• Our Approach
    • Teaching Preschool Partners believes in co-creation with our partners, and that our partners are a wellspring of inspiration and wisdom. We do not subscribe to conventional ideas of the “expert.” Learn more about how we work!

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    • We cherish our partnerships and acknowledge the boldness of what our partners are doing. They are creating worlds for children that build on their capabilities and gifts, and upholding a vision of a transformed public education system. Get to know our partners and arrange for a visit!

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      • Teaching Preschools
      • Parkrose School District
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      • See Our Press Release
  • Resource Library
    • This resource library was created with educators in mind. It includes tools and stories from TPP collaborating classrooms and Opal School. We hope you’ll explore these resources to find inspiration, get curious, and imagine next steps for your work with children. This is for you.

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    • Support TPP financially, support classrooms by donating materials, and support us through volunteering! Click Donate to see how you can support TPP’s mission!

      There are many ways to connect with TPP. Contact us by email, follow us on social media, or join our email list for monthly updates. Click Connect to see how you can stay connected to TPP!

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  • Our Approach
    • Teaching Preschool Partners believes in co-creation with our partners, and that our partners are a wellspring of inspiration and wisdom. We do not subscribe to conventional ideas of the “expert.” Learn more about how we work!

      • Our Approach
      • Who we are
      • Our Board of Directors
  • Our Partners
    • We cherish our partnerships and acknowledge the boldness of what our partners are doing. They are creating worlds for children that build on their capabilities and gifts, and upholding a vision of a transformed public education system. Get to know our partners and arrange for a visit!

      • Our Partners
      • Teaching Preschools
      • Parkrose School District
      • Gladstone School District
      • Public School District Partners
      • Beaverton School District
      • Greater Albany Public School District
      • North Clackamas School District
      • Portland Public Schools
      • Regional Partnerships
      • Southern Oregon Cohort
      • C2T2 Community Page
      • Active Playful Learning
      • About the Project
      • See Our Press Release
  • Resource Library
    • This resource library was created with educators in mind. It includes tools and stories from TPP collaborating classrooms and Opal School. We hope you’ll explore these resources to find inspiration, get curious, and imagine next steps for your work with children. This is for you.

      • Resource Library
      • All Resources
      • Documenting Learning
      • Opal SchoolNew
      • About Opal School
      • Opal School Online Archive
      • Collections
      • New to Playful Inquiry?
      • Environments and Materials
      • Tools and Publications
      • See All
      • Store
      • TPP Field Guide
      • Family Explore
      • Opal Publications
      • Habits of Mind Posters
  • Support and Connect
    • Support TPP financially, support classrooms by donating materials, and support us through volunteering! Click Donate to see how you can support TPP’s mission!

      There are many ways to connect with TPP. Contact us by email, follow us on social media, or join our email list for monthly updates. Click Connect to see how you can stay connected to TPP!

      • Support TPP
      • Donate
      • Donate Financially
      • Donate Materials
      • Volunteer
      • Store
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      • Follow us on Social Media
      • Join our Email List
      • Store
      • Field Guide
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      • Opal Publications
      • Habits of Mind Posters
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      • 2026 Virtual Professional Learning
      • 2026 Summer Early Learning Conference
      • Past Conferences

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Check Out Our Latest Posts

Come see what we are up to! From inspirations for practice to insights into how we work.

teachingpreschoolpartners

We help districts grow strong early learning, create demonstration teaching preschools, and give visibility to genius of children. PreK to Elementary.


"My painting means when you're out in nature you c
"My painting means when you're out in nature you can feel nice and calm, and that no one has power over you and that you are the only person that has control over you." Melody age 10 

In Kai's 5th grade classroom they were exploring powerful questions: 

What happens when cultures meet?
What happens when one culture exerts power over another?
What does having power mean to you?


January invites us to pause and remember what we b
January invites us to pause and remember what we believe about children.

In Curious, Playful, Capable Children, we’ll explore how playful inquiry supports the science of learning—and why joy isn’t extra, but essential.

Join us Tuesday, January 20th for a virtual session of reflection, research, and connection with educators who are asking similar questions.

This session is designed for PreK and Kindergarten educators, and open to anyone curious about playful learning.

✨ Link in bio to register


The Invitation:
Using clay, how might you build p

The Invitation: 
Using clay, how might you build places where animals stay safe and warm in a winter wonderland? 

How will your structure protect animals from cold and stormy winter weather?


Coming back together after winter break is about m
Coming back together after winter break is about more than routines. Thoughtful questions and materials help children slow down, reconnect with peers, and begin building meaning together again.


Coming back after winter break can feel like a res
Coming back after winter break can feel like a reset, for you and for the children you welcome back.

Thinking with Materials offers a gentle way to re-enter the classroom: start with a big question, invite familiar materials, and create space for children to explore, make meaning, and reconnect through shared inquiry. These moments help children settle back in while giving you rich insight into their thinking, questions, and ideas.

Looking for steps 3–6 or ideas for extending the work?
Full tool linked in our bio.


“I want to tell a story; I don’t have all the part
“I want to tell a story; I don’t have all the parts yet. But I know it’s going to be amazing.”

Children remind us as we start this new year that learning doesn’t start with having it all figured out, it starts with curiosity, imagination, and trust in what’s unfolding. 💛


As we look back on this year, we notice what linge
As we look back on this year, we notice what lingers.

The moments in classrooms.
The questions educators carried with them.
The ways children showed us what they were thinking through words, materials, and play.

Those moments continue to shape where we’re headed. They inform the resources we create, the partnerships we nurture, and the questions we’ll keep asking alongside educators.

To our community partners, the educators we learn with, the families who share their stories, and the funders who make this work possible—thank you. This work is collective, and it’s still unfolding.

We’re looking ahead with curiosity, care, and deep belief in children’s brilliance, and in the adults who make space for it to be seen.


Big questions make room for the big thinking that
Big questions make room for the big thinking that is already happening.

Asking Big Questions is a tool for noticing what children care about and using their interests, emotions, and ideas as the starting point for inquiry. When educators listen closely and invite questions that don’t have easy answers, children learn that uncertainty is not something to avoid—it’s where learning begins.

This practice supports children to:
share diverse perspectives
connect ideas across experiences
engage deeply with one another
imagine new possibilities together

When we ask big questions, we signal to children that their thinking matters and that learning is something we build together.

🔗 Find the full tool through the link in our bio 

This and other resources were preserved at opalschool.org thanks to generous support from James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation



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