10. Professor's Handbook

10.1
Introduction

Hogwarts Professors are the few and the proud. Before the start of each term, Hogwarts Online receives hundreds of applications from prospective professors all across the globe. Each term the Department Chairpersons submit a list of classes with no professors in their department and applications are opened to those specific classes.

If you would like to apply to be apart of this dedicated team of Professors you must fill out the application fully and to your best ability. If you're having trouble with your application consider talking to the Department Chairperson to see what they're looking for in an applicationRemember that only the BEST applications will be considered for hiring.

Chain of Command

Headmistress - Governors
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Heads of Houses
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Directors
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Department Chairperson
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Professor
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Staff

10.2
Requirements

All professors that are hired by the governors are required to have already accomplished or know the following things:

  • You must know how to create a website.
  • You must be willing to become an active member of the site and community.
  • You MUST submit quills each term & house points for all assignments.
  • You must be extremely active, and be on HO at least four times a week.
  • You MUST be creative.
  • You must attend at least 1 staff meeting within a three month period.
  • All professor applicants must be at least 15 years old.
10.3
Standards

All professors are to remember that they are the adult and are to act in the proper manner. Whether it be in an instant message, RP session, or IM professors are never allowed to curse or treat anyone with disrespect. Professors are to set the example in all areas of the site. All professors must not only follow, but uphold all rules found in the school handbook.

10.4
Professor Areas
As staff members and professors of the school, we are all given a few perks here and there. One of those perks are areas meant just for the staff. We have a staff room, located on the Ground Floor, and then our Professor Office on the main site. The staff lounge is a place to catch up on news AND RP with fellow staff members. The professors office is like the admin area of the site. In the professor office, you can add points, quills, awards, and classes. You can also review all these items as well.
10.5
Classes
  Hogwarts Online offers over 50 courses dealing with all areas of magic that are allowed to be taught to students at their level. Each Course offered at Hogwarts Online is given a title. It is up to the Department Chairperson and the Professors in the department to work to determine what material can and will be covered in that particular course.
 
10.5.1
Websites
   

Websites are a requirement in order to teach at Hogwarts Online. All class lessons should be posted on the website as well as any assignments. The forum area can be used for Roleplaying.

 
10.5.2
Lessons
    There are three basic formats for making your lesson.
  • Textbook Format
  • Lecture Format
  • Role Play Format- HIGHLY SUGGESTED
The Textbook format is not suggested as a way to do your lessons. This can be extremely boring for students to read and it can become monotonous. Reading and answer questions is extremely dull does not bring the subject alive to the student. A way to compromise is to make a separate textbook a student can use for reference, but teach a lesson either through the lecture format or the RP format.

Lecture Format can be very exciting if the professor presents it as such. Lecture format is very similar to RP format, however lecture format is strictly the lesson and nothing else. Having a lecture then using a textbook for resource is a great way to get the students involved. Make the lessons exciting! Plan fun activities that highlight the lesson and bring key elements to light so that the students remember them.

Role Play Format is the one that is highly suggested. Since this is a RP site why not make lessons RP. IF you so choose we can allow you to make all your lessons real time (in a chatroom) and the website can be used as a textbook. RP though is simply RPing that you are teaching the lesson to students and you can add excitement by making things happen. RP format also allows you to do a demonstration to show your class.
 
10.5.3
House Points
    All assignments that are given to the students are eligible for house points, and are suggested as a way to reward students for doing assignments. House points for assignments can be turned in via the professor office. Please see "6.3 Point Limits" for detials on the limits on awarding house points.
 
10.5.4
Quills
   

All students enrolled in your course that pass the standards that you set to receive a quill are given a quill by you. This means that you set a certain standard that a student must meet in order to receive a quill. This standard could be just taking the exam or getting an 'A' as a final grade. Maybe completing two assignments. What ever you want.

Extra quills may be given for students that go above and beyond the required, but all extra quills must be approved by the director of staff, because all professors may only give one quill per student per term. At the end of each term all professors must give students the quills. All quills go in the student files.

 
10.5.5
Creating a Class
   

So you've just been hired by Prof. Clemenceau, you know what courses your teaching, but you don't know what to do next.... Easy! Just follow this simple guide to create a successful class in 10 easy steps!

Creating a Lesson

First thing first, look at what class you are teaching and refer to the rules. Look at the name of the course and figure out what information will be taught, what main focus the students will need to learn, and what the students might find on their owls later on. Next you will need to gather information that pertains to your class in order to set up your lessons. There are a few really good places to start:

  • Using information already given to you by past professors. This includes any notes they left behind, old lesson plans, past assignments, and looking at their class websites.

  • Visit the Harry Potter Lexicon It is the best online resource for any information from the Harry Potter books.

  • Browse online and do Google searches.

  • Go straight to your Harry Potter books.  

Course Outline

Break up you class into weekly increments. Make sure you leave the last part of the month for exams and time for you to grade them once they are turned in. Select a theme from your class subject for each of the remaining weeks. Now all you’ll need to do is come up with that weeks lesson and assignment. You can refer to this as your course outline. I discuss assignments later on. Example:

Course Outline – How to make a Sandwich

  • July 1 – July 7: Going to the grocery store

  • July 8 – July 14: Getting set up in the kitchen

  • July 15 – July 22: Making the Sandwich

  • July 23 – July 28: Eating the Sandwich and Clean up

  • July 29 – July 31: Exams

Websites

Now that you have your course outline, you can start setting up your class webpage. What I will describe to you will be a basic set up, but feel free to give your webpage your own personal flair and style. The pages you will need for your class website are:

  • Home – this is the first page the students see About the Professor – A picture of you and a brief bio description

  • Course Outline – What will be covered over the term

  • Lessons – Either list all the lessons on this page or have links to each individual lesson from this page

  • Assignments – Listing each assignment as they come up or all at once. Class Policies/Rules – Lets the student know what your individual rules are in class, grading and assignment policies.

  • Links – This is a good page for a quick and easy reference guide for the students. Have any website links that might come of interest, your contact details, a link back to the Hogwarts site, etc.

Lessons

Now using all the information you have available come up with a lesson.  Most teachers have lessons that range between 300-500 words.  Whether you write it up yourself or use other references, it is up to you.  Many subjects taught at Hogwarts will not have much information online about them.  This is where you step in and “create” the information.  Use your imagination and be creative.  This is supposed to be fun, remember?

Assignments

Remember that as well as taking other classes at Hogwarts, the majority of students are attending high school and college in the real world. With that said, sometimes its best to see what type of workload other professors have set  up for their students.  You have several different options for assignments:

  • Give out several questions pertaining to the lesson asking for written answers.

  • Let the students pair up and do a group assignment (this can prove to be a little more difficult, but it can be done).

  • Have the students keep a journal that they turn it at the end of the week or term based on the lesson.

  • Come up with your own assignment idea.

Roleplaying

Under the assignment heading give out weekly assignments in regard to the role playing required.  This will take place at Hogwarts under your designated forum. Make sure to let the student know how many posts are required and what they should be posting about.  Otherwise you may get silly questions or unrelated opinions.  Here are some ideas for different role playing assignments:

  • Students post 2 times a week as they take care of their mandrake plant in the greenhouse. 

  • Students in Occulemency post 4 times as you practice meditation exercises.

  • Students post 2 questions and 1 thoughtful response to our lesson about the world of Quidditch.

Forum Classroom

Once you’ve finished that you should have a basic website.  Now your job is to make a clear link available to your students under specific forum over at Hogwarts.  The clearer and more precise your link is the better.  Make sure to set up the following places under your department forum:

  • Your office – a place for you to grade papers and students to come for help.

  • Role playing – where the students will role play for your lessons

  • Class – Where students will find your class website

  • Other topics you might consider are: Class list, Link to Engrade, Class supplies needed, Information on Exams, and Weekly updates.  These are suggestions that you might find helpful.

Exams

At the end of the month you will hold an exam.  Most professor write out a series of questions over everything they covered in class.  You may want to post up practice tests or reviews to help your students study.  Though since it is essentially “open book” you may choose to opt out on this option. Make sure to post the exam schedule ahead of time, give the students plenty of time to take it, and leave yourself with plenty of time to grade and post the results.

Running a Successful Class

Now that you have gone through this basic course lets just do a quick run down on what it will be like to run a class at Hogwarts.

  • Students will go to the forum and find your class website.

  • They will read the lesson you have provided.

  • Students will find out what their weekly assignment is, complete it, and PM it to you.

  • Students will see what role playing is required for the week and post in the designated spot in the forum.

  • You will keep in contact with your students through out the week, helping them, keeping them on task and focus, and teaching.

  • Be available daily for your students

  • Update your website often

  • Visit your forums and make sure to answer your students’ questions promptly.

  • Students appreciate it when you get involved with the class.

  • Let the students try what you are teaching them.  Many do not learn the best when they are just expected to read and then answer questions.  Make your classroom an interactive and fun environment.

  • Share personal stories about your life (obviously not your real life) that are related to the topic you are studying.

  • Students appreciate visuals and pictures.  Don’t make your lessons paragraph after paragraph.  Make it visually appealing to the eyes and your students will find it more interesting.

  • Visit the role playing forum and respond back with your students

  • Hire a Teaching Assistant to help out with your course load.  This could involve keeping track of who role plays and grading assignments.

  • Check your school email address (the one the students will be using) often and respond back as soon as possible.

  • Keep a good line of communication with the other professors in your department and with the department chair.

10.6
Departments
 

A department is a group of classes that share the same subject. Each department has a Department Chairperson, or someone that is in charge of that group of subjects. Department Chairpersons have great freedom in determining what happens in their department. Please see your department chairperson for the rules and regulations for each individual department.

10.7
Maximum Number of Courses
 

All professors are allowed to teach no more than 2 classes per term no matter how many professor accounts the person may have.

10.8
Terms
 

Terms will be 10-12 weeks in length. Therefore it is of up most importance that you keep the students interested in your subject. You may offer no less than 4 lessons through out the term, and you must give an exam at the end of each term. Failure to complete grades and turn in quills will result in an immediate dismissal from your position at Hogwarts Online.

10.9
Discipline
 

All professors have the right to discipline a student for any reason. Professors are aloud to dock house points, give detentions and throw students out of their classes, but professors may not suspend or ban any student. Any professor wishing to suspend or ban a student must contact that students HOH for a conference between the student his/her HOH and you.

10.10
House Professors
 

All professors are suggested to work under one of the four houses. To be affiliated with a house, please contact that house's Head. Professors do not have to be affiliated, although it is suggested.

House professors work with the Head of House to keep the house active. House professors can plan activities or help keep up the website and forum area. Talk to your head of house to find out more specific duties.