[HPforGrownups] Re: universities / WizWorld structure

[Yis M Koslowitz]

No: HPFGUIDX 24245

Hi! I'm new to this listserve, and this is my first comment. I'm thrilled
to be posting on a listserve with people who also figured out Arabella
Figg's identity. My students don't believe me!
Jennifer wrote-
>Hmmm, I sometimes get the impression that Hogworts is taught more like
>the universities in the Muggle world than any middle/high school I've
>seen -- based on teacher experience/behavior (how many public schools
>woule *really* allow a teacher like Snape?  I can tell you, I've met
>several college profs like that, but none quite that bad in public
>schools), on class selection (some required, some electives), etc. 
>Granted, there aren't 20-somethings running around, and in that respect
>it's quite like any other school for that age...but there's something
>about the style of instruction & school life that feels more like
>college to me.  Any thoughts on this?

Unlike boring Muggle schools, a lot of the Hogwarts learning is hands-on.
There doesn't seem to be a lot of dreary theory completely divorced from
action. Even in McGonagall's class, with assignments like "Describe, with
examples, the way transfiguration must be adapted doing cross-species
switches" (inexact quote)
the work isn't totally theoretical, they actually DO a cross species
switch. 
I did an internship in a progressive Greenwich Village private school
that operates on this principle. Kids learn by doing. 
Come on, teachers out there. Wouldn't your "ADHD" kids really do better
in a class where you get to actually operate on the environment in some
way and get immediate results? I think it's one of the charms of the
series - kids love it because they'd love to go to such a cool school. 
And yes, as a graduate student, I can see that as I get further and
further up in my training, my learning experiences are less theoretical
and more hands-on. 
Robyn