Episode 8
Episode 8:
Multiple Intelligences
"Who are we to believe that all children must learn in the same way, respond to the same stimuli, and develop in the same ways?"
This chapter – "Multiple Intelligences" – is a pedagogical and human revelation. Ana takes us through a revolutionary vision of how we learn, think, feel, and express ourselves. She shares not only a theoretical concept, but a vivid and profoundly transformative experience from her own career as a teacher and mother.
Journey through "Pedagogia da Alma" - Rediscovering the essence of education
In today's educational world, where standardization and measurable performance seem to dominate pedagogical discourse, Ana Dalfovo's book "Pedagogia da Alma" comes as a breath of fresh air. This work is not just an educational theory—it is an invitation to transformation, a call to rediscover the human dimension of the educational act.
Throughout this series of commentaries, I will explore the chapters of a book that dares to put the soul at the center of education. Ana Dalfovo guides us through a vision in which the child is not a vessel to be filled, but a flame to be lit, where the teacher is not just a transmitter of knowledge, but a spiritual guide on the journey of self-discovery.
Each chapter analyzed in this series will be a window into a new understanding of education—one that values the uniqueness of each child, recognizes the diversity of human intelligences, and advocates for a pedagogy of love and mutual respect. Together, we will discover how the theory of multiple intelligences blends with practical experience, how emotions and spirituality find their place in the classroom, and how we can transform education from a rigid process into a shared adventure of growth and discovery.
This series is not just for educators—it is for everyone who believes that education can be more than memorization and evaluation, that it can be an act of love and transformation. I invite you to join me on this journey of rediscovering authentic pedagogy.
🧠 1. A multifaceted mind – There is no "single intelligence"
Ana starts from the essential idea proposed by Howard Gardner:
"All intelligences have equal priority."
This statement debunks the classic myth of IQ as the sole measure of intellectual value. Gardner teaches us that intelligence:
is not a single currency,
is not measured solely by logic or language,
but is a mosaic of abilities, sensibilities, and ways of perceiving the world.
Ana embraces this idea to understand her students and herself, offering a lesson in empathy and adaptability.
🧩 2. Gardner's 8 (and maybe 9) intelligences
The chapter explains them clearly and with vivid examples:
1. Linguistic – writing, speaking, rhymes, stories.
2. Musical – sounds, rhythms, intonations, composition.
3. Spatial – images, maps, visualization, orientation.
4. Bodily-kinesthetic – dance, movement, sports.
5. Interpersonal – understanding others, empathy, communication.
6. Intrapersonal – self-knowledge, introspection.
7. Logical-mathematical – reasoning, calculations, patterns.
8. Naturalistic – connection with nature, plants, animals.
9. (under debate) Existential or spiritual – meaning, consciousness, life.
Ana doesn't just list them – she humanizes them, brings them to life through connections with everyday life and classroom lessons.
🎓 3. Her personal story – transformation through recognition
A key moment:
"My lessons were never the same again."
After learning about the theory of multiple intelligences, Ana:
gave up the one-size-fits-all approach,
began to tailor lessons to each child's unique talents,
put joy, play, and authenticity at the center of learning.
The result?
"Students were learning, playing, and recognizing their different types of intelligence."
This is the educational revolution in practice: seeing the person beyond the grade and the curriculum.
🔍 4. The test—a simple mirror of your own dominant intelligence
The proposed test is accessible and revealing – a simple tool for children and adults, designed to:
show us how we learn naturally,
put us in touch with what brings us pleasure,
provide us with an intuitive map of our strengths.
It is an invitation to self-discovery, personal validation, and the freedom to be YOU.
🧘 5. Spirituality – intelligence that cannot be measured, but felt
Ana boldly states:
"I recognize this ability because I recognize the life that expresses itself through it."
She includes spiritual intelligence – although unofficial – in her reflection as a profoundly human dimension:
the search for meaning,
connection to something greater,
self-awareness and awareness of life.
It is a call not to limit our understanding of humanity to only what can be measured or quantified.
🧡 6. School – from a rigid cage to a laboratory of potential
Ana urges us to:
view every difference as an opportunity,
not impose a single learning style,
listen to children – not just what they say, but how they learn,
be present, empathetic, open to learning from students.
"Children already live this value. They are the present consciousness."
It is a plea for the school of the future – one that does not close, but opens.
One that does not label, but liberates.
🔄 7. Changing lenses – from deficit to potential
"Change the lenses that see deficiencies, problems, rebellion, laziness, with opportunity, acceptance, and genius."
This is one of the most powerful ideas in the chapter.
Ana says it clearly: children are not the problem. We are the problem when we don't see them.
It is an invitation to:
change your inner vocabulary,
give up comparisons,
cultivate the uniqueness of each child.
💫 8. Conclusion – about freedom, creation, and recognizing value
"To recognize your intelligences, you must above all smile."
A smile is the inner sign that you are on the right path.
Intelligence is not just in the head. It is in the heart, in the body, in the voice, in dreams.
It is what makes you vibrate.
Ana concludes with a blank space—symbolic and concrete—for personal reflection:
About who you are.
What you want to create.
How you can use your gifts.
📝 Conclusion
"Multiple Intelligences" is a chapter that:
debunks the myth of single intelligence,
rebuilds respect for diversity,
provides teachers, parents, and students with a map of human potential.
It is one of the most concrete, yet poetic, pleas for the humanization of education:
Recognize, adapt, liberate.
Do not impose. Do not force. Do not label.
Lessons from "Pedagogia da Alma" - The seeds of a transformative education
At the end of this journey through the pages of Ana Dalfovo's book, I pause to reflect on the profound message that runs through the entire work: education is not about what we learn, but about who we become in the process of learning.
Through each chapter analyzed, I discovered that "Pedagogia da Alma" does not offer quick solutions or ready-made pedagogical recipes. Instead, it invites us to an inner transformation that begins with us, the educators, and then spreads to the children in our care. It is a pedagogy of presence, of deep listening, of respect for the mystery and uniqueness of each life.
Dalfovo reminds us that there is a seed of genius in every child, but this seed can only blossom in an environment that recognizes it and nurtures it with patience and understanding. The theory of multiple intelligences thus becomes not just an academic concept, but a tool for liberation—the liberation of children from the rigid patterns of a uniform educational system.
What impressed me most in this work is the call for courage—the courage to be different, to innovate, to put the soul before the system. The author urges us to be the "innovators" in our own classrooms, to create "positive challenges," and to take responsibility for the transformation we want to see in the world.
The final message of this book is one of hope: education can be healed, children can be seen and celebrated for who they truly are, and we, as educators, can rediscover the joy of witnessing the miracle of human growth and development.
I hope this series of commentaries has inspired you to look at education with new eyes, to explore your own intelligences, and to create learning spaces where the soul can flourish alongside the mind. Because, in the end, this is the essence of da alma pedagogy—to educate the whole human being, not just part of it.
Education does not stop here. It continues every day, in every interaction, in every moment when we choose to see potential instead of deficit, to cultivate hope instead of discouragement, to sow love where others see only difficulties.
Thank you for joining me on this journey of rediscovering authentic pedagogy. May this be only the beginning of a deeper transformation in how we understand and practice education.
If you wish, we can continue with the next chapter.
This reading becomes increasingly profound and healing—a true school of the soul.
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