More on Snape

[iggymcsnurd]

No: HPFGUIDX 102917

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" <drednort at a...> 
wrote:
> On 23 Jun 2004 at 23:54, dumbledore11214 wrote:
> 
> > Alla:
> > 
> > 
> > I was like Hermione in school... to certain extent. I always 
knew the 
> > answer (Not in all classes, mind you :o), in some), but I was 
shy 
> > enough to raise my hand all the time.
> > 
> > I cannot remember of any teacher who tried to shut me up, when I 
> > indeed raised my hand.

> Shaun Hately
>
> Whereas, I can remember about a dozen... it's one of those areas 
> where experiences can differ greatly.
> 
> Now as I've said before, I work with gifted kids, and I was one. 
> Teacher hostility towards students who always answer the questions 
> is  quite a common experience for these kids. It occurs for 
> multiple reasons - sometimes it's because the teacher sees it as 
> disruptive in some ways, because it discourages others from 
> answering. Sometimes it's because the teacher sees it as a form of 
> boasting. Sometimes it's because the teacher regards it as somehow 
> unfair to other students to let the bright child be too obvious. 
> Sometimes the teacher is a rotten teacher - other times, they may 
> actually be a very good teacher, just not specifically informed or 
> trained about teaching this specific population.
> 
> Some teachers certainly do view these children as a plus in their 
> classrooms - but the opposite is a very recognised problem.
> 
> I'm glad you didn't experience it - but it is very common indeed.
> 

Iggy here:

I am considered "gifted" as well (with an IQ on standard tests 
averaging at about 160.  Higher when the tester listens to WHY I got 
an answer and can see its validity...) and have experienced teachers 
who have wanted me to skip ahead in grades, and others who wanted me 
held back as being "stupid" or "slow" because I was bored and 
couldn't focus.  

While I was far from knowing all the answers all the time, it was 
the classes where the teachers encouraged me to think, ask 
questions, and be creative where I flourished.  I often developed a 
love of their subjects... at least until someone came along and 
firmly squashed that love by another teaching method.

The problem I encountered all too often was that I don't think the 
way many other people do, and often ended up asking questions 
(usually in math) that even the teacher couldn't answer.  Some 
times, the teacher would admit that they didn't know, but that I 
could try to find out with them after class (as a form of 
encouragement, not punishment...), but most often I got the "stop 
asking silly questions like that.  It's not what we're learning 
here," reply.  (Even if it actually was a logical extension of what 
we WERE studying.)

I have had teachers like Trelawny, MacGonagal, and Sprout... 
Unfortunately, I have also had teachers like Binns... and one who 
was worse than Snape and Umbridge combined, for 2 whole years to 
boot.  (She destroyed any love I could have possibly ever had for 
learnign history and social studies.  To give an example of how bad 
she was:  My initials are "RM".  She once said to me, in the middle 
of the entire class, that it was too bad that my initials 
weren't "BM" so that they could nickname me "Bowel Movement."  One 
of the other kids said "How about 'rectal movement'?"  and she 
laughed and gave him an extra credit point for being clever.  I was 
miserable in her class, and didn't have any real friends at the 
time... so I was darn near suicidal as a social outcast, and she 
only made things a lot worse.)

Now, personally, I can see where Snape's methods of teaching 
actually work.  Aside from the Slytherins (who are both his pets, 
and have a pre-disposition for potions...with the exception of 
Crabbe and Goyle...), the ones who are most likely to do well in his 
classes are the strong-willed ones who not only refuse to give up, 
but have a strong drive to prove themselves against his challenges.  
(IMHO, Hermione is actually not of that type.  She has a strong need 
not to prove herself, but rather, to prove that she knows how to do 
anything and everything.  It's not out of a sense of superiority, 
more of a sense that it's where she thinks her true value lies... 
not in her loyalty, honesty, and who she is as a person.  Just my 
opinion there...)

I also agree, that while Snape might make an adequate DADA teacher, 
I don't think he'll ever make a truly great one.  (And Umbridge 
should never have been a teacher of any sort in the first place.)  
While postions require a level of strict precision that Snape 
excells at... DADA requires precition in the knowledge, but a 
creativity in application that I don't think Snape really has in 
him.  While Snape has the sense of duty, responsibility, and the 
knowledge that is required for DADA, I don't feel he has he innate 
sense of empathy and understandign, as well as the creativity, that 
made Lupin (and even Fake!Moody) excellent DADA instructors.  Many 
of the skills you need require an understanding of how a person 
feels or thinks (such as with "Expecto Patronum" and dealing with 
the Boggarts), and an innate sympathy on some level for dealing with 
how kids react to a scary subject that can invoke some rather 
extreme reactions (like Harry dealing with the Dementors, and 
Neville and the "Crucio" curse.  Even as conniving and evil as he 
was, Fake!Moody didn't HAVE to comfort Neville and be paternal 
towards him to achieve his goals... which shows an odd sense of 
compassion in an evil man, IMHO.)

While it might be interesting to see Snape get the job as the DADA 
teacher, I honestly think it would be one of the worst moves JKR 
could make for him.  He's much better where he is.

Just my two centaurs worth here...

Iggy McSnurd