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Selina Skies

December 25, 2020 8:34 PM

Practise Class by Selina Skies

OOC: Hello and welcome to Sonora. This is an example of a class post. Please read through, and then respond as your character.

Please remember that your response:
- should be 200 words, minimum
-be written ONLY about what your character is doing (not writing for Professor Skies or other students)
- be realistic for what a first year would be able to do

You do not have to complete the whole class assignment in one post. It is better to talk a little bit about what your character is doing, and then leave it open for a reply, e.g. by having them ask the person next to them about the work. For further examples, look at any of the pages under the 'classes' tab.

If you have any questions, ask on the OOC page or in chatzy. BIC:

Selina had returned to full time teaching originally as a temporary measure. The school had needed staff, and with her daughters grown and gone from home, it made sense to take on the demands of a boarding school again, which hadn’t been particularly compatible with life as a parent. She should have known that she’d end up taking on too much - it just wasn’t in nature to say ‘no’ when she could see things needed doing. And so, gradually, she had accumulated the positions of Crotalus Head of House, academic support tutor and, eventually, deputy headmistress. For all those grand accolades, she remained generally friendly and approachable, or at least she liked to think so. ‘Strict but fair’ was also an apt description - she was kind and gentle in general, but not a pushover, and not someone students with any sense would step out of line with.

“Good morning,” she greeted the assembled first and second years. “I am Professor Skies,” although they already had been introduced to her as the deputy headmistress, she didn’t insist on them using that title in class, “and I will be taking you for Transfiguration. We will be focussing on non-animate to non-animate Transfigurations– that is objects into other objects as this is the simplest branch of Transfiguration. That said, it can still be very difficult, and you must not get disheartened if you do not get big results immediately,” she felt that it was easy for her subject to slip down students' lists as they enjoyed the big flashy results of beginner Charms. Even making mistakes in other subjects tended to have dramatic consequences, whereas in Tranfiguration you just tended to not fully achieve what you had wanted. “Today will be pebbles into buttons,” she informed them, “Take one and pass it on,” she instructed, handing a box of pebbles to the student on the end of the front row, Each was smooth and shiny and relatively flat, although they varied a little in size and colour.

“I also have a handout for you. It is a template for a Transfiguration Table. I would like all of the first years to take one. Second years, I would prefer you to try to do your table from scratch but if you are unfamiliar with this teaching method, please help yourself to a handout, although there are plenty of notes to help you in the textbook,” the sheet that was being passed around was a simple table of common object characteristics, such as size, shape and function with an empty box next to each one. “The table is designed to help you focus on the similarities and differences between your current object and the target object. This is a process that you will learn to internalise as you become more experienced but it is helpful to actively work through it when the subject is new to you. Every two objects, however different they seem, have something in common. Even if it's the tiniest little thing it is useful for you. Changing everything about an object is a monumental task and usually one that it's difficult to wrap your head around. By focussing only on those things which you need to change, you can channel your energy more effectively, and hopefully make bigger changes where they are needed.

“When you are ready to move onto the spell, the incantation is Pangolus and you will want to make a single circle with your wand,” the chalk behind her scribbled key pieces of information onto the board as she spoke, “For those of you who are righthanded, the circle should be clockwise. For those of you who are left handed, a counter-clockwise circle also works on this spell. It is generally less effective but it is likely to be more effective if it feels more comfortable or natural for you.

“If you are stuck, chapter 2 of the textbook has a section on writing Transfiguration Tables, whilst chapter 3 introduces inanimate transfigurations. You may also discuss your problems quietly with your neighbours, or call on me if you require any assistance. You may begin.” Selina hoped to enjoy at least a good few minutes of nothing more than quills scratching on parchment before the casting began. Transfiguration was usually a safe profession. It was very difficult to produce results and therefore definitely difficult to overdo things. Of course, that didn't prevent utterly unrelated catastrophes but she definitely felt she sent students to the hospital wing less often than her Charms colleagues, and far, far less often than those in Defence.

13 Selina Skies Practise Class 26 1 5

Xavier Lundstrom

February 11, 2021 2:25 AM

It's not working by Xavier Lundstrom

Xavier took a seat in his first actual legitimate magic class of ever. So far, no one had jumped out and yelled ‘Surprise! You’re on Candid Camera’ and as this had to the point where it had been going on for several weeks (by the time you counted the Explainer Guy and the shopping trip) and as he wasn’t sure anyone had the production capabilities let alone the budget for this, and he wasn’t even fully convinced they made ‘Candid Camera’ any more, he had tentatively concluded that this was real.

He was kind of excited to see what magic class was going to involve and, drumroll, it was… a worksheet. And okay, also a button that he was expected to turn into a pebble. That was suitably weird, seeing as you could go out and pick pebbles up off the ground, whereas buttons were a thing that usually needed making, but maybe it was some wizard respect for nature thing or something. Like, they liked making extra rocks. Maybe it was pointless busy work because they were eleven year olds. Either way, man-made vs just lying around out there was a thing he could put on his worksheet, so that was cool. He made a few quick notes, but honestly didn’t try too hard to fill it out super in depth because he was being told he could wave his wand around now. He had done that a bunch of times in his bedroom mirror since getting it, obviously, but he hadn’t dared yell even made up magic words because people kept telling him he might make explosions or break some magical law if he got his wand to work at home.

Judging by the utter lack of changes to his pebble, he had possibly been over cautious in that regard.

“Is yours doing anything?” he asked his neighbour. Yeah, the Professor had said it would be difficult, but he wasn’t sure how he was meant to wave a stick for an hour with no tangible result and not get bored.

13 Xavier Lundstrom It's not working 0 Xavier Lundstrom 0 5