Snape's teaching methods

[queenofeverythang]

No: HPFGUIDX 73938

I think it's pretty clear that Snape doesn't like Harry and teaches 
him not because he wants to nurture and guide him, but 
because that is his job.  Wasn't it said that  james potter saved 
Snape's life  - sure some may feel grateful towards the person 
who saved their life but if you think that person is a jerk it might 
make you more irate.

> That said, Snape may feel obligated to make sure Harry and 
> Neville turn out to be great wizards like their parents...

I think Snape doesn't see Harry's father as such a great wizard, 
any possible admiration would be eclypsed by James' 
arrogance. I think he does see himself as insulting away any 
arrogance that he sees in Harry (who walked into Hogwarts a 
'Celebrity'). Snape and Sirius both saw Harry as a kind of 
reincarnation of his father and that influenced their relationships 
with him.

> 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. 

Well Snape was put in Slytherin for a reason, and he became a 
death eater for a reason, and as much as Dumbledore trusts 
him he will not let him teach defense against the dark arts for a 
reason

> 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. 
> 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.

Which is why he is such a great character

 > 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?"

I think we should remember that the feelings of anger are mutual 
between Snape and Harry. Neither could get past their feelings 
for each other and do the work. Yes, i know Harry is the child and 
Snape is the adult but he is also human. I don't know if you have 
ever had to teach teenagers, but they can test your patience and 
your nerves. They are not yet ready to get pass their issues and 
work together - Soon they will have no choice. Harry's life will 
probably depend on it.