prof-student etiquitte + Potions master stuff (was: Re: Master of This School)

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 111869

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "millimagus" <camilla at v...> 
wrote:

Milli:
> 
> I taught in (state) secondary schools in Britain for 4 years, until 
> July 2003. It's definitely right to say that 'Sir' and 'Miss' are 
> used regularly but, to be honest, it's now more out of habit than 
> anything and it's amazing how kids can make it sound disrespectful! 
> The standing up at the beginning of class is now very rare.


Geoff:
I taught in the same state school in South-west London for 32 years 
(1961-93). I was there for such a long time because it gradually 
changed from an 11-15 boys' school to a 13-18 mixed. But, as I said 
on a post in a related thread, pupils would normally address a staff 
member by name - "Mr.Jones", "Mrs.Brown", "Miss Jackson" - or 
as "Sir" or "Miss" (no Mrs. or Ms. here!).

milli: 
> I'd also like to stand up for British schooling at this point. The 
> atmosphere in lessons is obviously dependent on the teacher but I 
> know that my lessons, and those of the majority of my colleagues, 
> were relaxed and the teachers approachable. 

Geoff:
I would agree there certainly. With me, it became interesting when I 
started to teach the offspring of former pupils, who always demanded 
to know the foibles of their parent(s). :-)

It was also interesting when I joined the Friends Reunited website  
(which is a site designed to link up folk from the same school). I 
have been in contact with about three dozen ex-pupils and we have had 
some great reminiscences via email about the "good old days".


Milli:
> To me, Hogwarts seems to be based on British public schools (for  
> all those Americans out there, that means elite private schools  
> and not state funded schooling).

Geoff:
I wouldn't agree entirely. I went as a pupil to a state grammar 
school in Battersea and much of the Hogwarts style and ethos is very 
familiar to me.

Geoff
See my views of Exmoor and the 
heritage West Somerset Railway at:
http://www.aspectsofexmoor.com