Teaching and Learning
Play, the arts, and education for democracy?
Next month, Opal School will host it’s 16th Summer Symposium. We determined the theme, Play, The Arts, and Education for Democracy, a year ago. Knowing that…
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We are influencing our own play. Yes!
Periodically, Opal School’s community of staff, parents, and children come together. Recently, the community tended to its outdoor space as the sun came out of hibernation. …
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Say What you Mean
We’ve been infected with this kind of pathological impatience that makes us want to have the knowledge but not do the work of claiming it.…
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Constructing Identity
Because it’s Opal 4, we knew we would deeply explore the complexities of perspective this year. Because it was a presidential election year, we knew…
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Dear Future School
It’s that time of year when our oldest students start seriously thinking about the schools they’ll go to next. These transitions are always bittersweet. It’s so…
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Getting the lights right for dancing
At Visitation Days, we explored this definition of Playful Inquiry with educators from across the United States and Canada – and we’ve been chewing on…
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An act of freedom
It’s been a stunning, bewildering, shocking ten days. I’ve heard people across the political spectrum call the rapid-fire developments chaotic and confusing. It’s hard to…
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Open Spaces of Democracy
Portland got a lot of snow this week – and, as a result, Opal School and schools across the city have been closed. Snowed in,…
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Compasses for navigating labyrinths
I imagine that, for many of you, the holidays included time for reconnection, reflection, and play – and lots of reading. I found myself immersed…
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Listening for what they need
Hannah published this provocative post earlier this week in a section of the site exclusively available to members. I repost it here for two reasons. Firstly,…
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