Pernille Ripp

We are allergic to boredom. Our students are too. But what if boredom is exactly what they need? This year I have been trying to bore my students on purpose. Here is what that looks like.

Our kids' brains have been rewired and we are still teaching like they haven't. Here is what that means for our classrooms and ten things we can do about it starting Monday.

What We Can Actually Do Before Summer For the Readers Who Need It Most

He's a good reader. Bright. Funny. And all year he's told me there are no good books. This post is about what I finally realized — and a free tool to help.

Year after year, I hear it more. Even from my youngest readers. "I hate reading." This post is about what to ask next — and a free tool to help. Link in comments.

A new piece on something I keep thinking about — the readers we already had. The ones who loved books and slowly, quietly stopped sharing that with us. Not because they stopped reading. Because the room stopped asking. Three small moves that might help.

We turned our tiny classroom library into a space students could navigate—sorting books by genre, wrestling with fiction vs. nonfiction, and learning through messiness. A lesson in reading, teaching, and yes… failure. But worth every minute.

This is the work. Not forcing reading or offering rewards, but building spaces where children feel safe enough, curious enough, and seen enough to want to read. Before we change students, we have to change the conditions we create around reading.

Supporting children who struggle isn’t about fixing everything. It’s about showing up, noticing, and taking small, meaningful steps — building trust, safety, and connection while honoring realistic expectations in the classroom.

On the cusp of a new year, I reflect on quiet moments of survival, presence, and ordinary joy — in parenting, teaching, and life. Sometimes the bravest work is simply showing up, noticing, and offering steadiness to children and ourselves, one small moment at a time.

In a world pushing more, faster, and louder, I’ve been returning to what actually works: slowing down, building community, and protecting children’s humanity in our classrooms. This is a quiet return to that work.

Starting something new — one Thinking Classroom prompt each week. Quick, curious, and made to spark talk and connection during literacy time. One whiteboard, three kids, endless thinking

I’m a doodler. For me, drawing isn’t distraction—it’s focus. With the Global Read Aloud about to begin, I’m sharing ideas for how mindful drawing can deepen read-alouds, spark conversation, and build understanding. Curious how? Click to read more.

Asking questions is brave—especially for kids in a world of AI, bias, and peer pressure. In this post, I share 7 play-based ways to help students practice curiosity, take risks, and feel safe wondering, experimenting, and learning together.

What if a child’s “I can’t read this” is really self-doubt in disguise? Inspired by Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s work on imposter syndrome, this post offers practical ways to support students who don’t feel like real readers—yet. #pernillerecommends #readingidentity #literacysupport

Woke up from my first back-to-school nightmare—heart racing, mind spinning. But this year, I’m preparing differently. Less hustle, more presence. Rest isn't a break from teaching; it’s part of becoming the teacher I want to be. #teacherlife #restiswork #backtoschool #teacherwellbeing

Sliding into break by stopping the teacher thought train