[HPforGrownups] Re: Hagrid/I hate Hermione!!!! (uh. not me)

[Laura Ingalls Huntley]

No: HPFGUIDX 41342

Talia Dawn:

>huntleyl at mssm.org writes:
> >I don't disagree Hagrid has a lot to learn about being a teacher. But 
> >so...does... Snape.

Actually, I didn't write that -- Darrin did.  I was just quoting him.  I can see where you might get confused though - with all the quoting and re-quoting it can be hard to keep things straight. ^_^

Talia:
>I'm rather on the opposite side of this.  When I get criticized, I get 
>furiously angry and then make sure the next time I do something that is much 
>better than what I was criticized for.

I do too, but that doesn't make it right, and most of the people I know would react differently than the two of us -- at least in the long run.  Furthermore, I don't know if this applies to you, but I don't need that kind of motivation to do well in school anyway.  The way I look at it -- I'm the one in control of my education.  I'm the one who chooses to do well.  I tend to rate my teachers by how much they ease this process.  Sure, some jerk telling me that I can't do something gives me extra motivation to prove him wrong, but (for me) the motivation's really already there, and I would much rather have someone to help me.

Personally, I don't feel Snape is mean because he thinks it helps the students to be more motivated.  I think he's mean because he likes it.  Furthermore, does anyone in canon react positively towards his teaching methods?  (I define positively as working harder, etc.)  Not really.  Hermione would do her best no matter what, as yet he is still awful to her -- and Neville, the other end of the spectrum, obviously isn't benefiting from it as well.

Talia:
>I personally learn better form teachers who are mean.  
>Example: My chemistry teacher in my sophomore 
>continually berated my friends and I after we messed up a 
>lab.  

But don't you think that it would be better if someone could teach you to have that kind of motivation *without* the hate and the rage and the humiliation of having someone in a position of authority over you abuse that authority?  I think the best teachers teach you to find it in *yourself* to succeed.  There's not always going to be someone around to offer that extra little boost (be is positive or negative), you know? I'm not saying that they need to be fuzzy and warm and nice -- I'm saying that they ought to be respectful *and* respectable.  They're adults and they're role models -- I understand that no one's perfect, but I am a firm believer in the fact that everyone is capable of *trying*.  Anyway, back to the point, it seems like eventually you'd start to associate success with hate and anger..which seems like a potentially bad thing. ^_~

Talia:
>Result: We kicked chemistry ass the rest of the year.  Our 
>grades went higher after she criticized us in front of the 
>class.  Even though I hate her *much* more than I thought it 
>was possible to hate someone, I still learned more because 
>all I could think about was "showing Doc up!"  

And you didn't feel...manipulated..at all?  I mean, I'd never sacrifice my grades to spite someone, but, in this case, I'd really, *really* want to.  I don't know...I'm probably a little too proud when it comes to things like that, you know?  I can't stand to feel like I'm being used or duped.  (note to self: another thing to work on)  


Taila:
>I think I would pick Snape over Hagrid - and I cannot stand Hermione.
>I think she's an untolerable insufferable know-it-all (which might be 
>because I am a Hermione.  People usually hate people with traits they see in 
>themselves...that's my experience anway.).  

Oooo.  I guess we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this one then.  I know what you mean about hating people with your own traits though... *thinks* does this mean I'm like Snape?  *shivers* Nah.


Talia:
>She's not helping Neville by telling him what to do.  If she 
>wants to help, why doesn't she tutor him?

Actually, I think she does.  Neville says she "helps him with work and stuff", which sounds like it means out-of-classroom.  And who else is going to tell him how to do it?  Alot of people really can't learn by just reading from a book, you know?  And AFAIK it's not like she's helping him during *tests* or anything graded -- actually, I can't recall her helping him in class that often either (if you could come up with references, I'd be happy to look at them).  I mean, we all know Hermione's stance on cheating on graded things at least, and I don't agree with your assessment that anything else she has helped him with could be considered cheating.  The only questionable incident would be the Trevor thing, when Snape explicitly told her not to -- but if Neville didn't get it right his *pet* would die.  And the potion was already messed up to begin with when that threat was delivered.  Now, some would argue that Snape wasn't *really* going to harm Trevor -- but I bet you Neville *thought* he was...which is all that really counts.

Taila:
>Snape takes points off because Hermione helps him cheat.  >I'm surprised he doesn't take off more points just for 
>that.  

I feel that this is the only incident of such cheating -- and notice that Hermione doesn't complain or protest when he takes points off (although Ron tells her she should have lied about it).  I think she probably was expecting it -- but decided that Trevor's life was more important than a few House points. Sort of like the proverbial rock and a hard place.

laura


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