Teaching at Hogwarts

[TheletterZ]

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?

They bring lunch. The trolley sells food like pumpkin pasties too.

The books discuss this and the appalling weather conditions Quidditch is sometimes played in.

Have you not read them?

It was filmed around Glen Nevis and Glenfinnan.

Yes I have read them, but clearly not in as minute detail as some.

The films stick in the memory more, and despite bringing lunch, anyone who has ever run a school trip would know that the Hogwarts Express would look like the Hunger Games after a whole day with no proper supervision.

Why's that? I'm a teacher and have run many a school trip with long distance travel. The children bring food.
On this trip, they bring food, have access to food and have a feast when they get to their destination.
The children are also quite mature. They don't tend to act like animals.

The Hogwarts Express leaves at 11, and arrives in time for tea. They just need lunch and snacks.

There are teachers on the train (Lupin is on it in one), and the Prefects too!

many a school trip with long distance travel.

Unsupervised? Some school kids can’t even manage good behaviour on a school bus - the threads you read on here!

As for the children being mature...nothing ever bad happens between the kids at Hogwarts?

Fair point Harry should be 12 going to Hogwarts if it's in Scotland.

But then do Ministry of Magic apply muggle law when it comes to school?

Yes parts of it was filmed around Glenfinnan but in Chamber of Secrets part was filmed at a Castle in Northumberland. So filming location doesn't really give it away.

They aren't unsupervised - have you not read/seen Cursed Child??

I really don't think any pupil would mess with the trolley lady more than once.

Also, no, Muggle laws don't apply to school. Wizards come of age at 17, not 18.

have you not read/seen Cursed Child??

No. Not sure why the double question marks. Thought this was a light-hearted thread not for die-hard fans to prove their superiority.

The years are numbered like the old English system, year 1, 2 etc rather than year 7,8 or the Scottish S1, S2. The age cut off seems to be September as well, echoing the English system more than the Scottish one.

Are they the only school to do OWLS and NEWTS or is it more like the IB and all the schools in different countries do the same qualification. Who sets, marks and moderates the exams?

Did Harry, Hermionie, Ron etc... ever go back to school to get their NEWTS? Is there any equilivalent of tertiary education?

Yes parts of it was filmed around Glenfinnan but in Chamber of Secrets part was filmed at a Castle in Northumberland. So filming location doesn't really give it away.

also some was filmed at Laycock Abbey in Wiltshire - including some of the exterior scenes in the local village.

I’d love to be able to grade some of my students as ‘Dreadful’ or ‘Troll’. Suspect there may be complaints.

Erm, you said something wrong. I corrected it. How is that being superior? If you want answers read the books - it's not rocket science.

Theletterz - only Hermione went back to get her NEWTS. Harry and Ron didn't return to Hogwarts.

Gloucester Cathedral was also used as Hogwarts.

Cho Chang is Scottish in the films at least.

Seems silly to have to travel to London to get the train all the way back up! Although I suppose with Apparition it wouldn't be quite as tricky, although can you apparate with several teenagers, their trunks and assorted animals?!

They'd use the Floo Network or Portkeys.
Most wizards don't bother apparating. There's already a risk of splinching and as children can't apparate so would have to do side-along apparition, then add in luggage and a busy platform, it would be too risky.

Pupils would mostly have to visit Diagon Alley anyway for supplies, so would be in London.

It’s the patronising ‘have you not read the books??’ tone, can’t. You can correct people without all that.

I’ve just had a crappy lesson with Y9, so it’s possible that I’m being over-sensitive, but I just fancied a bit of Harry Potter chat.

Durham Cathedral's also part of Hogwarts, as was Alnwick Castle... would potentially make transitions between lessons an incredibly long experience.

Considering the average Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher lasted about halfway into a book - do you reckon they got a responsibility point for the post?

It just seems inconvenient, that's all!

They seem to have very long terms for a boarding school. I think I'd go a bit stir-crazy as a teacher there.

Some of it was filmed in oxford as well amd the liverpool tunnel.was used when hagrid and harry are on sirius' motorbike escaping death eaters in 7 potters.

In the film cho chang and oliver wood are both scottish.

I like ve how people are overthinking HP. My dd does this too. I’m constantly having to remind her she’s a muggle. She’s 15!

Sadly I am all too aware of the other locations too. My children have a book of filming locations and are eagerly asking whether we are going near any when we go out to tick them off the list. 'No DS, Durham is nowhere near Norwich so we can't go there this weekend even if scenes from the book were filmed in the Cathedral there'. At least it is improving their knowledge of Geography.