afraid of (read; not white). Where they are scared to speak their own language in case someone around them mistakes them for plotting something sinister. Since when did we get so scared? Since when did we get so close-minded when it comes to others? Since when did we equate terrorism not with the actions of a few but the culture and appearance of many?

And sure, we can find example upon example of the terror acts we have seen to justify our fears but then why are we as a nation not also terrified of white males? Why are we not terrified of people who look like my husband because white males statistically are behind more terror acts than jihadists?

So while I passed my citizenship test with ease, I left with a heavy heart. Once again, me being white offered me a privilege that will not be extended to others that I know. Once again I am aware of the situations I will more than likely never face because of where I come from and how I look. And I have no answers of what to do except to keep thinking and speaking up and teaching my students about others so that they do not end up being those people who are afraid of anything other than what they know. Who are not afraid to connect with those who might not look like them, speak like them, or even think like them. We are living in a world of fear and that fear is driving us apart, we cannot let it.

Filed under: Be the change, being a teacher

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