Hagrid - In his Defense

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 70024

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jenny_ravenclaw"
<meboriqua at a...> wrote:

> > I asked:
> >5. Should Hagrid stay on as CoMC teacher?  Am I the only one who 
> continues to think he's a moron?
> 

> > Echa : 
> > You're not alone, Jenny. I will stand by your side on that one
> > until the day I die.  In fact, I think he's gotten worse.>
> 

> Me (Jenny):
> I thought so, too.  
> 

> > Echa says most firmly: 
> > Hagrid is hardly fit to be around other humans, let alone teach 
> students.>

> 
> Jenny continues:
> I only tolerate Hagrid because Harry likes him and if Harry likes 
> him, then Hagrid can stay. ... Hagrid is certainly not fit to teach 
> students.  
> 
> Someone said that Hermione should talk to Hagrid about his teaching. 
> The fact that anyone thinks a teacher should sit down and get a 
> lecture from a student should be proof enough that the teacher 
> DOESN'T BELONG THERE. The day I get advice from my students about 
> what I am doing wrong ... is the day I say goodbye to my career.  
> ...edited...
> 
> --jenny from ravenclaw, 

bboy_mn:

I agree Hagrid is getting worse, but I DO NOT agree that he is getting
 worse as a teacher. Bringing Grawp back was so unbelievably unwise as
to be ...er.... unbelievable. 

But Hagrid is getting better as a teacher. People seem to have passed
 their OWLs while he has been there and in the current book, people
will pass their OWLs again. 

More on that later.

Someone suggested Hermione talk to Hagrid... that would be ME.

Jenny, you said you would never let a student tell you how to run your
class, but you ARE a TEACHER, a trained teacher, Hagrid is not. 
Hagrid is a marginally educated not-quite-wizard who works as a
gamekeeper. He is very knowledgable in Magical Creatures and their
care, but I still say NO ONE has sat him down and told him what he is
suppose to be doing. 

Hagrid thinks he is a teacher of Magical Creatures, so he tries to
impress his student with unusual, impressive, and extreme (extremely
interesting and unfortunately extremely dangerous) magical creatures.
But that is not what his job is. His job is CARE of magical creatures,
and that is what he doesn't get.

I still say if Hermione or Harry or Dumbledore or some hooded bloke at
the Hog's Head Inn sat him down and explain the function of his class,
then he would approach it differently. 

In fact, he is approaching it differently, he know that this year
Harry has to take his OWL tests. Hagrid also knows that the OWL tests
are standardized in that they are not set by the course instructor,
but by an independant body. So, in an effort to not let down Harry, he
is at least making an effort for this years class to be related to
what might appear on the OWL tests. I really think he is finally
getting it, and I expect him to do immensely better next year.

He showed them nifflers and fire salamanders, they certainly knew
about Unicorns and fire crabs, as well as Knarls (like a hedgehog). He
must have done something right. Even Grubble-Pank doesn't criticize
him when given a chance.

So while I admit that in his personal life Hagrid has not tamed
himself in the least bit, in his classes, he is gradually gaining
focus. And I still say that process of gaining focus would go much
much faster, if someone would explain it to him. 

In general, the wizard world including Hogwarts seems to lean more
toward the 'school of hard knocks' or the 'trial and error' methods of
learning, both for student learning, and for learning how to be a
teacher. Magical as they are, wizards are not very enlightened.

As a side note on the Hippogriff incident, 19 thirteen year old
students frolicked and play with the Hippogriffs and enjoyed it; ONE
idiot did exactly the opposite of what he was told and got hurt. 

A hurt which at Hogwarts is a normal course of events. I cut or a gash
like that can be mended in seconds. Unfortunately, Draco decided to
milk it for all he could get, and to his own malicious ends. Sorry, no
sympathy for Draco. If I could, I'd bite him myself.

Just a thought.

bboy_mn