OoP(Spoilers) Snape as teacher

[bluesqueak]

No: HPFGUIDX 67030


> Diana: 
> > 
> > If that were the case, I would be a master chef. <g>  I can 
> > certainly follow a recipe in a recipe book, as can most people, 
> but what about in cases where
> > you have to substitute ingredients?  Come up with something 
> > new?  Fix a problem?  It takes talent and training to become a 
> > master chef, and I assume it would also take talent and training 
> > to become a potion master.  And it
> > obviously takes more than just the ability to follow 
> > instructions to make a decent potion or else *everyone* would   
> > get an O on their Potions Owl.
> 
> Darrin:
> I think you're right that it takes more than the ability to follow 
> instructions to make a decent potion.
> 
> But the problem is, I don't see Snape trying to instill this 
> ability. His lesson plan seems to be to have the students follow  
> instructions. 

Yeah, but Darrin, these are the fifth year students. They're in an 
Exam Only system. That means that at the end of the fifth year, they 
sit their OWLS, in which they have to follow a set of instructions.

With no help at all.

If Harry had repeated the goof he made in one of his potions classes 
in his exam, where he *didn't* read clear instructions accurately, 
then it would be 'congratulations, Mr Potter, you've just got a 'T' 
for Troll. You'd like a second chance? That's fine, just repeat the 
fifth year again...

> Darrin:
> Granted, some of the instructions seem to be incredibly  
> complicated, but nothing a calm and clear-headed student couldn't 
> handle.
> EXCEPT... how many calm and clear-headed students do you see in 
> Potions that aren't Snape's pet Slyths? 

Probably as many calm and clear-headed students as you find in an 
exam room, sitting exams that they know their entire future depends 
on. Five years of work, and you can blow every single bit of it in 
three hours.  Five years of straight A's, and then you fail the 
exam? Tough. You've failed. Nothing counts except that exam mark.

The UK system has now changed to a part course work, part final exam 
system. But I went through the Exam-only system (as did JKR), and 
believe me, the *pressure* was incredible. 

Snape's 'put the students under continuous pressure' teaching style 
is probably permitted by Dumbledore *because* it teaches the non-
Slyth students to work under pressure. They need to know how to do 
this. Just as they need to learn that some people in positions of 
authority play favourites *before* they go out into the big wide 
world.

> 
> Which is why I pointed out  that Neville, away from Snape, turned 
> out to make a decent potion.

Which suggests that Snape, unlikeable and unpleasant as he is, has a 
teaching style that is effective. Compared to Snape, the practical 
exam itself is a doddle. Even his least confident students look at 
the instructions and think 'hey, this is easy'. Or easier, at least.

> 
> So the question is: Does Snape get more satisfaction out of 
> scaring the crap out of his students or actually seeing them 
> perform?
> If it's the former, I have a hard time agreeing that's he's a good 
teacher.

That he only takes the Outstanding students for NEWT suggests the 
latter. If he really found his kicks solely from screaming at 
students, surely he'd take the less able students as well, so he 
could continue screaming at them. 

The fact that he only takes the students with signs of a genuine 
talent for Potions suggests to me that he prefers seeing his 
students perform well. He's a bit of a Rowena Ravenclaw: he only 
wants to teach the intelligent. 


Pip!Squeak