Snape vs. RW (was: Harry) (was: What if other teachers behaved like Snape?)

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 101393

Alla:
> Here is my question though. How much exactly are we 
supposed to step from the standards of Real Life teaching 
profession to cut Snape a  slack?
<snip>
> Yes, Wisarding World is not real. (HA! ) We all know that. :o) 
> But I think that some reality standards are still meant to be 
apply.<

Pippin:
Nobody's saying Snape's  methods ought to be emulated in real 
life. But there are real life teachers like Snape, and of course the 
inconvenient thing about them is the same  as in Snape's case. 
Though his methods are horrible, they work. They wouldn't work 
for everybody, but they work for him. He has enough presence to 
keep his students from tuning him out, no matter how hard they 
try.  As long as his methods go on working, he isn't likely to 
change. If he did start to change, his results (as measured by 
OWLs and NEWTs) would probably get worse, because of the 
learning curve. 

The occlumency failure might get to him. Unfortunately, he knew 
that Harry wasn't trying. And it's interesting that once Harry did 
make up his mind to banish Voldemort, he was able to oust the 
Dark Lord within seconds. Did Snape's lessons have anything to 
do with that? It will be darned hard to convince Snape otherwise.

Del makes a good point--Hogwarts is much more authoritarian 
and much more dangerous than a real school. So is the 
wizarding world. The average wizarding environment is probably 
not so cozy as the Burrow nor so creepy as Grimmauld Place, 
but very much like Hogwarts. Snapes and Umbridges abound, 
few people  think corporal punishment is too severe to inflict on 
children or House Elves, and nobody would blame you for 
treating your subordinates  like dirt if you thought they deserved 
it. 

Talking back just doesn't get you anwhere in a society like that. 
One thing you can say for Draco, when he thinks a teacher is no 
good he doesn't waste his time acting out in class, he does 
something effective about it. He didn't get Hagrid sacked--but 
Rubeus's teaching methods improved in a right hurry, I'd say.  ;-)

 If Harry really wanted to get Snape sacked, he'd have to prove 
that Snape was endangering students, and that would be hard to 
do.  But of course he doesn't want that, he just wants Snape to 
treat him differently. Dumbledore wants that too. But was it 
realistic? Not under the circumstances. Asking Snape to get over 
his grudge against Harry was like asking a recovering alcoholic 
to demonstrate drinking responsibly.

Pippin