Growing Together Blog Archives

We do not have day-to-day, moment-to-moment plans. These would run contrary to our philosophy of education. We do have thematic units with flexible beginnings and endings. The way is open enough for the journey to wiggle and zig and zag along the way.

“Rather than getting children ready for school, we need to get school ready for them.” a quote from Docia Zavitkovsky, President, NAEYC 1984-1986, Founder of Play Matters, and lifelong supporter of parent cooperative schools.

Let’s consider the walls of a classroom; if the walls could talk, and they certainly should, they would tell the story of what the children have been doing, what they have been researching, and the concepts they have been investigating

An invitation to enjoy a virtual tour of The Cooperative School’s prekindergarten class culminating social studies art project for Fall 2010. A celebration of our planet and our connections to each other.

There is joy in sharing that first book on the first day of school with a new group of children. A teacher shares how she chooses first books and what makes those so special.

Meaningful introduction to environmental preservation has long-lasting impact on future generations of nature’s caretakers. Water restrictions and soaring temperatures turned our attention to our local watershed, The Anacostia, and ways to introduce conservation to young children.

Teacher, Andrea McDougall, meets with Trinity Washington University graduate students to review The Cooperative School’s student assessment practices.

A recent post courtesy of the Freer and Sackler Galleries alerts us to a lovely gem—the blog, Porcelains and Peacocks. A freezing wind sweeps the branches outside, the sun barely melting the remaining gray-tinged heaps of snow left from the last snowstorm. The latest entry from Kendra Boutell warms and inspires. She presents a stunning [...]

The Tracks class curriculum front and center, please. I had the pleasure of presenting on the Curriculum-Creative Expression and Appreciation for the Arts track at the Association’s Annual Conference in D.C.

The art of conversation is something many adults take for granted. Try to remember a recent casual conversation you had with someone. Focus only on the back and forth flow of statements, responses or questions made by you and the other person. What was the ratio of questions versus statements?

Most casual conversations between adults probably consist of an equal give and take of related ideas rather than questions. In fact, if you were talking to a person who constantly asked you a series of unrelated questions, you would leave the conversation feeling like someone had just invaded your personal space!