OoP(Spoilers) Snape as teacher

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 67040


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

Pip:
 
> 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.

See, I still don't get the effectiveness of terrorizing one kid to 
the point of incontinence, while favoring another whole set of kids. 
I don't find the fact that Neville did well away from Snape a praise 
of Snape, but rather an indictment.

It makes me wonder if Snape had eased up on Neville just at touch, 
would the kid have been able to do this kind of work in regular class?

But, I can't argue that the results aren't positive in the end for 
Neville, but I question how much credit goes to the teacher. 

And this isn't even touching the differences in the way Slyths are 
treated, the continual slamming of the brightest student in class and 
destroying Harry's work. 

 
> > 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.

Pip:

> 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. 

These aren't mutually exclusive. He still has his first- through 
fifth-years to kick around, even if he does only want the best for 
sixth- and seventh-year. Having his treacle tart and eating it too.

And I'm still not grasping what a talent for Potions is. Perhaps is 
sixth- and seventh-year, the students start researching the methods 
of creating potions and the theories behind that. 

The analogy has been made to chefs, but the great chefs also create 
dishes. Paul Prudhomme's blackened redfish and Warren LeRuth's 
artichoke and oyster soup are but two examples.

So, I'd like to see what Snape has created in his career. I'm sure he 
has, but it would be nice to see.

Darrin
-- The Reddened Blackfish. Oh yeah, good band name.