[HPforGrownups] Hogwarts Teacher Neville

[Calliope]

No: HPFGUIDX 53612

"Janet Anderson" wrote:

> 2) Potions. Now, before you laugh yourself into apoplexy, consider that you 
> probably need at least a working knowledge of herbology to be any good at 
> Potions; that Snape may well both want and need a successor and believe that 
> Neville ought to be that successor; and that if Neville *did* teach Potions, 
> he'd probably be a really good teacher -- understanding the weaknesses of 
> his students from personal experience -- even if he wasn't as good at the 
> actual subject as Snape.
> 

My personal feeling is that if Snape weren't so darn NASTY to Neville all the
time, he might be able to do fairly well.  Nowhere does canon say Neville is
stupid, just very easily flustered, which Snape does to him with just a look.
When he has good and kind teachers like Sprout and Lupin (who don't baby him,
IMO, just treat him decently) he does well.

Understanding the weaknesses of students is very important to being a good
teacher. I had problems with some of my musical subjects while in college
studying to be a music teacher, and my private flute instructor told me that I
would probably be a great teacher, because I would have a thorough understanding
of what causes mistakes and would be able to correct them.  Often when I help my
kids I think of the way I used to do it wrong, and how I had to fix it, and more
often than not it works!  People who are brilliant and always right "because
they just *know* how to do it" often make horrible teachers. ::coughSnapecough::

I would LOVE to see Neville come into his own and be either an awesome teacher
or have an important position in the Ministry of Magic (and I'd love to see him
get revenge on the people who tortured his parents as well...).  There is
something about Neville that I just love and want to root for!

Calliope

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