[HPforGrownups] Re: Number of teacherspopulation/wizarding economy

[Horst or Rebecca J. Bohner]

No: HPFGUIDX 12969

> I've made up a vague theory that the few teachers handle so many
> class hours by scheduling many classes to meet only once a week, or
> even only once every two weeks. I made Snape a schedule where he
> teaches Gryffindor/Slytherin Double Potions every morning and
> Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff Double Potions every afternoon (three or four
> hour classes) to first years on Monday, second years on Tuesday,
> third years on Wednesday, fourth years on Thursday, fifth years on
> Fridays, sixth years and seventh years on alternate Saturdays. If he
> grades the homework himself, no teaching assistants, he has no time
> to sleep, let alone live.

Some suggestions here:

I don't think the classes have to be 3 or 4 hours long.  To teach a child
the basics of Potion-making when you have seven years to do it in, a 2-hour
class once a week would surely be sufficient.  Side question:  does "Double
Potions" mean "a class twice as long" or "two classes in a row", or does it
mean "we're doubling up with another class"?

If the latter, and Snape only taught two 2-hour classes each week for each
year, he could do it in three and a half days out of five, with weekends
free.  Teaching 8 hours a day is a pretty punishing schedule, admittedly,
and his school day would begin at eight and end at five (with an hour for
lunch).  But he often doesn't have to do much more than babysit the class
while they measure ingredients and stir their cauldrons.  Also, he seems to
do most of his grading in-class, because it's obvious right away whether a
person's potion works or doesn't once they've made it.  Potions is a very
hands-on course with, I suspect, not that much written work compared to,
say, History of Magic (which Prof. Binns can afford to teach as much as he
likes and still have time to grade papers because, of course, he's a ghost
and doesn't need to sleep).
--
Rebecca