CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Prisoner of Azkaban Chapter 9: Grim Defeat

[Geoff]

No: HPFGUIDX 189699



--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "willsonteam" <willsonkmom at ...> wrote:
>
> >
> Geoff:
> > I don't read this the same way as you do. Speaking as a former teacher, it was
> > normal practice to have a "cover rota" by which absences by staff could be 
> > handled by colleagues. The usefulness of this was that we knew that if a staff
> > member needed to be covered, for a scheduled absence or for illness, we might
> > be called in for certain lessons; outside this rota, if we had non-teaching time, it was
> > protected for us to deal with duties other than actual teaching.
> 
> 
> Potioncat:
> That does change my perception of what was going on. But let me make sure I understand, Snape would probably cover that particular class on the day(s) Lupin was out. Another teacher might cover the morning class and so on? 
> 
> I was going on my (US) experience. It would be very unusual for one teacher to cover for another for a day or several days. I suppose it's not unheard of if a sub couldn't be found. Also, we never see any other Hogwarts teacher cover for another. Come to think of it, the only time we've seen a sub is for Hagrid the several times he's been absent. I think DADA classes are generally cancelled when the DADA teacher goes belly up.

Geoff:
The "cover rota:" situation would cover one lesson at a time. In many
UK schools, the day is either divided into seven or eight periods (usually 
40 minutes or so), some of which might be double periods because of 
practical requirements.

For example, in my last few years of teaching, most of my Maths  
lessons were single periods whereas all my Computer Studies lessons 
were double periods.

If cover was drawn from the school staff, a teacher's lessons would be 
covered by several different staff members who had a free period. If 
there was a situation where a staff member was going to be away for 
some time - maybe illness or a training course - then a "supply
teacher" might be brought in from outside. When I first moved from
London to the West Country, I did supply teaching for a couple of 
years in the local Middle School.

In the Hogwarts situation , I suspect all the cover would come from 
existing staff.