Hagrid

[rainy_lilac at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 23020



It really all depends on the subject he is teaching. I imagine CoMC 
to be a very "hands on" kind of course, and I have known of a number 
of academic institutions who have hired teachers who, while lacking 
academic credentials, had important practical experience which made 
them qualified to teach their subject.

I was once a student at Smith, where in the art department we had a 
professor who taught letterpress printing and hand bookbinding. He 
had a wonderful set up-- gorgeous equipment and a vast collection of 
lead type of the sort that was no longer being made. He was very, 
VERY academic, but just an awful teacher because he hadn't used any 
of the equipment in years and had either forgotten or never knew some 
of the basic things about using it. (I came in with a two year 
apprenticeship with Pennyroyal Press under my belt, and had learned 
the basics from some of the best. I never went far with it, but it 
was adamned good education. The fact that as a 19-year old I was 
noticing discrepancies in this professor's teaching must be some kind 
of a red flag). He was, in short, a real Gilderoy Lockhart.

Well, one year he went on sabatical, and there was talk of hiring 
someone ffrom outside to take over his class for a year. A printer 
named Harold McGrath was nominated.

Let me tell you about Harold: He had NO academic credentials at all. 
He was in fact a high school dropout. He was also one of the most 
revered letterpress printers in the United States at the time, the 
exclusive printer for all of Leonard Baskin and Barry Moser works. 
Example: When Baskin did a woodcut, he would draw his design on the 
wood, then give it to Harold to cut and print. This is no small 
skill. He also singlehandedly taught a whole generation of artisans 
through his work at the Genehenna Press and Pennyroyal Press. I 
didn't study directly with him (I was low on the totem pole) but can 
honestly say that I learned more about craft from hanging around in 
the same room as Harold than I learned in fours years at Smith. He 
was BRILLIANT.

He was also a basic, salt-of-the-earth working class guy who always 
had ink under his fingernails.

The Art Department wanted to hire him, and everyone agreed that this 
would be a feather in Smith's cap. The professor who was going on 
sabbatical however fought it tooth and nail and refused to approve 
him on the grounds that he had no academic credentials. So Harold did 
not get the position. Instead he went on working and last I heard I 
think the Pierpont Morgan Library (I think) did a retrospective of 
his work. I think he also taught at Hampshire, but I am not certain 
of that.

I don't think Eliot gave a damn about the academic credentials 
actually. I think he was in fact fearful that Harold's teaching would 
make his look very bad, and that he would return to students who 
would expect much more from him. Eliot tended to gear his teaching 
toward keeping student expectations to a minimum. In all my time 
there, Eliot never advised a single senior or independent study 
project. He always had an excuse to refuse. Harold would never have 
done that.

So that is my little story, and I think there are plenty of academic 
who realize that in certain subjects experience is everything. 
Dumbledore seems to be inclined to all kinds of unconventional 
decisions. I agree that Hagrid's lesson plans need work, but frankly 
I think wht he really needs is more confidence in his knowledge. I 
thought he made a good start with the Hippogriff lesson, but got to 
quickly deflated by Malfoy's vindictiveness.

--Suzanne





--- In HPforGrownups at y..., dorband at u... wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at y..., Angela Pelnar <mervin180 at y...> wrote:
> > 
> > --- mspond1 at a... wrote:
>   Why then 
> > > didn't Hagrid get back a wand and the permission to
> > > use magic?
> > > 
> > > Marilyn
> > > 
> > 
> > Perhaps Hagrid was not given permission to use a wand
> > because the diary was destroyed, and with it, any
> > evidence that Riddle opened the chamber.  The
> > ministry, especially Fudge, is not too eager to admit
> > they make mistakes.  Hagrid was allowed to become a
> > teacher after CoS.  Maybe that was considered his
> > reward.
> > 
> > ***Angie***  
> > 
> 
> It always struck me as odd that a non-graduate of Hogwarts would be 
> given the privilege of teaching.  Can't we assume that *all* of the 
> teachers are graduates of one of the schools (H,D,B).  We know that 
> Filch is a squib - but he's the caretaker, not a teacher. (BTW, I 
> think Filch may be a candidate for "someone performing magic late 
in 
> life."  Perhaps his KWIKSPELL Correspondence Course in Beginners' 
> Magic will pay off :) 
> 
> Hagrid demonstrates that he is not really cracked up to be an 
> instructor - his lesson plans *really* need some work!  None of 
> this makes him a bad guy - he's just not built for teaching, IMO.
> I think it would only be right to get Hagrid back into Hogwarts to 
> finish up his education...although, at this point in his life, he 
may 
> have no interest in "book magic."  Still, if he is going to be an 
> instructor, then he'll need to be better *able* to instruct.  
> 
> So, all of you teaching professionals out there - what about 
allowing 
> an unqualified instructor to instruct?  Plausible or troublesome? 
> 
> 
> Brian