OoP(Spoilers) Snape as teacher

[kiricat2001]

No: HPFGUIDX 67042

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "bluesqueak" <pipdowns at e...> 
wrote:
> 
> > 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

This thread has been interesting, but there was something that 
niggled at the back of my mind about JKR's comments on Snape as a 
teacher.  I pored through some transcripts at the Leaky Cauldron and 
this is what I found from an interview on Oct 12, 1999. labeled The 
Conntection Interview Transcript

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/quickquotes/articles/1999/1099-
connectiontransc.html

"Interviewer: What about Snape?

JKR: Snape is a very sadistic teacher, loosely based on a teacher I 
myself had, I have to say. I think children are very aware and we are 
kidding ourselves if we don't think that they are, that teachers do 
sometimes abuse their power and this particular teacher does abuse 
his power. He's not a particularly pleasant person at all. However, 
everyone should keep their eye on Snape, I'll just say that because 
there is more to him than meets the eye and you will find out part of 
what I am talking about if you read Book 4."

Now, JKR doesn't make any comments about whether she thinks sadism is 
an effective teaching style. Maybe she does.  But, she states flat 
out that this teacher abuses his power.  There's a difference between 
being a tough, no-nonsense, hard-driving teacher and one who is 
abusive.  I think Darrin's question about whether Snape gets more 
satisfaction out of scaring the crap out of his students or actually 
seeing them perform gets right to the heart of the matter. Snape may 
very well be thrilled to teach only the best and brightest in his 
upper level classes. But, he's also more than happy to target some 
students for abuse in his lower classes. Does that make Snape an 
effective teacher overall, because most of his students manage to get 
through with passing grades? Maybe so.  But, I'd have far more 
respect for him as a teacher if he ever gave any evidence of trying 
to help those non-talented students like Neville, rather than simply 
snarking at them.

Marianne