Pernille Ripp's Blog, page 79

Today I Chose Not to Share – When Is It Our Right to Share the Work of Our Students?

I am spent.  Exhausted and drained as I type this.  My mind is swirling with thoughts that I cannot quite get a grasp on and yet, I feel compelled to share some words with the world.   My students started sharing their This I Believe speeches today, a project I was told would be powerful but that I had never done before.  I threw my faith into it, dedicated the last 3 weeks to write with them, borrowed ideas from amazing teachers like Brianna Crowley and held my breath just a little; would they really get what this assignment was about?  Would they believe in something bigger than them?

When I read their rough drafts I had to take a break.  Hurriedly written were stories of unexpected death, racism, bullying, and other anguishes that you don’t think any child, let alone a 7th grader should experience.  It took me three days to read through them, not because it was hard work, but because it was hard.  Hard to read their words and know that these are not just their stories, but their lives.  And so I knew I had to protect those stories, not share them with the world like we so often do.  That these stories belonged to us and no one else.  Which surprised me a little bit as I have always been an advocate for students sharing their stories to change the world.

Yet, more than a month ago, Rafranz Davis got me thinking about the things we share from our classrooms.  How we often share student work with their permission, but sometimes do not think of the larger consequences of sharing it.  How we view the internet as a vast land where no one will know the students whose work we magnify, and yet, this isn’t true.  We share and our students see us sharing.  We ask for permission from parents in blanket forms and they give it to us because they trust we will use their child’s work in a trustworthy way.  Yet, we sometimes share without thinking of how a child may be recognized in the work, or how something we don’t give importance can harm a family.  We simply don’t know what the unintended consequences may be when we let the world in.

Today, the stories intertwined with their beliefs came from shaky hands and downward glances.  Yes, this was a speech assignment but the hush at the end of each speech proved just how powerful silence could be.  These kids with their heartbreak.  These kids with their dreams.  Who had decided to give us the ultimate gift; their words.  Whose dedication to the community we have built this year told them it was safe for them to share.  Who believed in us and in this assignment and allowed others to see a side of them they don’t always show.  I have to protect that.

Sometimes the most amazing experiences we have with our students are those that no one but us know about.  Those that no one would be able to be a part of because they are not part of our community.  I asked my students to go as deep with this assignment as they were comfortable with, and their journey today showed me just how much trust we have built.  I wish I could share it.  I wish others could have been here to witness the courage of my students, to see the emotional reactions from their peers, but they couldn’t.  And they won’t.  And I am grateful because today happened and the rest of the world will just have to take my word on it.

So stop and think before you share your students work.  Think before you post.  Did the child mean for the whole world to see it or just for you?  Who did they write it for?  Would their parents or guardians want the whole world or even just the school to know?  If you are not sure, stop, don’t, there will be other things for the world to see.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: assumptions, being a teacher, being me, student choice, student voice

When Your Child Hates Reading- Some Advice From Those of Us Who Try

One of the top questions I work through with friends, family, parents of my students, and even my own children is what to do when a child doesn’t want to read.  Or  I am asked for ideas for how to increase a child’s desire to read.  This is not a question I take lightly, nor one that I have a magical solution to.  I wish.  But I do have a few ideas that may help a reluctant reader get more interested in reading taken from my own experience as a teacher and parent.

First of all; be a reader yourself.  Nothing speaks louder to a child than having reading role models.  Read as much as you can, discuss your reading, share your reading, and read widely.  Switch it up to showcase that reading is not just one thing to you, but can consists of many types of books and genres.  I always have a book in my purse, backpack, and in my house.  I read when I am waiting for people, when we sit a traffic lights, whenever we have an errand to run and I stay back in the car.  Be a reader yourself so that the children in your life can see the value of it, not just hear about it.  Also pass books on in front of your children, I often hand books to others and discuss why they might love it.  My children and students have started doing the same.

Secondly, keep reading aloud.  We read aloud to all four of our children every single night.  They pick the books and we gladly comply.  It is a perfect way to end the day and allows a moment to create a shared experience.  This goes for older children as well.  Several of my students have reported sharing a book with a parent and I can tell you; it makes a huge difference to them.  I also cherish the read aloud time we have in class, much too little of it unfortunately, but again it allows us to have a shared experience that will shape future conversations about books.  (One tip:  Read the first book in a series aloud to ensure students get hooked and have more books to read).  Create a shared read aloud experience with the world by joining The Global Read Aloud or other shared read aloud projects.  This helps students connect with the world and also gets them excited about incredible books.

Third, take them to the book store.  Yes, I love a great library but there seems to be a stigma to some kids about “those old books” that they can find in the library versus the new and shiny ones they can see in a book store.  My trick, so that I don’t go bankrupt is to take my own children to the book store first , let them select all of the amazing books they cannot wait to read, write them all down, and then head straight to the library to get them from there.  Once in a while they get to select a book to purchase from the book store and we make a big deal out of it.

Fourth, keep handing them books.  Be specific with why you are handing it to them.  “I read this book and think you might like it because…” and keep doing it every chance you have.  Don’t be offended when they don’t want to read it.  I tell my students all of the time that even if I think a book is great they may hate it, which always turns into a great discussion of taste.  Children need chances to develop their own taste and in order to do that they need to be presented with a lot of books to choose from.  (This is also why I have a large classroom library and many books at my house).  And don’t just hand them the Classics, or whatever you think they should read, if they express interest in something hand that to them.  My mother never limited what I read even if she felt something was too hard or outside of my interest, she just let me read.  When we micromanage we stop children from discovering themselves as readers.

Fifth, don’t let your own ideas of what great reading looks like ruin great readings for others.  I think we are all super guilty of thinking we know what great reading looks like.  Whether it is reading a certain book or genre, whether it is reading in a certain type of environment or noise level, whatever we prefer is what we assume must be best for all.  Just don’t.  I have had students get deep into the reading zone while listening to soft music.  I have had students only want to read one certain genre and nothing else no matter what I presented them with.  I have had students swear that the best reading they can do is when they walk around the room.  Yes, really!  And guess what?  They were right.  Their best reading is their best reading, not the silent lying on the couch method I prefer. But you should have the conversation with them, ask them what it looks like and then have them cultivate that.  Discuss your own reading preference so they can find their style as well.

Sixth, don’t do rewards.  Ever.  Reading is its own reward.  The minute we start to tie reading with a tangible reward, we remove the intrinsic pleasure we hope our readers discover.  Although reading for a reward can offer a short-term solution to get a child reading, it will set a long-term precedent of what reading is for.  It is not worth it.  It will almost never lead to some sort of revelation of how pleasurable reading is and instead you have created a new bad habit; the “give-me” monster whose outstretched hand will only read when there is a tangible prize at the end.  So don’t start, even if it seem  like it might help a little, the damage it will do will not be worth it in the end.

Seven, give it a break.  I can be a high-strung reading parent, particularly because reading has not come super easy for one of my own children.  When we saw her struggle, my immediate reaction was to want her to read for longer periods of time in order to practice more.  My husband intervened, thankfully, and reminded me that when she does read it is hard, concentrated work and so we want to keep it short and sweet.  Make it a pleasurable experience, not a drill sergeant moment.  So if your child is really fighting you on reading, or struggling, don’t force them to read for a long period of time every day, keep it short, pleasant, and predictable.   Let them browse books, read a bit and support them throughout. They will get there, it may just take time and that one great book, but making something already difficult or hated into a long battle is not going to change their mind or help them love reading.

Eight, talk about reading but in a non-threatening way.  My daughter and I invent stories a lot on our drive home, sometimes based off of read alouds we have done.  My students and I discuss movies all of the time, particularly if they are based on a book and we need to compare it.  I show book trailers, I do impromptu picture book read alouds, and I get very, very excited about new books that I am reading.  Books are a constant undercurrent of my life and I do my best to bring it to the attention of the children I am surrounded by, but in a non-obvious way.  So go to author talks and signings, do read alouds, go to movies based on books, leave books out, listen to audio books on road trips, be excited about being a reader and don’t give up.  You never know at what moment a child will start to love reading.

Nine, realize it’s ok if they don’t love reading.  I can’t believe I just write that but it is true.  Yes, we should make opportunities for all children to love reading but we also need to be ok with a child if they don’t.  My mother raised my 4 siblings and I to love reading (I really have 11 siblings but these were the ones at my mom’s house) and 4 out of the 5 kids love it more than anything.  My one brother… not so much.  He is a great reader and once in a while will fall in love with a book series, but most of the time he is busy doing other things.  His life is not less full or less pleasurable than mine.  So we need to be ok with having a child that doesn’t love reading as much as we do…That doesn’t mean we stop, but it means we stop judging them on it.

What did I miss?  What ideas do you have to share?  I know many of us struggle with this.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: aha moment, authentic learning, being a teacher, being me, life choices, Reading, student choice

Why I Would Love to Attend the What Great Educators Do Differently Conference

I seem to be aware to a lot of conference, I think it comes with the territory of being connected.  Many conferences catch my eyes and I dream of going but the reality is often that the days don’t fit, the price is too high, the location is too far away, or it is not quite what I am looking for.  Imagine my delight then when a new conference caught my eye and I, for once, realized that this one might just be something for me.

From the authors behind the great book What Connected Educators Do Differently , Jimmy Casas, Todd Whitaker, Jeff Zoul comes the What Great Educators Do Differently Conference – yes, that’s a mouthful, but completely worth your time! So why is this conference piquing my interest?

The presenters!  It is not often you get the likes of Todd Whitaker, Shannon Miller, Jimmy Casas, Angela Maiers, Dwight Carter, and even my friend Joe Sanfellipo at the same conference presenting. And the best part is that they are not the only ones, to see the full list of presenters go here.  I think what made me the happiest, though, was the mix of presenters.  From professors, to superintendents, to classroom teachers and everything in between, this conference promises to have many voices represented, not just that of professional presenters.
The location!  The great conferences are almost always far away from the Midwest but this one is right in Chicago.  A mere 2 1/2 hours from my house.
The dates!  Yes please to professional development on a Friday and a Saturday in October (the 16th and 17th) because by then I feel like i am ready to learn again.  I have gotten over the beginning of year craziness and am ready to be inspired.
The vision!  As much as I love being inspired when I got to conferences, I really want practical ideas that I can implement right now.  This conference promises to give me both; great inspiration and even an unconference in the middle of it to make sure attendee voices can be heard as well.  What more could you want?

So you may be wondering whether I am getting paid to write this, but no I am not, this conference looks that great.  I hope you check it out!

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: being a teacher, connections, learning

Well Hello ISTE 2015!

I have never been to ISTE.   A few times I have almost gone and something has always gotten in the way; finances, pregnancies, courage…  I hear ISTE is amazing and yet I am so terribly nervous to finally be going.  Will I get lost (probably), will I feel overwhelmed (probably), but more importantly – will I get to meet all of the amazing people I want to meet?  Will I get to make connections?  Will it be worthwhile?

So if you are going to ISTE, I would love to meet you.  I am pretty shy when it comes to meeting people, but this will be my chance to work through that.  So where can I be found for sure?

Bloggers Cafe – I think this will be my preferred hang out spot.  The only reason I get to do all of the incredible things I get to do is because of my blog.

Sunday:

ISTE Townhall Lead & Transform Panel – Sunday, June 28th 9 AM to 11:30 AM.  I am honored to be the teacher representative on this panel where we get to discuss how we are changing professional learning in our communities.  The best part of the panel is that I get to listen to  he amazing students from SLA, who will start the discussion!

ISTE Ignite – Sunday, June 28th 1:30 PM to 3  PM.  I have dreamed of doing an Ignite for several years and what better place to try it than at ISTE.  I don’t know whether I am more excited to speak about having courage to create passionate learning environments or listen to the other Ignite presenters!

Monday:

Monday morning – Award breakfast where the Global Read Aloud and I will be honored with the ISTE Innovation in Global Collaboration Award. 

Monday lunch – The ISTE Making IT Happen award luncheon.

Tuesday:

Set Their Voices Free:  How Students Can Share Their Stories – Tuesday, June 30th 10:45 AM to 11: 45 AM.  I am pumped to be presenting on this topic and with these people; Erin Klein and Colby Sharp.  We started planning this session this week and it promises to be hands-on with time to work, discuss, and share ideas.  Isn’t that what we all hope to get from a session.

Wednesday:

Corwin Connected Educator Panel – Wednesday, July 1st 8:30 – 9:30 AM.  I get to see some of my favorite people and discuss one of my passions; how do we empower students and staff in our schools with my friend and inspiration, Tony Sinanis.  What isn’t there to like?

Other than that I plan on hanging around the Skype booth and otherwise bopping around.  So if you are there, please say hello.  I am going to make as many connections as possible and would love to connect with you.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: being me, conferences, connect

What My Students Want to Know

I asked my 7th graders to tell me the truth and for 170 days they haven’t stopped.  Sometimes their truth was harsh, angry reactions to the perceived faults that school and teachers have.  Sometimes their truths weighed heavily on me as I drove home contemplating how to be a better teacher.  Sometimes their truth spoke of challenges I knew nothing of and had no idea how to solve.  Their truths became my truths as they shared, and shared, and shared.

My students have had opinions on everything, from the way teachers speak to them, to where they sit, to what we do.  Their words have shaped me more as a teacher than any other professional development opportunity, any other teacher, any other book I have read.   They have offered up their opinions even when I didn’t ask.  Showing me the trust they have in our community, the implicit trust they have in me to carry their words forward.  And so I have shared their words with anyone who crosses my path; placing them in my book, into my presentations, and into any conversation I have had.  I have made it my mission to share their words because for some reason students have little voice in today’s education debate.  And with their words behind me, I continue to change the way I teach, hoping to become than I am today.

So as I turned to my blog today to reflect on something completely different, their words encouraged me to write this instead.  They told me to ask a simple question to anyone who reads this; have you asked your students about your teaching?  And if you haven’t, why not?

That’s it.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: advice, aha moment, assumptions, being a teacher, being me, Passion, student voice

Why You Should Ask For Parent Feedback Even When You Are Afraid of the Answers

I just hit “Send” and for a moment my hand hovered over the “undo” button.  Perhaps I didn’t need to ask these questions, perhaps this year I would skip the annual end of year parent survey.  I don’t know why after 7 years of teaching, asking for feedback is still so excruciatingly tough.  Not from the kids, that I ask for every single day, but from the adults, the parents/guardians, the ones at home that see the effects of the teaching I do every single day.

For a few weeks I have wondered if I even wanted to send it this year.  If anything good would come from it, or if my self-esteem could handle it?  This was my first year teaching 7th grade and in so many ways I have felt like a brand new teacher with all of the flaws, the mishaps, the bad teaching that comes along with the first year title.  So now as the end of the year is in sight, I was compelled to just forget all about the feedback, pretend I don’t want to know, pretend to not care.

But that’s not the truth.  Because I do care.  Sometimes probably too much.  I know that I have screwed up.  I know that I could have been better at reaching every kid and teaching them what they needed.  I know I have failed some times, and I know some of my feedback will say that.  Some will probably crack my facade and make me feel pretty terrible.

And yet, if I don’t ask, I can’t grow.

So I let it go, and I now I wait, hoping for the best.  I hope there are some that will see how hard I tried to reach every kid.  I hope there are some that will see the thought, effort, and diligence that went into this year.  But I also hope there are some that will take a moment to give me advice, to tell me how I can grow.  Because I know I need to, and that is the bottom-line.  This is not about me, it is about the students.  And while I may have an idea of what I need to work on (and boy, do I ever), there is nothing like the perspective of a parent/guardian to show you things you never even thought of.  If we truly mean that we are in this for the kids, then we have to include those at home.  We have to ask the tough questions, even if the answers may sting.

If you would like to see my parent survey this year, here you are.  Student surveys will be done in class next week.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join ourPassionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: being a teacher, communication, end of year, feedback, hopes, parents, trust

Why I Will Be Going Device Free in My BYOD School

I work in a fantastic district that believes wholeheartedly in the power of BYOD or Bring Your Own Device.  All year, we have harnessed the power of especially cell phones as we have taken pictures, recorded video, searched for facts, and used them in ways that made what we were already more meaningful, easier, and more efficient.  I believe in the power of great BYOD.  I believe in the power of teaching students how to use the devices they have in a meaningful way.  I believe that all schools should allow students to use the devices they already have so they can work with what they have access to, not what we decide they need.

And yet, my students are distracted.  They are often on their phones checking the time, checking their notifications, moving it, taking one from a friend, or wondering where they put it.  And so am I.  My own phone is an integral part of our classroom.  I send out pictures of students working throughout the day, I take pictures for parents to see, I tweet from my phone to showcase their learning, and I search quick facts we may need as we discuss.  But I also look for my phone, get distracted by its blinking, and check that quick notification and then wonder what that email, Vox, or text may say while I am supposed to be teaching.  Not all the time, but it happens, and it happens more and more.

As a teacher, I am worried about the constant distractions.  About the small bursts of attention we can give to things before we get that check itch.  The itch that tells us to check our phone quick, check the time, check whatever.  That rush we get whenever we see something new come across our screens.  As a parent, I worry even more as I see how much my students rely on their phones to communicate, about the intense scrutiny their social media presence gets, and how wrapped up their self-esteem is in their device and the messages they get through them.  What I am not worried about so much is how students seem to be less connected with those in front of them, I am that way, but with books, which just happens to be a more socially acceptable way of disconnecting.  But the constant urge in the back of our collective minds to just check really quick; that is getting in the way of learning for all of us.

So with 11 days left of school, I am declaring our room a device free zone.  At least on some days.  At least on the days where the constant distraction of merely having the device will stop us from going deeper with our learning.  At least on the days where everything we need to can be accomplished without the help of any devices.  It is not a declaration of war against devices.  It is not a breach of rights.  I will simply be asking my students to leave their cell phones in pockets, lockers, or a designated bin along with my own.  So that we can focus on what we have in front of us, not what someone might have said or the rest of the world.  But us, the community we have right here, and the actions we want to take a part in.

Yes, cell phones and devices have a rightful place in our classrooms, but just like any tool, they are not needed every single day, every single moment.  And sure, there will always be distractions, we all need brain drifts where we can activate our brains in a different manner, but the focus on just this one thing has to be spread out.  Has to be ,discussed, processed, and changed.  So it starts tomorrow, no better time to start than right away.   .

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join ourPassionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: aha moment, attention, being a teacher, being me, technology

A Few Ideas for Using Skype in the Classroom

There are technology tools that come along and make your day easier, that make your day better.  There are technology tools that integrate themselves so seamlessly into your lessons that you soon forget what life was like before.  There are tools that you know you can rely on whenever you need them.  And then there are tools that encompass all that and oh so much more.  Tools that elevate your teaching ideas to places you never thought they could have gone.  That’s how I feel about Skype.  Skype and I have been faithful friends for the past 16 years, ever since I moved to America, but our relationship really deepened 5 years ago when I brought it into the classroom.

So why has Skype been such a central piece of my classroom?  Because it is free, efficient, easy to use, and opens up a world of possibility that I never could physically bring into my classroom, yet through its power and immense network I can.  Skype simply makes what we are doing better.  It gives us audiences, authors, experts.  It connects us with places around the world and gives my students a way to change the world.

So what are some of our best ideas?

Students speak to author Adam Gidwitz

How about using Skype to do market research?  We did just that in our epic nonfiction picture book project where the students had to write a book catered to a K and 1st grade audience.  So voila, through the magic of Skype we spoke to several classrooms throughout North America and learned what we need to learn to make our books so much better.

How about speaking with an author?  This has always been one of my favorite ways to use Skype since so many authors speak to classrooms either completely free or for very cheap.  It is powerful for students to see the genius behind their most favorite books and only heightens their experience with the book.  Did you know that the incredible Kate Messner has a list of authors who Skype for free?

How about working on geography skills while building community?  That is exactly what playing Mystery Skype has done for my students.  If you have never tried this simple guessing game, please make sure you plan one this year.  They are so easy to plan and incredible to be a part of. This is always one of the most favorite things my students do throughout the year.

How about having students teach others how to do something?  My students have used Skype to teach others how to blog and how to play Mystery Skype.  They have been teachers for other classes and other teachers.  Think of the power in that!

How about using it to share book recommendations?  As summer nears, my students are adding books to their “Plan to read” lists and a great way to get more suggestions is by scheduling Skype calls with other students eager to recommend great books.  This is a great way to get new suggestions both for my students and for my own classroom library and it seems to hold more power when it is a student-to-student recommendation rather than just me book-talking.

How about bringing an audience to you?  It would cost a lot of money for my students to visit an elementary school to perform or speak, but via Skype our audience can come to us.  So whenever the chance exists, I try to bring in a live audience through the camera.  Having the live audience ups my students’ performance and gives us a way to connect with others.

How about learning about other cultures?  I think we often think that every call has to be planned out and structured but sometimes just giving students tim e to  speak to other students can be exciting within itself.  One of my classes spoke to a school in inner-city New York, something I did not think would mean much to them because it was not out of the country, but the experience rattled them.  They could not believe how different their school and community was from theirs.  That call cemented something that I had been telling them all year but that they didn’t quite believe; America is a very diverse nation indeed.

How about to raise awareness?  My students have used Skype calls to raise awareness about the “R” words, bullying, and other issues near and dear to their heart.  Again, by providing them with a platform to spread their message that extends beyond our classroom walls, they see the significance that their words may carry.

And finally, how about to learn something more?  With the massive network of experts that Skype In the Classroom provides it has never been easier to bring in someone who knows more than me to help the students learn.  All I have to do is search for what I need and I can almost always find someone who matches that.  I love showcasing new fields of information to the students, and they love getting to ask even the weirdest questions.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join ourPassionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: being me, global, MIEExpert15, mystery skype, student voice

Our Favorite Picture Books for Middle School

I used to think picture books were best placed behind my desk, labeled for teaching use.  Stowed away neatly so that they wouldn’t be lost, not the pages too creased.  After all, picture books were for little kids and certainly not the big kids I was teaching.  One day, a student asked me if he could borrow one of the books that was perched behind my desk fortress, I wanted to say no, but instead asked him why?  Why did he want to read that book and not the mature books in our classroom library.  Sheepishly he glanced at me and then muttered, “For fun….?”  And so I handed him the book.  It wasn’t long after that all of my students would ask for the picture books squared away and I soon realized what a fool I had been.  Picture books were not for little kids.  They were instead the perfect text to use in mini-lessons, to lead discussions, and to create a community of readers.  I have never stored my picture books away from students since.

But what do you bring into the middle school classroom?  Is there some sort of rule that applies for which books will work with these fantastically diverse years or does it not matter?  It turns out that the only thing that matters is the quality of the picture book itself, once that is taken care of, the students will not stop reading them.  If you are just adding picture books to your classroom library, pick wisely in the beginning, but don’t get too caught up in whether or not it will make a great mentor text, I have found that the most unlikely of books can always be used for something as long as the students are into the story.  So the favorite picture books we have in our room, in no particular order, are…

A Sweet Smell of Roses by Angela Johnson

The North Star by Peter H. Reynolds

One by Kathryn Otosh

Pete & Pickles by Berkeley Breathed

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce

Malala, A Brave Girl From Afghanistan/Iqbal, A Brave Boy From Pakistan by Jeanette Winter

Bad News for Outlaws:The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshall by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

 

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

Bluebird by Bob Staake

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

What Do You Do With An Idea?  by Kobi Yamada

Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great by Bob Shea

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat

Froodle by Antoinette Portis

Gaston by Kelly DiPucchio

Sparky by Jenny Offill

Knock, Knock: My Dad’s Dreams For Me by Daniel Beaty

Open This Little Book by Jesse Klausmeier

Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds

It’s A Book by Lane Smith

That Is Not A Good Idea by Mo Willems (Or anything by Mo!)

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

And the list could go on and on, but at least this is start for those of you looking to add incredible picture books to your classroom library.  And don’t start like me; let the kids read them whenever they want, even the big kids, especially the big kids.  Which books would you recommend?

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: being a teacher, books, community, Reading

12 Tips for An Organized Book Loving Classroom

Anyone who enters our classroom immediately notices all of the books we have.  It’s hard not to, they seem to be everywhere.  While I have always believed in having as many books as possible in the classroom, I was not always sure on how to best organize it for optimal student access and interest.  Now, seven years into having a library, there are a few things that have made my life easier.

No check out system

I have tried so many different check out systems, from a catalog system, to student librarians, to an electronic version, and all of them turned out the same; a ton of work for me and I still lost a lot of books.  So a few years ago I abandoned the check out system.  Now students know they can grab any book as long as they promise to return it.  It is amazing to see the look on a students’ face when they hear that.  Yet, I am not sure this is still the best way, I do lose a lot of books but for now replacing books is easier than spending all of that time checking them out.

“Return Your Books Here” Bin

I used to have students shelve the returned books but I always ended up having to remind them and then re-teach them how to get them in the right bin even though everything was marked.  I now have a plastic tub with a “Return your books here” sign taped to it right by all of our bookshelves.  Once a day I take the time myself to shelve all of the returned books because it gives me a way to see what is popular, look for books other students are wanting, and check on the conditions of some of our most beloved books.  It takes me less than five minutes and all the books are in the right bin.

Bins for every genre and then some

I have loved having book bins for many years.  While they cost money and give you less shelf space, it has proven to be the easiest way for us to categorize books.  Bins are grouped by genre and some by popular authors.  Students suggest bins as well as they see a certain collection grow.  Two such examples are our newly formed Cassandra Clare bins and military history bins when students pointed out that we had a collection now.

This Book Belongs to Mrs. Ripp Stamp

This inexpensive stamp purchased from Amazon several years ago has saved me so much time.  All new books get stamped with “This book belongs to Mrs. Ripp.  Please return when finished” on the inside cover and then the genre abbreviation (or author if they are in an author bin) is handwritten below it in black sharpie.  I cannot tell you how many books are left behind in other classrooms around our school and this little inexpensive stamp means they all come back to me.

The Hardcover Post-It

The only exception I have to my no book check out system is that if a student is borrowing a hardcover book, I ask them to give me the book jacket and put their name on it with a post-it.  I then save them all in a bin and ask students for them periodically.  This has saved many hardcover books from disappearing as students see their name and then remember that they probably left in that one place.  It also gives me a way to track a book down if someone else is looking for it.

The Gutter Picture Book Organizer

Someone long ago hung gutters all around my room under the white boards and I could not be more happy.  Gutters make a perfect display rail for any amazing picture books we may have and ensure that all of the new ones get read right away as well.  A very inexpensive way to get more display space indeed.

Beginning of the year book shleves

Printed and Laminated Bookmarks

We use Kylene Beers’ book Notice and Note throughout the year to give us a shared reading language, so it was natural for me to make some printed bookmarks reminding students of the strategies as they read.  Bookmarks are i the same place next to post-its, which some kids prefer to use.  They don’t have to ask for one, they take them as needed, and return them when they don’t if they feel like it.

“Our Favorite Books” Spinning Wire Rack

For a long time I had a wire rack where I placed all of my favorite books on for students to browse.  Yet, it was not being used very much even though it was in a prime location.  After inspiration by Nancie Atwell, I hung a sign above it declaring it a rack for the students to share their favorite books and then took all of my books off.  I told the students its new purpose and have since watched it fill up with their favorite reads.  This spinning rack has now become the first stop whenever they need a new book.

A Separate Book Case (Or Two) For Picture Books

While we have many of our favorite picture books out on display in the classroom (it’s amazing how many time students gravitate toward them in a day when they have a few minutes), I also have an entire book case just designated to picture books.  I used to organize them and group them together and then realized it didn’t make the slightest difference to the students.  They looked through a lot of books anyway whether they were organized or not.  Since I don’t have these in bins, I gave up on organizing them and haven’t looked back since.

The Readers’ Notebook That Doesn’t Leave

I used to ask students to carry their readers’ notebook back and forth for some reason, which meant many days they left it in their locker, or at home, or didn’t know where it was.  I also had to ask them to specifically leave them behind whenever I needed to assess them which meant the pressure was on to get them assessed so I could hand them back.  Now I ask the students to leave all of their readers notebooks in the classroom.  I have a bin for each class, I don’t care what name order they are in and at the start of each class all I have to do is grab the right bin off of my shelf and put it out for the students to grab.  This is also how I do attendance these days, by seeing whose notebook has not been picked up.

Pre-printed Standard Comments Sheets

I assess my students readers notebooks every two weeks and while I often take the time to write in specific comments to them, I have also learned to pre-print address labels stickers with certain broad comments such as “Remember to use text evidence to support your thinking” or “Why do you think the author did this?.”  Not only has it saved me a lot of time when I need to assess 120 readers notebooks, but it also allows me to focus on the comments they really need while covering all bases.  The students do not mind (I have asked them) since they know it allows me to support them more often with my thoughts.

Learning to Let Go

This has been my biggest take away in having a classroom filled with books and readers.  Sometimes you don’t have to have a perfect system for it to feel perfectly fine.  The students make our book loving classroom their own so they change the organization of books, the shelving of them, and even how we read them.  I don’t mind, I just have to let go sometimes and trust the students.

I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA but originally from Denmark,  who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade.  Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the  Global Read Aloud Project , Co-founder of  EdCamp MadWI , and believer in all children.  The second edition of my first book  “Passionate Learners – How to Engage and Empower Your Students” is available for pre-order now.    Second book “Empowered Schools, Empowered Students – Creating Connected and Invested Learners”  is out now from Corwin Press.  Join our Passionate Learners community on Facebook and follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

Filed under: being a teacher, classroom management, classroom setup, MIEExpert15, our classroom, Reading, writing