Constructing new ideas through dialog and the arts
During a recent Opal School Mentorship Program gathering, a group was discussing the quality of conversation they hear in Opal School classrooms. They were intrigued by the…
Tag: curriculum
It Starts with a Seed
As teacher-researchers, we feel strongly about nurturing children’s connection to nature through playing, making, and sharing. Stories are one way we play and share with…
Exploring Opal School’s Goals and Expectations for Students: Part 1
One important document that lives inside the family handbook that goes home at the beginning of each year is Opal School’s goals and expectations for…
Playing With Mathematical Theories Together
The first graders have been exploring these questions: How big is a number? How do numbers work together to make new numbers? These big, overarching…
Guest Post: Becoming a Teacher-Researcher
Today’s guest post comes from Sandra Patton, a teacher at Maple Ridge School in Alberta and member of last year’s Opal School Mentorship Program. A year…
Connection with the Natural World: Intentions as we start our year together
“If we want children to flourish, we need to give them time to connect with nature and love the Earth before we ask them to save it.” -David…
Keeping it Lively
Getting ready for next month’s Symposium, I find myself re-reading Ann Pelo’s The Language of Art. She writes, “we begin to use the word ‘art’…
Sharing what matters
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King, Jr. In observance of the Martin Luther King,…
Reflection: “New Possibilities for Readers”
Vicki Vinton reads with Opal School students at the workshop. In contrast to the structure we’ve followed in previous workshops, this year (2014-15) we decided…
Reconfiguring
I don’t think I’ve been so excited to begin a school year in a long time. Opal School’s continuous journey to develop an understanding of…