Article Link: http://stage.exchangepress.com/article/a-manner-of-speaking/5012112/
Carlos charges into the room, a beamer of a smile on his face as he deadheads it for the art table. Baskets of markers, nature magazines, and several sizes of paper are arranged within reach. Ginny is discussing wild animals with the children; she suggests that each choose a different animal to draw. Seemingly oblivious to the sound of Ginny's voice, Carlos is carefully choosing markers. With intense concentration, he selects a magenta marker, then a purple, a red, and finally a blue. He arranges them in tight order and stares at them for several seconds before he adds a green marker to the lineup. Smile intact, Carlos begins to draw. "What animal are you going to draw, Carlos?" Ginny asks. "A SNAKE! I'm going to draw a snake." He never looks up as he creates his beautiful snake, alive with color.Carlos makes me realize again that not all people learn in the same way, not all people approach a challenge from the same perspective. The other children at the art table chose animals before they put marker to paper. They spent at least moments thinking about the shape of the animal; some even looked through the nature magazines for ideas ...