As a kid growing up, we all have those childhood dreams of ‘what we will be’. Never once do I ever remember thinking I would want to be a teacher. At various stages, I dreamed of being a veterinarian, a famous actress (emphases on ‘famous’), a barrel racer, small shop owner and for a period of time seriously considered cosmetology school.
I love learning and have a huge range of interests. But I never once considered becoming a teacher of any sort. I couldn’t imagine being a teacher in a grade school (you people are super heroes). Or professional enough to become a professor at a collage. I never could have pictured myself wrangling kids of any age to try teaching them anything.
‘How in the world did that happen?’
It’s funny how God works things out in ways we’d never expect or imagine. And then we look back, see how far we’ve come or what we’ve accomplished and think, ‘how in the world did that happen??’.
It started with a few people asking, (over and over again), ‘do you teach herb classes?’. A strong, adamant, “NO.” was what always followed from me. I did not feel like I knew enough to teach herb classes.
I mean, yeah, I’ve been learning about herbs my whole life from my beautiful, natural-wellness-minded Momma… and yes, I became a certified herbalist with 250+ hours of training and education on topics of not only herbology, but also anatomy, physiology, pathology and how it all works together. Oh and yeah, I worked for a registered herbalist for years who had a unique background in both Native American medicine and alopathic medicine, and whom I was honored to carry on the business of Shawnee Moon that she founded.
To a point, I really believed I didn’t have much to share on the topic. I know of so many much more knowledgeable and experienced herbalists, that, I didn’t think I had much to offer.
I still don’t know it all
Even once I stepped out of my comfort zone, (cause again, many requests from people like you), and set up my first classes, I worried that the classes wouldn’t be worth the time the students were sacrifcing, or worth the value I was charging.
I started what I thought was basic classes on Herbology. I was so surprised when people responded the way they did. They seemed genuinely pleased, and perhaps a little surprised themselves, at what they learned. I was blown away. In some classes, I had to break things down even to a more basic level than I originally thought. Not because I was ‘oh-so’ smart. But because I had no idea how ill equipped people are about plants.
It’s been a full year and then some since I really stepped up to the task of writing classes and creating these courses and attempting to share this information with people who will listen. I still get questions every class that I do not know an answer too off the top of my head. I learn something new from my students at EVERY. SINGLE. CLASS. I wholeheartedly admit that I do not know it all and am still learning. But I am loving sharing the things I do know.
It’s more than just information
What is the most exciting about this whole teaching ‘thing’, is those moments when things start ‘clicking’ for people. In my Herbology 101 class, I see light-bulbs go off in the students faces when they start realizing how much there is to learn about herbs, and yet how simple, practical and attainable it is for them.
It’s not about turning people into professional herbalists. This information is equipping people and families with tools. These tools give them the ability to be a bit more self-sufficient. Knowledge is power. And herbalisim is a sort of revolution in it’s own right. Not ‘against’ any one person, group or any establishment. NO. But a revolution FOR people. For family. For community.
When you put tools in the hands of a person to be able to accomplish something for themselves or for the people they love; that is a beautiful thing. They no longer have to be a victim or have to be solely reliant on one person or establishment. It’s like that age old saying ‘give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime’… or something to that effect.
Of course there are plenty of risks when you put tools into the hands of someone new to everything those tools are about. There may be mistakes made, and confusion, and miscommunication. I go over a lot of safety and always, always, remind people, ‘if a little is good, more ISN’T always better”. Start slow. And this is what grace is all about. And this is what community is all about.
And I really had no idea that I was going to end up where I have when I started writing this out… I was just wanting to talk about how crazy it is that I LOVE teaching. I really love teaching herb classes. It is not something I’m perfect at, but I am getting better. And it is such an encouraging thing to see people like you taking advantage of the classes I’m providing and showing up, and sharing with your friends. Because I hope to be able to just keep offering new classes to more people for years and years to come. I just really love it.
And this blog post is not going to measure up for ‘clarity’ points or ‘readability’ and being a post that is easily marketable for the SEO (apparently that’s important website lingo that matters). Because I’m just writing right now as I’m thinking. And this is my little blog and my little corner of the internet, and I’m not about to try editing myself to fit into the frame work of website optimization or ‘what makes for a good blog post’.
This was a HUGE reason for the redesign of the website. To STOP talking like someone I’m not. I’m just me. A mid-western girl, obsessed with my adorable husband Davy, and talking about plants. So, yeah. I guess that’s all I have to say today. Haha. Have a great day.
Blessings in Christ – Kerry
PS-reading back some of this… what even do I mean, ‘herbalisim is a sort of revolution…’??? No idea… but it sure sounds cool, doesn’t? What do you think?
