Who teaches us how to live in democracy?
In his column this week, David Brooks writes, “this year, we’ve been so besieged by Donald Trump’s shriveled nature that we sometimes forget what full…
Tag: agency
Courageous and Collaborative Communities
Last week, I split my time between two groups. The first half of the week, Opal School hosted a Study Tour for a school from…
I can help
How might the process of creating, imagining, or inventing support the children’s sense of purpose and belonging in a community? This is one of the…
Casting a line toward invention
As Susan wrote in her recent post, Opal School staff gathered Wednesday to discuss their observations of times when children were being inventive. I was…
Looking for Invention
With generous funding from The Lemelson Foundation, Opal School is embarking on an exciting journey this fall to research Invention Education alongside our friends and…
Intentions: Interdependence and perspective taking
Dear Intermediate Community families, At Opal School, we see all children as competent citizens with rights. We see them driven to connect, eager to empathize…
Everyone plays a role
The fourth- and fifth-graders in Opal 4 have been stretching out, finding ways that their gifts can address the world’s needs. Many of their stories…
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. …
Materials as Metaphors
My recent post, Say What You Mean, began as this post — but I got so tangled up in thinking about the relationship between knowledge…
What does it mean to take a stance?
The children in the Magnolia Room are exploring and playing with the idea of being an author and the purpose and intentions that go along with…