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Original poster

Teaching at Hogwarts

118 replies

TheletterZ · 16/06/2018 19:30

I've been listening to the Harry Potter series, nearly finished book 3, and it has set me thinking about the teaching there.

None of the staff seem to have a teaching qualification or any training, just rock up at the school and go.

Hagrid's first lesson Malfoy gets attacked, as a science teacher you wouldn't try a risky practical without knowing the class first.

Supervision in the house areas, is there any at all? Ever?

Have you read anything about teachers/teaching/schools that has made you smile?

OP posts:
MaryPoppinsPenguins · 17/06/2018 22:44

Is hogwarts in Scotland? I thought it was south!

BellaJessica · 17/06/2018 22:45

Hogwarts is scotland i know that one! I dont know how i know is it ever mentioned?

eatthepineapple · 17/06/2018 23:13

I sometimes wonder about the class sizes. As far as we can see the only boys in Griffindor in Harry's year are Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean and Seamus. Girls are Hermione, Lavender and Parvarti. So say there are a couple more not mentioned, that's 10 in his year in Griffindor. They often have lessons with another house so maybe class sizes are about 20? This makes about 40 kids in each year, about 280 for all 7 years if they all stayed for NEWTs (which they don't) - a pretty small school really, especially as they never seem to really know each other! Plus if that is the only school for wizards in the uk them the wizarding population is tiny!

I've also wondered about English etc. How do they all know how to read and write?! Plus surely there is point to some muggle subjects! And how do they not all get really fat with all that lovely food and no exercise! The only sport is played on brooms!

Don't get me wrong, I love Harry Potter!

bookmum08 · 17/06/2018 23:23

I often wonder for witches is it considered better to go to Hogwarts or the all girls school from The Worst Witch!

SnuggyBuggy · 17/06/2018 23:34

Hogwarts definitely has better facilities

BellaJessica · 17/06/2018 23:43

I like to think they stay in shape having to walk miles around the castle and hogsmead all the time.

eatthepineapple · 18/06/2018 03:44

Hogwarts definitely has better facilities

GrinGrin

noblegiraffe · 18/06/2018 07:57

Safeguarding safeguarding safeguarding. The state of the Triwizard
Tournament....!

Fluffybat · 18/06/2018 08:16

My class are coming in for booster class so can't reply now but saving my space. Best thread I have seen so far! Can't wait to read that Ofsted report 😂

shouldwestayorshouldwego · 18/06/2018 08:16

Depends when his birthday is March - August he'd be 12, August to February he'd be 11.

His birthday is 31 July which is why I think he should be 12. Lots of it is filmed in Scotland but I don't think it specifies that it is in Scotland. You never hear mention of midges though.

Malfroy seemed surprised that Crabbe and Goyle could read so maybe they have other ways such as a spell to read words out loud. They do seem to write a lot though. Again enchanted quills would be useful if you had a disability.

I always imagined Harry's year group is somewhat smaller than usual due to Voldemort's killing spree when Harry was a baby.

ClaudiaWankleman · 18/06/2018 08:21

The books did take place in the 90s. Maybe things in the wizarding world were more relaxed then?

eatthepineapple · 18/06/2018 08:23

Yeah I suppose it would be affected by Voldemort but still. Plus i know she isn't gonna mention every student but I just can't work it out as 20 seems a reasonable number for a class but that does make a v small school, esp considering the size of the wizarding world.

I also have often thought that like sending a text or using a phone would still be a useful thing even for wizards. Much more reliable than owl post and they don't seem to use floo powder much for chatting and general catch up! But I think JKR wanted to make it timeless and mentioning current technology would make it date easily.

ICantCopeAnymore · 18/06/2018 08:28

Magic messes with technology. You couldn't have electronic devices at Hogwarts.

SnugglySnerd · 18/06/2018 08:30

I just wish I could magic merits/penalty points into a house scoring system. That would be brilliant!

LemonysSnicket · 18/06/2018 08:41

They have exemplary OWLs and NEWT qualifications.
Hagrid is all heart not head as a teacher - this is a known.
They don't need supervision in the common rooms as any behaviour will be watched by the paintings who will warn a teacher, charms keep boys out of he girls room x

LemonysSnicket · 18/06/2018 08:45

@userofthiswebsite there is a fourth school in the US, beaubaton is the French school

YouCantBeSirius · 18/06/2018 08:47

Hogwarts is somewhat in the Scottish Highlands. The train from Kings Cross takes the whole day to travel there.

YouCantBeSirius · 18/06/2018 08:47

Somewhere that should say

Imchlibob · 18/06/2018 09:01

Steam trains go a lot slower than modern express trains - it could be just in the north of England rather than Scotland.

I thought it was established that wizarding kids get all the non-magical education they need in terms of maths, English, history geography languages etc at wizarding primary schools which don't teach magic but apparently give 7-11 year olds sufficient academic grounding that it's OK for them to focus on magical subjects from 11-18.

Always struck me as very sad because the whole premise relies on the concept that any academic subject has a set list of things you need to know and once you know them you have completed it and never need to think of it again - rather than each academic field being an open universe full of wonders to explore.

ICantCopeAnymore · 18/06/2018 09:14

Rowling confirmed Hogwarts is in the Scottish Highlands. There are also many clues in the books.

There are no Wizarding primary schools.

Bekabeech · 18/06/2018 09:30

Steam trains don't go that much slower than modern trains - the Mallard class could reach 125/6 mph, which modern British trains don't achieve.
Hogwarts is odd that it doesn't take pupils at 13+ like a lot of Scottish private schools. Although the 11+ isn't so odd as it doesn't seem to have many (any) Scottish pupils, Irish yes, lots of English, but I can't think of a Scttish one. And of course it doesn't prepare for Scottish or English qualifications or even IB.

PurpleStarInCashmereSky · 18/06/2018 09:59

Hogwarts is supposed to have around 1000 students at any one time.

Harry's year is unusually small. This is either because the year they were born was the height of Voldemort's first ascendency so people were avoiding babies or because it would have been a pain having to keep track of hundreds of students in the narrative. Pick which explanation you prefer.

Wellfuckmeinbothears · 18/06/2018 10:12

I love this thread!

noblegiraffe · 18/06/2018 10:54

If the Hogwarts Express takes a whole day to get there then they’re going to need a bit more than some chocolate frogs to keep them going.

And if Hogwarts is in the Highlands then how do they ever get the weather to play Quidditch? A bit of wind and it would be chaos.

FairfaxAikman · 18/06/2018 10:57

Hogwarts is definitely in Scotland. Dufftown was mentioned in one book, as are mountains and a loch so I'd guess more specifically it's in a remote part of the Cairngorms National Park.