(Jenni is moving to another state. As a going away present, everyone in her class is working on a two-sided “memories” worksheet, which will be bound into a book and given to Jenni on her last day next week. On the front side of the paper, students are to draw a picture of Jenni and share their favorite memory of her. On the back side of the sheet, the students will be drawing a self-portrait and writing a short paragraph about their own likes and hobbies for Jenni to read.
Jeremy, standing at his desk, motions for me to come and help. When I arrive, he lets out a deflated sigh…)
Jeremy: “I don’t know where to start with a person.”
Me: “Ok. No problem. How ‘bout the head?”
Jeremy: “But I can’t draw! See, watch…”
(draws a very skinny oval head and then stands back to look at his work…)
Jeremy: “It looks like a thin potato. Ugh! That is LITERALLY horrible.”
Me: “Well, we can always come back and change the shape of the head if we want. Keep going! Just focus on the upper half and I’ll be back in a few to see how you’re doing…”
(I leave him to check on everyone else in the class. When I return to Jeremy a couple minutes later, he’s not only completed the upper half of the body, but also the bottom half…)
Me: “Oh, great! You added legs!”
Jeremy: “Well, yeah, who wouldn’t?!”
(7 or 8 minutes pass. He finishes his drawing of Jenni and goodbye letter on the front side, ready to move on to the self portrait and “about me” paragraph...)
Jeremy: “Done with the front!”
Jeremy: “Ok, now I need a mirror…”
Jeremy: “I can’t remember what myself looks like.”