By Joshua Christianson
The wizarding world of Harry Potter has been a lifelong source of inspiration for me. It was my introduction to the epic world of fantasy fiction, complete with the struggle of good against evil, compelling characters, and a magical new world filled with possibilities. With each book in the series, I was excited to learn more and uncover larger mysteries, but beneath the magic, J.K. Rowling always managed to sneak in compelling lessons about life as well: the reality of prejudice, the corrupting influence of power, the nature of love, and so much more. These are what have elevated the series from mere children’s books to works of genius enjoyed by kids and adults alike.
One of the things she touched on frequently in the books was classroom environments. While no real school has the danger and magic of Hogwarts, everyone has had terrible teachers like Snape or awful classes like Umbridge’s. They reflect real-life problems that students have faced as they strive to find and develop their inner genius. Likewise, the best teachers and classes in Harry Potter reflect real-life environments that work (or don’t work) to foster student genius. By looking at some of the different kinds of teachers and their classrooms at Hogwarts we can learn how to better foster brilliance in real-life classes too.
Warning- spoilers ahead for all Harry Potter books
(except Cursed Child, which I refuse to acknowledge as canon)
Gildroy Lockhart – The Dangerous Narcissist
Starting off with undoubtedly the school’s most incompetent teacher, Gildroy Lockhart is a fine example of how narcissism, incompetence, and lies can turn a good subject into a horror show. Forcing children to take quizzes on his bogus feats of daring, letting loose a horde of hostile pixies on his students, and removing the bones in Harry’s arm without permission, Lockhart was still adored by many who bought into his fraud.
Few teachers embody his excessive self-adoration and ineptitude- by the end of the book, not a single student has learned anything of value from him. Yet in real life, there have always been teachers with more pride than sense. I once had a teacher with multiple degrees from ivy league schools and mentioned his work often even as his class veered sharply away from its subject matter. Lockhart and teachers like him show that a class is not about the teacher, but the students- and creating an environment for them to flourish. And, perhaps, that vetting teachers before hiring them is really, really important.
Trelawney – The Fixed Mindset
The kooky professor of Divination, Trelawney had an unfortunate teaching style which may have been why so few of her students actually become competent in her subject. While several people in the books, including Dumbledore, express skepticism about her subject, the reality of prophecy ends up being very important to the story and the magical world as a whole. Yet from the outset, Trelawney informs her students that some people have the talent or “inner eye” to succeed in her subject, while others are doomed to failure.
As true as that might be in the books, in real life this is known as a Fixed Mindset: the belief that innate talent is what matters instead of hard work. This attitude tends to exclude a great number of people because it treats failure as a reason to give up, rather than as an area for growth. In teachers like Trelawney (and even Firenze, her eventual replacement) it creates an environment where students who fail don’t get help, and those who struggle are ignored or belittled. In general, it is better for teachers to adopt the opposite of a Fixed Mindset, like…
Lupin – Growth, Vulnerability, and Werewolves
Despite his tendency to turn into a werewolf once a month, Lupin was undoubtedly the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Harry had during his time at Hogwarts. From his very first class, he demonstrated a fundamental love and acceptance of his students, helping Neville Longbottom to confront his greatest fear: Professor Snape, the biggest bully in Hogwarts. Rather than place limits on the abilities of his students, Lupin takes on the challenge of privately tutoring Harry, knowing full well that the Patronus charm is difficult even for adults to manage. A man with great vulnerabilities himself, he never belittled his students for their fears, their failings, or their struggles, instead of encouraging them and teaching skills and information which are meaningful and useful. Despite his youth, lack of teaching experience, and personal struggles, he has a better mindset than Trelawney: a Growth Mindset. He believed in his students, no matter where they were, and their ability to learn, improve, and grow.
Many of the other teachers, whose classes we don’t see much throughout the books, have this same mindset. McGonagall’s strictness shows a fundamental belief in her students’ aptitude. Professor Sprout’s encouragement led Neville to eventually become a Herbology teacher after being a poor student. Professors Flitwick, Grubbly-Plank, and Burbage, while not notable throughout the series for their teaching styles, are generally well regarded by students for their competency, friendliness, and support, indicating that they too held Growth Mindsets like Lupin.
However, I believe it’s important to note that Lupin is ultimately forced to leave Hogwarts due to his lycanthropy. Feared and misunderstood by other people, his teaching abilities meant nothing to many parents. While dangerous at the full moon, his condition was something he managed well throughout his life and if anything improved his ability to understand and teach others. His resignation shows how bias and fear in public opinion can keep good teachers out of classrooms and is something we should all consider when thinking about educational environments as a whole.
From the conman, to the prophetess, to the werewolf, there is still a lot of ground to cover in terms of Hogwarts teachers. In part two of this series, we’ll look at three more teachers and the different ways they used emotion in their classes.