I'd rather be in Snape's class

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 41168

Jenny says:


> I never said he was a nice teacher; I said he was capable.  Irene 
> really said it better than I could: the students pass his classes.  

Except for Hermione making the Polyjuice Potion, we have no evidence 
of anyone getting anything out of Snape's classes except migraines.

In fact, except for Draco, I don't see that any student has ever done 
anything right in that class. No, scratch that, the one who DOES do 
it right -- Hermione -- is verbally slapped down. 

So, is Snape a toothless dog? Does he criticize everyone but still 
pass them and all the students have to do is absorb the abuse and 
they'll get the passing marks? There's lessons being learned there, 
but I don't see how they have to do with potions.

If they pass in spite of him, that's not the mark of a good teacher. 
Or if he just wants to abuse them, that's not the mark of a good 
teacher.

And considering that Harry learned how to handle a Hippogriff from 
Hagrid, a skill Harry used a lot in PoA, I'd say Snape and Hagrid are 
pretty much tied in terms of practical applications from their 
lessons. 

Of course, they are well behind Flitwick and Lupin in that 
category. ;)

And Neville may not have passed Potions, or he barely did. In SS/PS, 
we are told his excellent Herbology grade outweighs his Potions one.

Now, in the U.S. school systems, an A+ in math doesn't outweigh an F 
in English. You didn't pass English, so you didn't pass. Is it 
different other places?

In  reality, Snape would most definitely have been disciplined by his 
> supervisor... or he'd be slapped silly by a student in the NYC 
public school system (just let him near one of my students!).  
However, this  is not reality (as much as I pretend it is at times) 
and things seem  to be run differently at Hogwarts.  For one thing, 
the students who  are picked on never tell on Snape.  As obnoxious as 
this sounds, if  Neville can't stand up for himself or can't approach 
Dumbledore or perhaps his grandmother about the way one of his 
professors is 
> treating him, why should Snape stop?  If Dumbledore knew that Snape 
> treated some of his students so badly, I think he'd have a talk 
with Snape about it.  
>  

Well, again, this isn't reality, and I'm sure JKR is calling up 
echoes of Dickens here. Snape reminds me so much of Dickens' old 
characters.

And Why should Snape stop???? 

BECAUSE HE IS THE ALLEGED ADULT, THAT'S WHY!!!! He is the teacher, 
the one who is supposed to be the mature one. If all his is right now 
is a larger version of Crabbe or Goyle, then the problem is on his 
end, not Neville's.

The bullying scenario works with Draco and Goyle and Crabbe, but 
Neville can't very well attack Snape at a Quidditch match, can he?


> > In fact, as I've said before, I don't think Snape wants to be 
> > teaching at all.>
> 
> That sounds about right to me as well.  You know what, though?  I'd 
> much rather be in Snape's class than in Hagrid's or *shudder* 
> Trelawney's.  Snape may be mean but, as you mentioned, he knows his 
> stuff and makes sure that his students get that knowledge too.
> 


Again, I don't see where he gives a damn if the students get it. We 
are led to believe -- from Harry's PoV -- that Dumbledore had to step 
in and stop Snape from failing Harry out of spite. Given the events 
of GoF, that PoV might be flawed, but Snape's spiteful teaching 
behavior in general is alarming and the mark of a poor teacher.

And Harry's PoV is valuable in that it shows the students have no 
respect for Snape's integrity, another mark of a poor teacher. Isn't 
it your experience that students respond to the "tough, but fair" but 
the "FAIR" has to be there?

Frankly, I see fear behind his brutal treatment of Hermione. He sees 
what may be the brightest student at Hogwarts in years, someone who 
may someday eclipse his own greatness, and takes the opportunity to 
drag her down whenever possible.

Pure spite motivates his behavior toward Lupin. Attempting to use the 
students to out Lupin as a werewolf? Then flat-out TELLING the 
students? 

Let's use the Werewolf as Homosexuality metaphor that I know has been 
popular here. What if a real-life teacher assigned an essay on 
homosexuality or AIDS with the intention of outing a teacher? And 
then, failing that, the teacher tells his Homeroom (a distant 
approximation to Houses, but there you go) that the teacher is gay?

Is THAT a teacher you'd want to have?

Darrin
-- But you're right, I'd take Snape over Trelawney