In this interview (funded via a Title III Elementary Secondary Education Act grant) the roots of progressive education are revealed as Marian Brooks recounts the beginnings of her teaching career in 1924 at the age of 15 in a one room rural New Hampshire school. The interviewer's questions encompass the: (1) nature of the early teacher preparatory programs; (2) involvement and interaction between the teacher and the community; (3) composition of the community; (4) relationship between the student and the teacher; (5) development of curriculum and curriculum guidelines; (6) models for child development; (7) common educational activities; (8) physical facilities; (9) academic assessment; (10) school district policies; (11) administrative philosophy and procedure; (12) interaction between teachers within the district; (13) salaries; (14) differences between various early educational philosophies; and (15) child centered approach vs the learning centered approach to education. This interview describes an emphasis on child centered, informal learning situations born out of the necessity to facilitate learning in a one room, one teacher school and to utilize integrated grade levels and family and community resources and involvement. (JC)