Introduction:
In a standard schooling system, most students are required to study common school subjects including English, math, and science. Often times, courses are mandatory with little opportunity available for younger students to choose classes more to their interest. In addition, curriculums are often uniform and teaching methods are sometimes similar. In J.K Rowling’s Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, the students of Hogwarts are able to study and choose from a variety of subjects such as Defense Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, and Divination. While like traditional school systems, some courses are mandatory and others are optional, teaching and learning are somewhat different.
Hogwarts
She is also the professor of Transfiguration, the ability to change appearance to something else. Prof. McGonagall is quite different from Prof. Trelawney. While she is organized and very stern, she is well respected and admired by many. During her classes, her lessons involve a combination of note-taking and in-class practice of magical spells. She does not favor some students over others and does not single anyone out. Sometimes she bends the rules, but it always to the benefit of her students. For example, she provides Hermione a time-turner, a forbidden object that changes time, so that Hermione would be able to attend multiple courses at the same
Prof. Snape is portrayed as dark, groveling, and ill tempered. He gets great pleasure out of singling out and abusing Harry Potter in this book. Unlike Prof. McGonagall, Prof. Snape is portrayed as having favoritism towards his Slytherin students. While he has similarities to Prof. Trelaweny in that many do not like her, Prof. Snape has a manner in which he purposefully aids fear to his lessons. He expects perfection from all and creates a hostile environment even when someone asks a question. Students are often intimidated by Snape but not in a way that helps them grow, but rather afraid to ask and learn from their mistakes. In Prisoner of Azkaban, Prof. Snape is cruel and unfair towards his students. In addition, he picks on the shy Neville relentlessly. His lessons are often interrupted by focusing on abusing and shouting at the students instead of moving on with the lessons. At one point, Prof. Snape, in front of the whole class, embarrasses Neville by saying “if anything penetrates that thick skull” (p.125). This attack on Neville’s intelligence in front of the class shows Snape’s utter disregard for the feelings of his students. Later, when asked what his biggest fear is, Neville responds that it is Prof. Snape (p.134). Students in his class are habitually confused, sometimes overruled from practicing potions, and often leave