Private Message to Pomona Sprout
Sep. 17th, 2012 10:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_antoninPomona,
Aurora suggested I write you to brief you on some additional detail regarding this afternoon's class (and I apologise for messaging her, rather than you, to help with the aftermath; I was not thinking entirely clearly or I would have messaged you both, her because I could be sure she would see the message quickly and you as Head of House).
Class today involved the casting and countering of hexes (upon me, not upon each other) from a specified list; most of the children were dubious but willing, particularly after I explained I wanted them to hex me, but there was an unfortunate incident in which Mr Nott, one of the first few students to take his turn, attempted a (rather nasty) hex that was not on the approved list. I was prepared for someone to make a similar attempt -- there always is one who believes himself to be smarter than the teacher and who wants to show off -- and so could block it, after which I emphasised to the class that my classroom restrictions are for their safety and mine, but it did leave several of the children exceedingly shaken.
The problem intensified with Mr Hopkins, whose casting was letter-perfect but who was unable to dispel the effects afterward. (I had expected this to happen as well; it is why I was careful in selecting the acceptable spells to choose ones I could undo "from the inside", as it were.) I had instructed the children in advance not to worry if they were unable to remove the hex, but Mr Hopkins was the first of your House to cast and the first who was wholly unable to counter his own spell, and I believe he feared retribution at a later date even after I was careful to show him there would be no hard feelings.
I had meant to reassure him after class, but was distracted by Mr Stebbins, who was the last to attempt to cast and was entirely unable to achieve satisfactory spellwork. He, too, reacted poorly, and I took him to my office to reassure him (and to offer him tea and Calming Draught, as I feared he would panic himself into a state). Mr Finch-Fletchley saw to Mr Hopkins. (I must also apologise for keeping Mr Finch-Fletchley out so late past curfew tonight; this afternoon's excitement entirely disrupted my schedule for seeing the students one-on-one.)
Aurora has told me something of the issues your House has had with my predecessor and I must confess I had not thought of the past traumas today's lesson might stir up; I apologise. I will be much more careful in future to offer more significant reassurance in advance, and of course by next month those who are least suited to the practise of the Arts will have opted into theoretical study.
Please do ask if you've any questions -- I would be happy to discuss any of this in greater depth. I will likely not be at meals tomorrow, but I have the afternoon free if you'd like to confer. And please accept my compliments for the actions of Mr Finch-Fletchley and Mr Diggory, both of whom were extremely helpful this afternoon.
At your service,
Antonin
Aurora suggested I write you to brief you on some additional detail regarding this afternoon's class (and I apologise for messaging her, rather than you, to help with the aftermath; I was not thinking entirely clearly or I would have messaged you both, her because I could be sure she would see the message quickly and you as Head of House).
Class today involved the casting and countering of hexes (upon me, not upon each other) from a specified list; most of the children were dubious but willing, particularly after I explained I wanted them to hex me, but there was an unfortunate incident in which Mr Nott, one of the first few students to take his turn, attempted a (rather nasty) hex that was not on the approved list. I was prepared for someone to make a similar attempt -- there always is one who believes himself to be smarter than the teacher and who wants to show off -- and so could block it, after which I emphasised to the class that my classroom restrictions are for their safety and mine, but it did leave several of the children exceedingly shaken.
The problem intensified with Mr Hopkins, whose casting was letter-perfect but who was unable to dispel the effects afterward. (I had expected this to happen as well; it is why I was careful in selecting the acceptable spells to choose ones I could undo "from the inside", as it were.) I had instructed the children in advance not to worry if they were unable to remove the hex, but Mr Hopkins was the first of your House to cast and the first who was wholly unable to counter his own spell, and I believe he feared retribution at a later date even after I was careful to show him there would be no hard feelings.
I had meant to reassure him after class, but was distracted by Mr Stebbins, who was the last to attempt to cast and was entirely unable to achieve satisfactory spellwork. He, too, reacted poorly, and I took him to my office to reassure him (and to offer him tea and Calming Draught, as I feared he would panic himself into a state). Mr Finch-Fletchley saw to Mr Hopkins. (I must also apologise for keeping Mr Finch-Fletchley out so late past curfew tonight; this afternoon's excitement entirely disrupted my schedule for seeing the students one-on-one.)
Aurora has told me something of the issues your House has had with my predecessor and I must confess I had not thought of the past traumas today's lesson might stir up; I apologise. I will be much more careful in future to offer more significant reassurance in advance, and of course by next month those who are least suited to the practise of the Arts will have opted into theoretical study.
Please do ask if you've any questions -- I would be happy to discuss any of this in greater depth. I will likely not be at meals tomorrow, but I have the afternoon free if you'd like to confer. And please accept my compliments for the actions of Mr Finch-Fletchley and Mr Diggory, both of whom were extremely helpful this afternoon.
At your service,
Antonin
no subject
Date: 2012-09-18 03:25 am (UTC)Thank you for that apology. The explanation is a help - I got the basics from Aurora, of course, she's very careful about that kind of thing. But not before I'd gotten an extremely muddled version from at least half my House in your class.
It is very true that your predecessor left her mark. And of course, that her brother, even more so. Aurora mentioned yesterday that she intended to tell you a bit more about Hannah's death, but had given you at least the outline. They are still very skittish, and with excellent reason. Do take that into consideration, please. i'd suggest even more than you think you need.
I will, however, check on Stebbins and Hopkins in the morning, and I appreciate the compliments to both Mr Finch-Fletchley and Mr Diggory (we are rightfully extremely proud of him, mind.)
I do think we had better sit down and chat a bit further - both about my house, and about information best shared in advance of a lesson, at least to start. I teach until 4. 5, perhaps? Or after supper?
In service to our students,
Pomona
no subject
Date: 2012-09-18 10:00 am (UTC)Bother. I was clearly more addled last night than I'd given myself credit for: I had forgot I have scheduled both tomorrow afternoon and tomorrow evening quite tightly with student interviews in the hopes I can get through the entirety of the fifth years in a week's time and minimise the disruptions to everyone's schedules. I can rearrange if necessary -- and I do agree it is clearly quite necessary for me to spend some time with Heads of House to discuss both the students and recent school history in greater depth -- but if you would be willing, might I invite you to dine in my office with me, say around 6pm or so, so we might have a more private discussion than the Great Hall affords?
I recognise this is a great imposition, and I apologise for the temerity in asking; I do not at all mean to imply you should dance attendance upon my schedule and my convenience and I would be willing to adjust the schedule to allow for time with you tomorrow afternoon if the prospect doesn't suit, or to instead schedule time with you for Thursday afternoon or evening (which, due to it being my day from hell, I've kept free of student interviews). The events of yesterday, however, have made it quite clear to me that the conversation is likely best handled sooner rather than later.
I will say to you in confidence that I find myself a bit at sea with some of the children so far. I had steeled myself for wariness and been prepared to spend quite some time in overcoming past bad experiences -- I had of course known Alecto and Amycus for quite some time, and while they were both powerful practitioners of their subject and both could have been suited to mentoring gifted adult apprentices, their style was not necessarily what I would consider effective with children and en masse. But though Aurora has painted me the broad outlines of what transpired, I had somehow failed to comprehend the extent of the
damageinfluences upon the childrens' fears.Our Lord has laid the task of education of His youth upon my shoulders, and I have promised myself to treat it as seriously, and with as much dedication, as any task he has honoured me with in the past. And I have known for years that study of the Arts -- whether in theory or in practise -- is most effective when led by someone whom the student feels secure, as my subject (more than nearly any other, in all truth) requires an element of trust between student and teacher. I can only hope I have not damaged that fledgeling bond with several of your House too deeply, and throw myself upon your mercy for information I can deploy in service to our shared charges. Aurora has been significant help so far, and generous with both her information and her candour, but it is becoming patently clear a variety of perspectives will be of great benefit.
I also regret that my infirmities have caused me to rely so heavily upon dining in my office or my quarters rather than taking more meals in company -- it is becoming clear I should at very least try to notify you, Horace, Septima, and Rolanda in advance of my plans for the week so that you might spot any potential sources of trouble. I have been meaning to consult more regularly with Razzer so we might coordinate our curricula more closely once I am past the barest introductions. Perhaps it might be wise for me to propose scheduling a brief meeting for us all on Sunday evenings immediately after supper? Though of course this year is beset by a number of scheduling challenges that appear to only be multiplying as time goes on -- I will leave it to your discretion as to whether it would be helpful or simply
moretedious twaffle.If you have the opportunity, meanwhile -- Aurora has mentioned that both you and she prefer a far more hands-on approach with your cubs -- please reassure Mr Hopkins that I bear absolutely no ill-will towards him, and in fact was expecting many more students to have the same difficulty he had. I regret I did not have the opportunity to provide that reassurance to him in person; his visible unease meant I did not wish to call further attention to him in front of the entire class and was intending to hold him back afterwards, but Mr Stebbins proved more in need of my attention. I will repeat the reassurance when I have my interview with him -- scheduled for tomorrow afternoon -- but if you see a moment beforehand, please tell him that he need not fear future retaliation, and that I was in fact quite pleased with his performance.
At your service, and hoping the rest of the week proves more free from incident,
Antonin
no subject
Date: 2012-09-18 04:53 pm (UTC)Clearly, we should meet sooner than later, and I am most hesitant to put it off longer than today. Your office, six, yes, if that’s the best option.
Understand that relatively few in my House have ever taken your subject by choice. There are always some interested, to be sure, and I do hear your protestations that your Arts are not all harmful. Ravenclaws may pursue your Arts out of desire for intellectual mastery, Gryffindors to prove they are a match for anything, and Slytherins may find in it any number of attractions, but for a student in a House that values teamwork and consideration of others, the lure is considerably less.
When you speak to my Hufflepuffs, Antonin, please keep in mind that you are speaking to those who hold Hannah Abbott dear, and remembered, and still very much one of their own. Aurora may have mentioned our own term, sett, that is place but even more so people and connection. That sense is painfully difficult for those outside the House to understand, but an inability to acknowledge and account for it will handicap your ability to teach - or learn - from us.
On the Carrows, you must understand that there is not only the reality of their actions to consider (as painful as those are: Hannah’s murder, the deliberate placing of students at significant risk, the fits of temper, the matter between Lucius Malfoy and Alecto) but the fact that stories grow in the telling. And then that what most of my students have to go on are stories, comments from a few peers, the advice of their families, and an entirely unknown teacher (other than the whispers of gossip that do not help here at all). And frankly, that Aurora and her Raz clearly enjoy your company simply confuses some of the sett, for they are both well-liked and emulated teachers.
I gather from my own extended conversation with Aurora that you and she are talking further on Friday. Clearly you and I will not have time, in the hour or so we have tonight, to cover all the necessary details, but I must advise, in the strongest possible language, that getting a clear review of the major points of, say, the last five years, will be crucial to avoiding problems for our students. It is clearly overdue. And yes, I do think that meeting regularly with the four Heads - and Rabastan, if you like - will be most important for the foreseeable future.
I did speak briefly to both Mr Hopkins and Mr Stebbins this morning: they are both still shaken, but well enough, all things considered. Do please have extreme care in your conversations and class time with them this week. Of course we badgers look after our own, and most attentively.
Pomona
no subject
Date: 2012-09-18 06:50 pm (UTC)I do appreciate your consideration, and will look forward to conversation with you later tonight.
And yes, it is becoming extremely clear to me that the picture I had built from the information I have heard thus far is wholly inaccurate -- I have avoided pressing any of my colleagues too closely for detail other than barest fact. The more I hear tales of my predecessor from multiple voices, the more I realise I have unconsciously been applying an investigator's correction for the unreliability of witness reports, and the more I realise I should, in fact, be correcting in the other direction to accomodate the tendency of those who have been traumatised to downplay their trauma in the face of a stranger.
Your words of caution are appreciated, and I will heed them as much as I may, and any others you might be willing to share. If it would not cause Septima enough trouble to make her want to curse me into next year, I would actually seek her out to discuss uncoupling the Hufflepuff doubles class from the Slytherin, as armed with more information I can certainly see ways in which it may prove challenging for us all throughout the year; the Slytherin virtues and the Hufflepuff are not as incompatable as snake and lion, but even barring past traumas I would have preferred to pair my snakes with my ravens, as they tend to bring out the better in each other.
I am not wholly unfamiliar with Hufflepuff virtues -- I've long since thought the tendency of outsiders to dismiss your house is nothing more than a lack of imagination and an inability to see the world from multiple perspectives, and of course there's you and Aurora to stand as both excellent example and resource as necessary -- but I will not pretend to a full understanding. I would be most grateful for any insight you can provide, and if you see further instance where my ignorance has the potential to harm your kits, I beg of you, tell me. I am glad Mr Hopkins and Mr Stebbins are as well as they could be, and I promise you, I will have the utmost care with them and with the rest of your charges, this week and beyond.
At your service,
Antonin
no subject
Date: 2012-09-18 11:49 pm (UTC)That was productive, and I do think we made good progress in avoiding other problems of the kind. I'll have a word with Septima and Horace and Rolanda about Sunday at some point tomorrow. I do have to remind myself that it is, what, a month since you knew you were joining us? And in that time you have had to arrange your personal affairs after a long absence, set up a curriculum and books, and learn a great deal about the practical arrangements of the school.
Clearly someone - though in hindsight, I don't know who I'd have suggested - should have made sure there was time to sit down and walk you through the most obvious challenges with students before classes began. I suppose I should apologise for not thinking it through myself, given the particular impact of the last two years on our House. I am glad that Aurora and her Raz have between them begun to make up the lack, but that's really no excuse for not arranging something more substantive and formal earlier.
I do think your offer of lunchtime gatherings is worth considering. It is rather revealing what students will share when they are in a small group - I know Aurora's found that with her office hours, and I find it in the work sessions in my greenhouses.
If you would let me know what else Aurora and you discuss (of relevance to student background, that is) on Friday, I would be glad to make sure we cover it only briefly on Sunday, but of course we'll want to fill any remaining gaps as quickly as possible.
I should also, I realise, clarify one thing. I know that Aurora's had her differences with Dolores, but Auri and I get along most excellently, for all the difference in our interests. While, yes, you should have messaged me to start, I have absolutely no concerns about her stepping in, and I have the fullest possible trust in her decisions, and her ability to bring me up to speed promptly afterwards on anything needed. If you do need a hand, and either of us is not available, Mina Grubbly-Plank is a more recent addition to the staff, and not as well known to all students, but she is also very calm when students need soothing or a friendly hand.
In service to the school,
Pomona
no subject
Date: 2012-09-19 12:53 pm (UTC)Productive indeed, and thank you again. (And yes, about a month or thereabouts, though of course I've taught before, and have consequently had a curriculum half-sketched-out for years. Much more one-on-one, however.)
And of course hindsight is the best perspective, but perhaps it shows a way to improve the process for future new staff. The American Department of Magical Affairs has a custom I found quite helpful: new ambassadorial appointees and chargés d'affaires are lent a junior member of their staff as attaché for six months to provide precisely those bits of information that "everybody knows" and therefore nobody thinks to tell one. Obviously this is impractical for the school in exact form, since requirements of staff are entirely different and duties are rather more fixed, but perhaps there might be opportunity to arrange a placement for a particularly clever seventh-year student? One who is not taking the new professor's subject, perhaps, to avoid appearance of impropriety.
(I know I would be more than willing to pay most generous clerk's wages for an hour per day or so of someone sitting down, conquering my filing, and being present to answer those passing questions that do not seem worth bothering someone with, but would be useful to know! Perhaps I will bring it up at tonight's meeting.)
Thank you, as well, for your recommendation of Mina -- we've not spoken more than in passing but I have found her presence quite soothing, and it's good to know she is another resource who can help in a pinch. Though I will hope most fervently the assistance is not needed.
At your service,
Antonin
no subject
Date: 2012-09-19 02:02 pm (UTC)There is quite a difference, though - as I am sure you are finding - between working individually and with a small horde. (Or a large horde, for that matter. I still have no idea how Aurora managed the multi-year YPL sessions.)
Your idea does have some pleasing merit, but it's the practicalities that get one, as usual. While obviously students know quite a bit, there are all the details that they are not at all privy too. As you are, I am sure, discovering with our staff meetings.
That said, if your filing could use help, Aurora employed a student to help her with a few things last year, and that's been done from time to time in the more distant past. The trick, of course, is finding someone with the appropriate skills and discretion and the available free time. But do ask tonight and we can see if we could make a few suggestions - one of the sixth years, perhaps, since they don't have exams on their minds.
Right. Next round of arriving students.
Pomona