Snape's teaching methods, (was: Snape's Loyalties)

[mtwelovett]

No: HPFGUIDX 73903

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Lisa G <happybluebirdie at y...> wrote:
> --- jazmyn <jazmyn at p...> wrote:
> > I think the point many people missed in the books is that
> > Harry did not 
> > even TRY in learning occlumency. He didn't practice when told
> > to and 
> > WANTED to see what was behind that door in his dreams more
> > then he 
> > wanted to block it. <snip> Snape was indeed trying to
> > teach him 
> > and needs no apology for having a bad student who refused to
> > accept how 
> > important it was to learn how to shut Voldemort out.
> <snipitty snip>
>

 Lisa G added: 
> It was less so in high school, but when I hit college and had to
> get serious with my vocal training, failure was not an option.
> My professor was a very honest, talented man, someone who I
> could go to if I needed a real grown up (not just my
> pseudo-grown up peers) to talk to. He was one of the best father
> figures I had :o) But when lesson time came, you either practice
> and come prepared, ready to buckle down and work, or you don't
> come at all. Period. All the compassion in the world out of
> class doesn't equate to coddling during class. If I didn't have
> a piece memorized when I was supposed to, or if I wasn't working
> hard enough, he would end the lesson. End of discussion, come
> back next week.
> 
> Snape certainly has inappropriate behavior toward his students
> at times - he's a tad bit juvenile and seems to like getting
> back at them from time to time if they've been out of line. But
> by and large, his treatment of Harry during Occlumency lessons
> was totally normal to me. You do it how he says, and you work
> your tail off, or don't waste his time. Harry is really young to
> grasp this concept, but he's gotta grow up fast. He doesn't
> really have a choice in that, and if he feels bullied by some of
> his teachers, it's usually because their expectations are higher
> than what he'd care to aspire to as a young teen.


Lisa, you make some good points, that I've been thinking about as well
also in regard to my own college experiences and certain no-nonsense
professors who turned out to be the ones I learned the most from and
in the long run remember best and to some extent have the greatest
respect for. 

What I've wondered for some time in regard to this topic, and
"teaching style" if you will is this: Maybe Snape rides Harry harder
(and possibly Neville too) because he knows that they more than some
of the others will need this in life because of Voldermort, or simply
because of who their parents were, and he wants to make sure they get
it. His methods may be somewhat questionable, but does it make them
work harder not to get this "treatment" from him? Maybe not on the
surface, but in the long run perhaps it does... Look at how Neville
was able to do all right in his OWL without Snape hovering over him,
granted we don't have scores yet, but he did better than if Snape were
around and if he can accomplish any of it with Snape around, Life
potions situations should prove to be easy for him. 

Just because James and Snape hated each other doesn't mean that Snape
didn't look up to or want to be like James (doesn't Malfoy want the
attention that Harry gets?) That said, Snape may feel obligated to
make sure Harry and Neville turn out to be great wizards like their
parents, and this is his way of trying to make sure they get the
education they need to do so, and goes easier on the ones that aren't
going to amount to as much in his eyes anyway, even if it looks as if
he is favoring them. Malfoy & Co. may get A's because Snape doesn't
grade them to as high of a standard as he grades Harry & Co. Or he may
just enjoy this bullying style which regardless of his motives, I
think on some level he does because he doesn't know any other way of
handling it.

Mtwelovett