Teaching and Learning
Collaboration
Our next newly revised goal for Opal School students is this: Collaborate with others to construct ideas and create new knowledge. It looks like this:…
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Perspective
The widespread failure to recognize the insights that can be found in all different perspectives may itself constitute a disability. -Ellen Langer Several…
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How can primary sources inform our understanding of the stories of history?
The students in Opal 4 have spent some time “stalled” on the Oregon Trail. They have used this time to deepen their understanding of where…
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Storytelling
"Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today." ~Robert McKee Children in Opal 1 gathered excitedly on the rug last…
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The Power of Vulnerability
Last week, Opal 2 teacher Zalika included the following TED talk in her blog: Here and here are the links to Zalika's powerful posts.…
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“I love when adults think kids can do anything.”
"I love when adults think kids can do anything." …murmered an Opal 2 student in the midst of working in blackline marker. With all my adult…
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Goals and Expectations
Opal School staff are currently collaborating on revisions to our goals and expectations for students. What an exciting process it has been, to revisit these…
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Beginning to think like historians
Shortly before Winter Break, Opal 3 began to dive into the questions of studying history: What was life like in the past? What was here…
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What do engaged learners look like?
On Wednesday, we spent the morning wondering about water. Students had time to play with water in pitchers and in tubs to notice how the…
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The Little Moments
As teachers in the Early Kindergarten classroom, we spend most of our days observing, noticing and paying attention to the little moments that occur in…
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