by Tay Parker, Open School staff member
March 7, 2017
Today I’m interviewing one of our students, Taeho Lee. He’s 10 years old and he’s the Open School’s newest student. He is bilingual, and speaks English and Korean fluently. I admire Taeho because he’s a very determined person with a high degree of focus on his personal interests, and because he’s very independent. He has tics, which are an involuntary action that can be a vocalization or a physical motion.
Tay: Why did you decide to come to school at The Open School?
Taeho: I didn’t want to go to traditional school because of my tics.
Tay: Do you feel like this is a better place for you?
Taeho: Yes, because there’s not a rigid schedule.
Tay: You’d rather be in charge of your own time?
Taeho: Yes.
Tay: Do you like complicated systems a lot? I know you like computers, Magic: The Gathering (a card game), and Civics Board.
Taeho: Yes. I just do.
Tay: When we went to Snowdrift, what was your favorite part?
Taeho: Sledding down the hill.
Tay: What’s your favorite deck color to play in Magic?
Taeho: Black and blue. That’s the best.
Tay: Why?
Taeho: They’re good combined. Blue is about trickery and manipulation, black is about power. The worst is white and red. My brother plays white and red and he loses every time.
Tay: Do you like music?
Taeho: Depends. I like rock and jazz. I don’t like classical.
Tay: In traditional school, what was your favorite subject?
Taeho: Science. Any science. Physics. Astrophysics.
Tay: Do you know how to cook?
Taeho: No. Just instant noodle soup.
Tay: Are you going on the Joshua Tree camping trip?
Taeho: I’ll think about it.