Let's hear it for good old Snapey!

[Geoff Bannister]

No: HPFGUIDX 87805

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Barry Arrowsmith 
<arrowsmithbt at b...> wrote:

Kneasy: 
> As a proto-typical boring old fart (and proud of it), I get a bit 
> exercised when Sevvy gets accused of bullying, mental abuse and 
> "lacking people skills," whatever that may mean.

Putting on one side your medical problems, whether you are proud of 
them or not :-), the fact is that Snape apparently is guilty of these 
matters.

When I taught, I frequently taught the new pupils - often the entire 
year group of them in the course of a week. The first few lessons 
would include, among other things, making them aware of their 
surroundings in your particular subject, to try to introduce them 
sensibly to new terms and ideas particularly if it was a subject they 
had not covered at Junior or Middle School.  No way did you start 
trying to curry favourites; no way did you start to belittle pupils; 
no way did you start asking them questions which they could not hope 
to answer - as Snape did with Harry on their first meeting. He starts 
with sarcasm when he is calling the register and makes no attempt to 
curb Draco and his minders at that point. And he then blames Harry 
when Neville's experiment goes wrong. And of course, there are the on-
going jibes at Hermione about being a know-all. Hardly guaranteed 
methods which will build confidence and trust in the pupils in the 
future.

Kneasy:
> The idea that no child should be exposed to disappointment, sarcasm 
or 
> criticism seems ludicrous. That would result in pretty poor 
preparation 
> for adult life IMO.  

Geoff: 
Who said they shouldn't? A child may well do a piece of work not up 
to scratch and be disappointed or criticised for not reaching their 
best. A child should have som idea of your expectations from your 
knowledge of their progress and should also have their own targets. I 
have occasionally also indulged in light sarcasm to quell over-
exuberance but when you've been in a school long enough to be 
teaching the childen of former pupils, your jokes are usually well-
known!

It is when these traits are displayed without a reference point for 
them right from the beginning that I suspect the teacher. I remember 
a Woodwork teacher when I was 11 who was like that. I was hopeless at 
the subject and I hated his guts for evermore because he, like Snape, 
took every opportunity to rub in the fact that you were not good. No 
encouragement, no advice, just continual carping.

Kneasy:
> Harry is an obstreperous, obstructive, argumentative, stubborn, 
> disobedient, idle little sneak. 

Geoff: 
Many of us were at that age. Does that excuse a grown teacher of 
perhaps three times Harry's age that he behaves in such a biased, 
self-centred and critical manner?

Perhaps he should consider taking up a job as a TV political 
interviewer.
:-)