Snape's teaching methods

[kneazelkid]

No: HPFGUIDX 73913

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 toldto 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.<snip>...But when lesson 
time came, you either practice and come prepared, ready to buckle 
down and work, or you don't come at all. ...<snip> 
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. <snip>
 
mtwelovett added:
<snip snip> 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. 

<snip> 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.

me:
Although I love the idea of Snape having more noble motivations than 
we have evidence of, I think it is important to remember that JK has 
not shown him in this light. At the Albert Hall interview, she even 
said he was somewhat of a baddie and people needed to remember that. 
While we can feel sympathy for Snape -- he was obvisouly bullied -- 
that does not make him a good person. He is a jerk. His treatment of 
Harry would be inapropriate to a grown up, much less a child. Let us 
not forget how cruel he has been to Harry since Harry was a first 
year. What sort of a person mocks a child that young? 

We can pity Snape for his unfortuante past, but an unfortunate past 
does not excuse horrid behavior or mean that somewhere inside of him 
he is thinking of what's best for Harry. We (or at least I) have the 
tendancy to "Dickenize" (as in Charles Dickens) people who are poor 
or cruel. But not all poor people are noble and hardworking (although 
some are) nor are all cruel people misunderstood (although some are). 
Some are just stinkers. We should rely on the evidence given and try 
not to be tainted by romanticism or the attractivness of the movie-
Snape in his sulking, black gothic sexiness (although I admit it's 
difficult). 

While Snape is an adequate teacher, his brutality negativly affects 
his students. And while there is certainly a reason Dumbledore trusts 
him, it doesn't mean that it's because somewhere inside Snape is a 
kind person with the best intentions for Harry. Remember what Sirius 
said: "The world is not divided into good people and death eaters." 
Snape is neither a good person nor a death eater.

Had Snape really had good motivations in Occumalancy, he would have 
acted like a grown up, taken responsibility for his teaching and seen 
to it that Harry learned -- not taken out his aggression and anger. 
This was too important a lesson to be petty about. Snape failed and 
he obvisouly didn't care very much or he would have put more effort 
into it. He "taught" Harry with a grudge, like a child forced to 
clean his room who just shoves his toys under the bed and shouts "NOW 
can I go out?"
 
kneazelkid -- who would be happy to eat her words becuase a good 
Snape would be even sexier