Pruning: The Importance of Meaningful Feedback
After a long day at school, I love coming home to my garden. For me, intimate moments with the Lord occur in the stillness of His creation. I take comfort in knowing that all things grow and die according to His timeline—a plan He set into motion since the beginning of time. My contributions are small, yet remarkably significant. I plant. I water. I weed. I prune. I gaze. I delight in it all.
Of these tasks, my favorite is to prune, especially roses. Did you know that the act of cutting back a rose is called deadheading? Once a bloom has lost its beauty, a gardener will locate a hardy five-leaf junction on the same stem and cut at a 45-degree angle. This encourages the plant to direct its energy to future growth and continual blooming. Cutting at the correct angle prevents fungal development and establishes the direction for new buds to grow. If a gardener never deadheads, the plant is susceptible to lethal disease. If the plant is cut too shallow, just under the bloom, the plant will divert its energy elsewhere. If the plant is cut too far down, growth may not occur until the next season. These simple cuts have a profound impact on the ability of the rose bush to flourish within the current season.
“For a gardener, to prune is to display one’s belief that through suffering, growth occurs.”
For a gardener, to prune is to display one’s belief that through suffering, growth occurs. Each time I grab my shears, I’m reminded of Genesis 3, known to Christians as “The Fall.”
While enjoying the richness of creation, Adam and Eve were tempted by a serpent to break the one rule God established for them. The Lord commanded, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” They were tempted. They gave into sin. Their eyes were opened. They hid from God.
While I could write about endless topics from this one story such as the importance of free will, ownership, resisting temptation, or forgiveness, I’d rather highlight the goodness of His feedback. The Lord’s feedback is inquisitive. It is clear and it is kind. Just as a gardener prunes his plants, God prunes us. Educators are called to do the same within our school ecosystems. We gently prune hearts and minds for human flourishing.
“Educators are called to do the same within our school ecosystems. We gently prune hearts and minds for human flourishing.”
Feedback is Inquisitive - Start with a Question
The Lord approached Adam and Eve by asking questions He could already answer.
“Where are you?”
“Who told you that you were naked?”
“Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
“What is this you have done?”
When visiting with a teacher or student for intentional feedback, always start with a question. Even if the answer is obvious to you or them, ask it anyway. Gauge where they are emotionally and spiritually before making assumptions about their choices. Their verbal processing will invite deeper questions, an opportunity for clearer truth, or a moment for needed comfort. Like gardeners, we must have perspective to see the whole plant before we prune.
2. Feedback is Clear - Avoid Confusion
Following their child-like responses, God established clear consequences and guidelines.
“Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.”
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.”
“Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.”
While these repercussions may seem severe, they are just. Fractured expectations require reconciliation. With those in our care, we have to be clear with our expectations, disappointments, and consequences. Avoiding moments to speak truth or encourage accountability only delays the inevitable conversation. Typically, the lack of timely feedback only cultivates unnecessary hurt, frustration, and shame along the way. Like gardeners, we must prune deep enough to enact change, while avoiding confusion.
3. Feedback is Kind - Display Love
Despite Adam and Eve’s consequences, the Lord displayed great compassion. Their sin should have required death, however, God distributed that consequence to an animal sacrifice. This is the first image of Jesus, the lamb to come.
“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.”
Picture this! While standing before their creator, naked and broken, the Lord clothed them. He gently wrapped his arms around them in mercy and love. He provided protection and forgiveness. This is kindness in its purest form. Likewise, as gardeners, we must not prune too deep. When students or coworkers disappoint, we must still clothe them in kindness. Feedback must be completely true, but it must also be completely graceful.
“The next time you pick up your feedback shears, remember to prune with care. Not too deep and not too shallow.”
The next time you pick up your feedback shears, remember to prune with care. Not too deep and not too shallow. Meaningful feedback requires a gardener's heart to long for growth yet to come.
