In Defense of Hagrid

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 143859

Several threads going on now about Hagrid, and the Malfoy/Hippogriph
incident. I'm going to make a general defense of Hagrid which will
probably only touch tangentally on other discussions.

Actually, I've posted this before, so to some of the old-timers, this
in nothing new. Though I admit in computer time, that previous post
was in the stoneage.

Let's look carefully at Hagrid. He is, if not uneducted, then at least
under-educated. He is a simple man with definitely no formal training
in teaching methods. Dumbledore appoints him as the new Care of
Magical Creatures professor, but is content to let Hagrid find his own
way in the task. In a sense, I believe Dumbledore to be of the same
school that I am, he (and I) believe that the lessons you learn best
are the lessons you teach yourself. Revelation is a far greater
teacher than explanation.

Hagrid's real problem is that he doesn't understand his job. He hears
the words 'Magical Creatures' in his job title and thinks it's his job
to show the student 'interesting' magical creature. Unfortunately, and
what Hagrid is missing, the opperative words in his job title are
'Care of'. Hagrid's job it to teach students the CARE OF magical
creatures that they are likely to encounter in the normal course of
their lives, and to priorities the care of those creatures from the
most common first to the most interesting last.

We see Hagrid trying several teaching methods. First, he introduces
the spectacular Hypogriphs; extremely interesting, and to some extent
a realistic and practical lesson... for NEWTs, but not necessarily for
First Years. Next he tries to get the students interest in the Skrewt
project. That's a prefectly valid teaching method, but again, Hagrid's
focus is on interesting Magical Creatures rather that 'Care of...'
general magical creatures.

Each year we see Hagrid getting better, in Harry's OWL year, he does
cover a range of magical creatures great and small, he is very
forthcoming with detailed and relavant information, and further
introduces the more advanced Thestrals. Certainly a fascinating
magical creature.

I predict that gradually Hargid will figure it out. He will come to
understand that he is a teacher, and that his job is to teach CARE OF
Magical Creature. Further that he is not a circus or a zoo, and it is
not his job to simply display interesting creatures.

I predict that in the future, once Hagrid sees what his true job is,
he will set up a gradually advancing curriculum that introduces basic
creatures first and advanced creature to more advanced students. I
futher predict that once he has his 'legs', so to speak, his classes
will become very popular and Hagrid will become a very well respected
teacher.

We have to understand the disadvantage that Hagrid is starting with
and the many lessons he must teach himself first. Only when he has
overcome these obsticals will his classes and his teaching become more
popular. 

As to the Draco/Hypogriph incident, it was just a cut on his arm. I
have no doubt that Madame Pomfrey heal it instantly, and that Draco
milked it for all it was worth. As others have pointed out, it is
probably Draco's distain and complete disregard for Hargid that lead
him to NOT PAY ATTENTION to what was clearly an advanced and dangerous
creature. Harry certainly didn't take that attitude. So, in a sense,
it was really Draco's own lack of interest and attention, and his own
arrogance that got him hurt. All the other students including Neville
seemed to eventual get on with the Hypogriphs and have no trouble at all.

Just a few thoughts.

Steve/bboyminn