Why so many unpopular teachers at Hogwarts?

[Elizabeth Dalton]

No: HPFGUIDX 32943

I actually started writing this post before Christmas, but what can I say,
things got busy.... but since the thread is still relevant, I thought I'd finish
the post and send it.

I've given some thought to the teaching abilities of the members of the Hogwarts
staff, as a professional instructor.

First, I think it's important to note that there's a difference between being a
"good person," and being a "good teacher." Snape, for example, is arguably a
good person, i.e. he acts for the welfare of people beyond himself (even if he
doesn't like them). And I like him a lot as a character. I'll even go so far as
to admit that like many here, I'd like to have a try at attempting to get past
that nasty exterior if I could meet him in person, to see if there's someone at
least a bit more likeable on the inside.

But I still don't think he's a good teacher. As I wrote earlier, I evaluate this
by the lack of evidence that any of his students are learning much about potions
except Hermione, and since she does so much self-study, I'm not sure we can
count her. Ron and Harry are quite blunt about their lack of attention in
Potions. Neville certainly isn't learning anything, other than how to cringe.
And though we see various instances of kids using charms or spells like Accio to
do things on their own time, no one (again, except Hermione) ever seems to make
a potion for any purpose of their own. (Although, I admit, I don't know how Fred
and George made the Canary Creams. That might have involved a potion. Even if
so, I doubt they learned it from Snape.) Neither Harry nor Cedric try to
duplicate the fire-freeze potion when facing the dragon, or even use the
shrinking potion, which they learned in class. Eloise Midgen tries to hex off
her acne, rather than attempting to make the bubotuber potion, and this is
evidently a pretty common problem, so even though the kids know Madam Pomfrey
has a huge store of magical potion remedies, they still don't think of potions
first. There is probably a potion that lets one breathe underwater (likely
involving gillyweed), but the kids don't even bother researching potions when
trying to help Harry with his tasks in GoF. (For the most part, they seem to be
looking at Charms. See below.) They have little knowledge and less
interest in the subject, in or out of Snape's class.

There is no question in my mind that Snape is excellent at his subject. My point
is, he's going through the motions of teaching -- exposing students to the
material, making them practice, testing their knowledge -- and in that respect,
he's certainly miles better than Lockheart. But his students aren't developing
much facility or even interest in the subject. In fact, I would say that Snape
has pretty effectively *disinterested* most of the students in his subject. That
knowledge and interest is how teaching is evaluated. And on that basis, I just
don't believe, based on the evidence in the books, that Snape is a very good
*teacher*. (I will, however, agree with jenny from ravenclaw that *Snape* is
interested, even enthusiastic about his subject. He just doesn't seem to pass
that on to his students.)

FWIW, I'm not sure McGonnagal counts as a particularly good teacher, either,
though I don't have as much evidence against her. Her students seem to have an
awful lot of trouble with the tasks she assigns, and don't seem to try to use
Transfiguration outside of class, but her subject is, after all, notoriously
difficult, and the students seem to respect her and keep trying in her class.
(Ok, I admit it, the "notoriously difficult subject" excuse *might* work for
Snape, too. But I don't get the impression that McGonnagal keeps trying to flunk
half of her students.) For my money, *as teachers*, the ranking goes like this:

Lupin takes first place, for what I think are obvious reasons (well-organized
classes, good practical hands-on labs, approachable demeanor, able to encourage
students, etc.), with Flitwick running a close second. (Yes, I know, he's kind
of an unexciting character, but look at the evidence. Even as a first-year, Ron
got that Leviosa charm well enough to try it on an ogre's club shortly
afterward. And later on, the kids turn to Charms first to solve many of their
problems. Evidently we have here a guy who can really motivate his students --
and is very forgiving with Neville's problems -- I just picture that scene with
the Banishing Charms....) 

Crouch/Moody comes in third. Knows his material, gives his students plenty of
practice, emphasizes the relevance of what he's teaching them, but is a bit
heavy-handed. I'm not sure how to count him cheering up Neville and giving him
the book on herbology. We know he did it for his own evil reasons, but at face
value it was a good thing to do as a teacher. I guess I think Crouch played a
"good teacher" very well. We'll have to see what Moody is like (if he sticks
around as a teacher).

Next would probably be McGonnagal (see above), and Sprout (who has a solid
curriculum, emphasizes the relevance of her material to her students, and has a
real handle on safety issues). 

Hooch occupies the middle rank at best due to her lack of safety preparations,
and poor response to what must have been a common student accident in her line
of work.

Quirrell is largely an unknown, but probably below Hooch (especially after his
return from sabbatical), along with Hagrid (whom I love, but who can barely
teach-- only his salamander and young unicorn lessons were any good). Snape is
probably somewhere in this rank, sadly.

Binns leads the way into the cellar (his answers to Hermione's questions abut
the Chamber edge him up just a half-notch), and 

Trelawney and Lockhart are tied for last place. Neither of them knows their
subject *or* how to teach it.

We just don't have enough information about Vector and Sinistra. Hermione is
very impressed with Vector, but then, as someone pointed out, Hermione may be
giving Arithmancy more credit than it deserves because it looks more precise to
her than Divination. And we haven't seen Dumbledore teach, but I would bet a box
of Bertie Bott's that he'd be a good teacher... he has the patience for it, and
he's really not quite as flaky as he seems at the first Feast.

Elizabeth
(who, as a professional instructor, is often frustrated with schools --
especially colleges and universities -- choosing teachers based on their
knowledge of their subject, rather than their ability to teach it)