Hagrid - In his Defense

[jenny_ravenclaw]

No: HPFGUIDX 70065

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "bibphile" <bibphile at y...> 
wrote:
 
> I have to disagree with you on this point.  Hagrid knows Thestrals.  
> He knows his subject very well.  I doubt there are many wizards in 
> the world that know magical creatures better than Hagrid.>

Did I say Hagrid didn't know his subject?  I know he does.  I also 
know he doesn't know how to teach his subject well enough to be a 
teacher.  You can be the most brilliant person in the world when it 
comes to a certain topic but that doesn't mean you can teach that 
topic to others effectively.  That is Hagrid's problem.
 
> I don't think his classes are anymore dangerous than some of the 
> other classes at Hogwarts.>

Dangerous or not, Hagrid is a terrible teacher.  To me it isn't 
necessarily about exposing the students to dangerous magical 
creatures, but how well the teacher can control the beings and the 
situations at hand.  If Hagrid was a real teacher, he'd have known how 
to deal with Draco right away as well as how to not turn into a 
stuttering fool when Umbridge came around - note that McGonagall did 
just fine.  Other classes may be dangerous, but we don't keep hearing 
about students being injured in Potions or Transfiguration - it's just 
CoMC and just CoMC when Hagrid is in charge.

I know Umbridge was there to cause trouble, and I've been observed by 
people like her who made me sick and nervous with dread, but I found a 
way to handle it.  I wouldn't brush it off as Hagrid does.

I'm sorry, but I was in charge of a school such as Hogwarts, in a 
million years I'd never allow someone like Hagrid to teach - he didn't 
finish school (didn't even seem to make an effort to) and isn't even 
supposed to use magic.  If he was legally cleared and expressed an 
interest, I'd allow him first to be a teacher's aid and then maybe 
start him on supervised teaching... but I take teaching very 
seriously.

--jenny from ravenclaw, who hates when the computer swallows her name 
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