OoP - Occlumency - A case for Evil!Snape?

jenny_ravenclaw meboriqua at aol.com
Wed Jul 2 20:50:09 UTC 2003


No: HPFGUIDX 66852

Darrin wrote, just to bait me:
 
> Snape's method of teaching was illustrated quite nicely in OoP.
 
 Write some stuff on the board, tell the class to follow it and then 
and then berate anyone who gets it wrong. Oh, I left out destroying a 
student's work because the student did something to anger you outside 
of the classroom.
 
Hagrid could do that. As could Trelawney. Hell, Filch could do it, 
except he'd have to write the ingredients instead of waving his wand.
 
-- Can't wait to see Jenny's reaction on this one ;)>

...and here I am:
Who am I to not respond when called? 

I'm guessing that after four years of Potions, students at Hogwarts 
should know the basics by now.  It seems to me, as even Snape said in 
SS (unless I am mistaken) that Potions is a very exact form of magic.  
As a teacher, I see the best way for my students to "get it" is to 
practice - lots of practice Regents essays, lots of review of literary 
devices, more Regents essays...  In the last few weeks of class, I no 
longer go over directions with them or allow them to need their notes, 
making class more like testing conditions.  It sucks but my kids can't 
graduate without exams and passing exams is very hard for them. 

You could call Snape lazy by simply listing ingredients and directions 
on the board, but Harry and the other students really need to learn 
how to pay close attention to both the directions as well as what they 
are doing.  I'd compare it to encouraging my students to review 
directions and proof read their work on their own.  My students are 17 
and up - they, like Harry, have been doing the same activities for 
several years.  It is time they get it.

At least Snape stays in the room to make sure they are all on task.  
It's not like he's on the computer playing solitaire, like one of my 
colleagues does.

I will give this to you, Darrin: it is unfortunate that Snape's 
presence is what may have prevented students like Harry and Neville 
from doing better.  His negative attitude doesn't help and if he was a 
teacher in one of the big NYC schools, I guarantee you he'd be punched 
in the face by a student.  I'm proud to say that my students are 
always happy to know that I am their proctor during exam time.  They 
get nervous when I have to leave!

--jenny from ravenclaw, who has refrained from commenting on Hagrid 
the Moron *******************************





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