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Day 41: Herbology
"Teaching's a lot like Herbology, you know," There was a gentle smile on Neville's face as he pressed tiny seeds into the dirt.
The young woman next to him, Hogwarts newest Professor, gave him a skeptical look, "How do you figure that?"
"Well, it's simple really." Neville moved to a second put and reached for a few more seeds, "In Herbology, you plant seeds, and eventually they start to grow. You tend to them and care for them, and if you do it right, eventually you have a healthy adult plant. That's what I always loved about it, the feeling that I had nurtured life into the world. That I had helped something grow. Something that was beautiful and useful."
"Right… but how does that relate to teaching?" Neville could almost see her wishing she had gone to someone else for advice.
He laughed, "That's what teachers do too. We nurture our students and we help them grow. And that's what I love about teaching. The chance to make an impact on young lives, to help my students grow into what they're supposed to be. For instance," his eyes twinkled, "One of my very first students is now a very promising young Professor. I always knew she'd do great things."
That got a laugh out of her, before her face turned thoughtful, "Alright, I guess I see what you're trying to say, but how do I do that? How do I… nurture my students? Sometimes I feel like nothing I say gets through to them."
"Well, what I've learned over the years is this," Neville said, "Just like Herbology, teaching takes balance. Plants are finicky. If you overwater them or don't water them enough, they'll die. If you're too rough with them you'll damage them, but on the other hand, I think you'll remember from your second year classes that you have to be firm if you want to wrestle a baby mandrake back into a pot."
She laughed, "Oh, I remember. Mine bit me!"
"Well, hopefully none of your students will bite you," Neville said with a laugh, "But the basic concept remains the same ,If you're too strict they'll just see you as mean. They'll either stop caring about your class because it's impossible to please you or they'll be so afraid of you they won't be able to get anything done without messing up." For just a moment, something passed across Neville's face that told the young professor he was speaking from experience – and not as a teacher.
Then it was gone and he was continuing, "On the other hand, if you're too lenient, they'll walk all over you and you won't be able to teach them a thing. You have to find a balance. Be consistent. Let them know what you expect and then stick to that. Every student is different, just like every plant is different. Learn about them, their strengths, their weaknesses, what they need to succeed. Sometimes you'll have to push them and sometimes you'll have to coax them as gently as possible. It won't always be easy, but I promise you, if you put in the effort, it will be worth it."
"You always did know just how to help me," she looked a lot happier than she had when she had first entered the greenhouse, "I only hope that I can be even half as good a Professor as you are."
He had finished planting the seeds and he brushed the dirt off his hands, "You're going to be a great, Professor. And one day you just might look back and find that you've helped grow something beautiful."
I had to use Neville for Herbology. Hope you enjoyed!