I mean, really hit hard, and hugged tight all at the same time?
This happened to me this week. I attended Digipalooza 2016 at
Scottsburg Middle School this week. I saw several great presenters that I'll blog about at another time.
But,
an absolutely life changing moment (lots of them,) was when
Pernille Ripp spoke. The earth stopped spinning, all was absolutely silent as her words smacked me right in the face! went straight to my heart. She spoke about how we must be advocates for our students.
Why
am I doing some of the things I do in my class, when I know deep down in my heart that they may not be the best things for my kids or for me?
For example, my clip chart for behavior...
My kids love to be a Rock Star! And some of them were Rock Stars 235 times, and some were
0 times.....
I could tell you each morning as I greeted my gang, who was going to be a Rock Star and who was going to need to Get It Together.
Moving that little clothespin didn't change their behavior.
Moving that little clothespin didn't enhance their learning.
It gave me power! Power over them as to how they felt about themselves. Let's face it - some of my gang would never have Rock Star behavior! Just getting to school was a big accomplishment!
And some of my Rock Stars weren't stars, at all. Following the rules was easy for them - it was just who they were.
And we all know that one little gal who will go home on tell where everyone landed on the chart! (She's a Rock Star, of course.)
And I love my Rock Stars and my Get It Togethers and
I want them all to feel success!
I am also considering how I do reading in my class. I feel so much pressure to get all my Ks reading by the end of the year, and not JUST reading, but being fluent and fast and getting to that "magic level!" What?? I know in my heart that this is not developmentally appropriate for all my kids. I know this does not foster a love of reading and learning for the joy of it. It's a competition! I am the least athletic person you will ever meet. I say over and over that I don't like competition. Yet, here I am, Queen of my Classroom, setting up all my cuties, but one, to feeling less than! So, I'm rethinking prizes for AR points and passed sight word lists. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it, yet (honesty, people!) but I am determined to
celebrate all learning!
One of the things Pernille Ripp shared about spoke volumes to me! Why do we think it's okay to publish student achievement without their permission. I would never publish in a newsletter, whole class email, Facebook page, etc. a list of kids with IEPS and how they did! Why is it okay to treat our Honor Roll kids without the same courtesy? Learning is private - not public.
Even as we learn in a community, real learning takes place in ourselves...it's our understanding, our connections, our thoughts.
So, no more newsletter lists of which student passed which sight word list, or had the most AR points, etc. Yes, we'll celebrate achievements, but in a private email or note and in our classroom community. Again, this is a work in progress.
If you ever get the chance to hear Pernille Ripp speak, GO! She speaks the words that are in the heart of so many educators of any grade level.
I've been a teacher for a long, long time. Many of the things Pernille
Ripp shared I have felt for a long time. Many of the things used to be common practice. Education is a pendulum...it swings back and forth. Many new ideas are just old ideas with a new name. (I could have been a millionaire if I'd just labeled some of the things I've been doing for 30 years!)
Thank you, Pernille, for giving permission for those thoughts and beliefs to be not just okay, but important and doable!
But, one thing that should never change is a teacher's passion for her students!
When that happens, I'll know it's time to wave good-bye.
Holly
No comments