When I got these memories from Tamina Stephenson, who attended the Open from 1985 to 1992, and from Becky Lynch, who was our Resource Specialist in the early 2000’s I saw a way to link them that I hope you enjoy.
First Tamina recalls:
* Sock Walks: We put adult-size socks over our shoes and walked up on the hillside by the parking lot. When we got back, we took a look at all the vegetation stuck to the socks. I seem to recall putting the socks in plant pots to see if anything grew, but I don’t recall ever bothering to check back on them. I wasn’t too into science then.
* Hundred’s Day: On the hundredth day of school each year, each of us would bring a hundred of something. For the life of me I can’t remember what I brought. I remember my mom telling me that my brother once brought 100 alfalfa sprouts. I have a notion that someone brought 100 stuffed animals, but looking back I kind of hope that didn’t happen. I think I remember Max F. bringing 100 legos, but I’m not at all sure that actually happened. (He was known for having a lot of legos — that I’m sure of — but did he actually bring legos for Hundred’s Day? That could be an interpolation.)
Quiet Writing Time: Sandy’s Group, 2nd and 3rd grade (1987-89). We used binder paper stapled to the inside of a manilla folder. When we filled up all the pages, we got to ask for a new one. I remember looking out through a high-up window at dark green rainy branches while I thought about what to write. I remember spinning stories that filled up pages and pages. I remember having writer’s block — but we called it something else. For days I’ve been trying to remember what we called it, and it finally came to me: Brain Flop. At least I think that was it. “Brain” something, anyway.
Then Becky slides in:
When I was working on my Reading Certificate I was in a class with teachers from Sir Francis Drake High School (now Archie Williams High School). They told me how much they enjoyed having students from the Open Classroom in their classes because the teachers really enjoyed reading Open Student’s papers. These students were not writing for the teacher or the grade. Instead they were able to let their imaginations and their true thoughts guide their writing. I also must add that I was a substitute teacher in the Sonoma County Schools for many years and I never taught in a class where the students actually enjoyed writing. Yet the students in the Open classroom wrote with ease and great pride. Keep up the good work!
