Rippen’s Rants

Hello readers! I’m glad that you stopped by. It’s always a good idea to know a little bit about the author of the material that you read so that you can better understand point of view.

I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona and was one of four children. I was the middle child and remember my early years quite vividly. I would say that it was a very stable and happy existence. I loved school, and when I chose a profession, I knew that I wanted to be around children and chalk dust. I graduated from Arizona State University twice – once with an undergraduate degree in elementary education and five years later with my masters in administration. I have been teaching off and on since 1973.

I married my husband in 1978 and we have been on the move ever since. He is in the IT field, and has survived the buyouts and the heydays of a crazy profession. We moved for jobs five different times and have been here since 1993. We have two children, a girl and a boy, who are now adults. I also have a menagerie of pets at all times, and have never met any unlovable creature.

As a teacher, I believe that you have to try different approaches for each child. A doctor never prescribes the same medicine for each of her patients, and a teacher needs to approach learning in the same way; so, I spend a great deal of time observing and listening in an effort to understand your children. I set high expectations for each student and try to make learning enjoyable and valuable. I believe that learning is often hard work, and requires organization, persistence, and reflection. It also requires involved parents! In my classroom, your children will hear a great deal about success traits and their meanings. My hope for your children is that they leave me with a strong foundation of basic skills, prepared for third grade and beyond, and with the intrinsic motivation needed for success.

I will add posts to this area regularly, and would enjoy hearing from you as well. We will all learn from each other and your questions and comments will help me with my understanding of my students and their families.

Best regards,

Sharon O’Brien Rippen