The Pedagogy of Wizardry

J.K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, documents the life of a young boy who has grown up without his parents. Instead he had to endure years of abuse in hands of his aunt and her family. His dysfunctional living arrangements change one day when he is invited to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He goes from having an ordinary life in seclusion to living incredible adventures with his classmates. During this time he finds great support through the guidance from his professors. The story has been so successful that all the books were adapted into films.

While magic is one of the main attractions of the films, there are other themes that structure universal values such as learning, overcoming obstacles and social relationships. “The magic in the Harry Potter books is mostly borrowed tinsel and a distraction from the main thrust of the plots- the dramatic and meaningful- relationships with the instructors at the school.” (Marche, Stephen. “Harry Potter and the Hatred of Teachers.” Esquire. Vol. 155 Issue 6 (2011): 92-94. Web)

In some ways, Potter’s education is different from the educational system of American children. “Unlike the U.S. system, which often requires students to make two major transitions- from elementary to junior high and then from junior high to high school- the Hogwarts (British) model mandates only one institutional change.” This is a symbolic aspect in the books and films because on his 11th birthday he moves on to the next educational level and his personal life also changes. (Booth, Margaret Zoller and Booth. Grace Marie. ‘Tips from Harry Potter for American Schools.” Education Digest. Vol. 69 Issue 6 (2004): 4-11. Web).

Other different aspects include the students interactions with children from different age groups, the grading system based on individual and “house” points and the guidance not only from teachers, but from older students called “prefects” who are meant to show the new students how to navigate through student life.

Aside from those differences, the work of the teachers is essentially the same as it is for teachers in the U.S. The ultimate goal is to prepare students for the outside world. In the process, some professors are more careful and professional than others.  This leads students to classify their teachers as “good” or “bad”.

Usually teachers who are deemed good take into account teaching principles that have been established by the National Research Council as the standard to provide quality education. The teachers who are believed to be bad often disregard these principles. 

Both types of teachers have great influence and impact on the lives of their students and  their ability to learn concepts and apply them to real life situations. 

Fig. 1 Prof. McGonagall (Maggie Smith) welcomes students to their first day of class in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)