[HPforGrownups] Re: What's wrong with being bad ?

[Barb Roberts]

No: HPFGUIDX 101970


From: Irene <irene_mikhlin at btopenworld.com>

What I find amusing is that people discuss Snape's teaching methods as 
if he was a unique monster from hell. "Ritual humiliation" was a 
recognised teaching technique in british schools until quite recently. 
At least there is no cane in Hogwarts, so let's keep things in 
proportion.

Well,  there has been a lot of discussion! My mailbox overfloweth.

Hmm…and it’s not just British schools either, for wasn't "ritual 
humiliation" accepted in the past in some U.S. parochial schools too? 
That said, I'm reasonably sure that JKR, a teacher herself, is not 
setting Snape up as the teacher of the year.  In one of her interviews, 
she lauds Lupin as being an excellent teacher, not Snape.  We aren't 
supposed to love Snape as a teacher.   His students may even do well 
with OWLs, but teaching is more than passing on facts that will help 
you pass boards.  He certainly hasn't done anything to challenge the 
values of his Slytherin students (Malfoy et al.) Their reactionary 
ideas remain unchallenged. This is a direct opposition to Lupin, who in 
scene with the Boggart, directly confronts students with their fears, 
perhaps saving Neville from a nervous breakdown and Hermione too.   
(Hermione's anxiety concerning her schoolwork may have eventually 
caught up with her too.)

Actually, I think some forms of corporal punishment might be kinder 
than some of Snape's cutting remarks.

Kyntor replies:


 >First, I don't really believe that Snape is practicing "ritual 
humiliation" purely for the benefit of his students.  He >seems to 
enjoy humiliating certain people just entirely too much. 

Why does it seem that Harry's potion classes are always together with 
Slytherin?  Not an accident, I think.   These classes act as a stage 
for Snape to show (Malfoy et al.) how loyal he is to Slytherin and how 
much he really hates Gryffindor.  Part of Snape's cover?  At least in 
part.  Snape does seem to enjoy belittling students though. Not nice.

There must be a great need for DD to keep Snape close by.  A need so 
great that it overrides whatever offence Snape commits in class.  
Harry’s fate too seems to be tied up with Snape somehow. And let’s face 
it, DD has to hire *someone* from Slytherin.  Someone needs to be 
Slytherin's head of house.  I doubt if there are many Slytherin 
candidates that DD would trust.  Who knows? Perhaps most Slytherins 
would run classroom in a similar manner as Snape,  (I bet you that 
Umbridge was in Slytherin.) I think DD knows a lot of what is going on 
in Snape’s’ classes, but for the greater good chooses to look the other 
way.  What the greater good is, still remains to be seen though.

Barbara (Ivogun), apologizing  for sending yet another post on this 
much discussed topic.

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