Trelawney / Incompetent teachers at Hogwarts

[Kate]

No: HPFGUIDX 110597

Josh said:
> McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and other background teachers do 
> know their stuff at least... It is very tough to explain away 
> why Binns and Hagrid are left on/hired, but perhaps it has 
> something to do with a lack of applicants, or who the other 
> applicants were? The rest are easily explained. The DADA 
> position is impossible to fill. Lockhart was the only applicant
> for CoS, Lupin and Moody were special requests, and Umbridge got
> appointed because DD couldn't find _anybody_ willing to take the
> job. Trelawney and Snape (latter knows his stuff, too) are 
> tolerated for anti-LV reasons.


Katie says:
I think that Trelawney is terrible BUT I think that you are being 
too harsh on Binns and Hagrid.  Binns may be boring but that doesn't 
mean he is a bad teacher.  It isn't his job to entertain the 
children, just pass on the information.  I think that is a "you get 
what you put into the class" situation.  (And I am sure that someone 
will say he isn't as effective because he is so boring but when you 
are teaching a history class how can you compete with wand waving 
and spell casting?)  

If you look back on Hagrid's lessons I think he succeeds more than 
you think.  He is very knowledgable on his subject and it seems that 
getting flustered while having to deal with Draco and the Slytherins 
is his only problem...  I would like to see him teach the Ravenclaws/Hufflepuffs.  I have a feeling those classes may go a bit 
better.  The Nifflers were a fantastic lesson.  He would have done 
fine with the Hippogriffs if Draco wasn't such a git.  I think that 
after seeing Grubby-Plank's methodology he is coming around.  He did 
a great job picking up on her unicorn lesson.  I think that with a 
little trial and error and some confidence Hagrid is going to join 
the ranks of Sprout, Snape and McGonagall. 

-Katie, whose mother is starting a teaching job tomorrow morning 
after 22 years of not working and is seeing a Hagrid situation in 
poor mom's future....