Third grade classroom modeled after Hogwarts to teach values from “Potter”

For a group of young students in New Bedford, Massachusetts, house points are part of the daily routine! Third grade teacher Carolyn Papas has incorporated a Sorting Hat, House Cup, prefects, and Azkaban into her classroom, in hopes of teaching responsibility, teamwork, and leadership.

Students were sorted into the four Hogwarts houses at the beginning of the year. Lists on the wall remind the class of each house’s values, while the students vote for their house prefects. One student says of the voting, “You need to think of somebody who you think will have responsibility and be (a) good (leader).”

Just like at Hogwarts, students earn and lose house points, and the house with the most points at the end of the year wins the House Cup. Points can be earned both inside and outside the classroom by doing things such as working well as a team or holding doors open for others. Points are lost by being rude or disrespectful.

If a student is not working well with others, they go to Azkaban, meaning they leave their house for a short while. However, says the teacher, Azkaban is not the first option. A student can choose to sit apart willingly if they are having a difficult day.

The teacher also reads to the class from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, asking them questions along the way. When, in the book, Harry and Ron accept Hagrid’s horrible rock cakes, she asks, “Why do you think they pretended to like the rock cakes?” A student wisely answers, “Because they did not want to hurt Hagrid’s feelings.”

You can read the full article here. Do you think Harry Potter can make a difference in classrooms? Would you like to have experienced Hogwarts like this? Let us know in the comments!

Catherine Lai

I have been a fan of Harry since 2000, a fan of MuggleNet since 2005, and a MuggleNet team member since 2013. I believe in the power of stories to bring people together, and nothing does that quite like Harry Potter. I live in Toronto, Canada.