[HPforGrownups] Snape as A-hole Drill Sargeant [was: Re: Harry, Snape,Occlumency]

[Shaun Hately]

No: HPFGUIDX 94486

On 29 Mar 2004 at 21:35, cubfanbudwoman wrote:

> 1)  You are very right that we don't know how many of the other kids 
> in Snape's class are doing.  
> 
> 2)  I think you may be hitting on something important about your 
> experience w/ those two teachers *and* about Snape as well.  You 
> learned *a lot* from those two teachers.  And, unless I'm mistaken, 
> one thing we DON'T hear the Hogwarts kids saying is that Snape 
> doesn't know the materials he's teaching.  On the contrary, I think 
> they recognize his gifts as a potions master.  In my experience as a 
> teacher, and thinking of the one colleague in my school who 
> was "Snape-like" in his "tyranny", one of the key reasons why kids 
> put up w/ that teacher's antics is that he was so knowledgable about 
> the subject.  If the teacher was incompetent *and* a tyrant, they 
> never would have, and I suspect if Snape didn't know his stuff, 
> there would be a lot more open protesting going on.

Yes, and I think the key to why we accepted these teachers and 
their 'funny little ways' was because we knew they were extremely 
competent. We wouldn't have accepted what they did anywhere near as 
readily, if we understood that fact.
 
> Q:  Since you didn't mention this part, how old were you when you 
> had those two Snape-like teachers?  It may not matter, but I'm just 
> curious.  Your comment about working w/ the teacher over time makes 
> me wonder if I'm not somewhat right about the ability of younger 
> kids (11, 12 or so) being less able to handle Asshole Drill Sergeant 
> teachers.

Well, I was 13 when I encountered the first one - whom I only had 
for that one year. And 14 with the second and I had him as a 
teacher in various subjects for the next three years. It wasn't 
until I was probably 15 - so I had him for a year and a half - 
before he started to seem human. Prior to that, his classes were 
quite a hideous experience for me. He had very limited tolerance 
for mistakes - because he knew we wouldn't be in his classes unless 
we were capable of doing well - and in my case, nearly all my 
mistakes were a result of carelessness or laziness - and he knew it 
and I knew it - and he wouldn't tolerate that.

His classes were very much a sink or swim environment - most of us 
swam.

Fact is - from that man, I only ever remember seeing one sign from 
him of common humanity - and it really wasn't much. My father died 
during my schooling - and that teacher attended his funeral. So did 
a lot of others - I think most of my teachers were there. I 
remember him, though, because I was surprised to see him.

So I was a bit older - but with the first of those teachers, most 
of my classmates had had him as a teacher from the age of 10 (I 
didn't start at the school until I was 13) and from what I heard - 
and what I saw personally - his methods were no different with 10 
year olds than they were with us. Again, it was sink or swim.


Yours Without Wax, Dreadnought
Shaun Hately | www.alphalink.com.au/~drednort/thelab.html
(ISTJ)       | drednort at alphalink.com.au | ICQ: 6898200 
"You know the very powerful and the very stupid have one
thing in common. They don't alter their views to fit the 
facts. They alter the facts to fit the views. Which can be 
uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that 
need altering." The Doctor - Doctor Who: The Face of Evil
Where am I: Frankston, Victoria, Australia