Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/a-manner-of-speaking/5024196/
How did we get to be who we are? What people, ideas, experiences have shaped us? The people we work with usually come into our lives with much of this “shaping” already in place, so it’s a privilege to learn something about how they came to be.
I have always admired the work and presence of Lella Gandini. Many of you have experienced her calm grace and gentle guidance for yourselves, so, for all of us, I asked Lella: “How has your engagement with Reggio Emilia—the philosophy, the people, the ideas, the schools—impacted who you are as a person? How have the ideas shaped how you are in your marriage with Lestor, as a mother, as a friend? How has this engagement influenced how you interact with other people, how you engage with ideas, how you cook and decorate and garden?”
“Certainly my encounters and collaboration with Loris Malaguzzi and other educators from the schools of Reggio Emilia have influenced my approach to working with others and my writing a great deal,” she replied.“To be sure, I was already disposed—eagerly so—to listen to and observe deeply what was happening in those schools, starting when I began to visit them regularly. ...