CHAPTER DISCUSSION: Chapter 12, "Professor Umbridge"

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 91235

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "suehpfan" <stanleys at s...> 
wrote:
> Sue chiming in:
> I have trouble with this whole "Snape is teaching Harry by 
ridiculing 
> him to make sure he remembers" thing.  As a teacher, I always knew 
> that if I wanted to get my point across I better be sure that the 
kid 
> in question knew what my point was.  I don't think Harry remembers 
> much of anything from potions, especially on his first day of 
> Hogwarts, except that Snape hates his guts.  In other words, Snape 
> was not making the point about beazors, he was making the point 
that 
> he couldn't stand Harry.
<snip> 
> IMHO, his ridicule is simply that, ridicule, with no 
> other purpose other than to humiliate the recipiant.  I do think 
> there is something to your belief  about the draught of peace, he 
> didn't just ridicule Harry, he made him read the directions, and 
> write about it that night.  In this particular case Snape really 
does 
> seem to be trying to make sure Harry knows this potion.
> 
> There are probably other examples when the follow up is indeed 
> teaching, but there seem to more times when there is no follow up 
> what so ever.  Honesty, it seems to me Snape doesn't give a darn 
> whether Harry learns potions or not and he certainly doesn't seem 
to 
> want Harry back in NEWT potions (though IMHO, he will be). I don't 
> think he is doing anything other than flexing his "I am the adult, 
> you are the kid and I can do whatever I want" muscles whenever 
Harry 
> is around most of the time. 
> 
> Sue, who has spent way too much time trying to compose this post 
and 
> now feels more conflicted about Severus Snape than ever.

Siriusly Snapey Susan:
Former high school teacher myself, Sue.  I never ridiculed, either; 
don't believe it's an effective means of teaching, as a rule.  But 
while I think Severus is truly gifted with potions, I think he has 
his definite failings as a teacher.  Just because ridicule isn't the 
best way of ensuring a student learns doesn't mean it's not what 
Snape would choose to try.  

You may be right that in the first day/first class situation, he 
wasn't trying to make sure Harry remembered those things.  We won't 
really know 'til we see if they come into play in books 6 or 7.  
Alternatively, it could be *JKR* who wants *us* to remember. :-)

Siriusly Snapey Susan