Snape and Neville

[Alex Boyd]

No: HPFGUIDX 113464

Since I am a teacher (English Comp.), I wanted to add my two cents on
Snape being so mean to Neville (and others, excluding Harry--I think
Harry is in a class by himself vis-a-vis Snape Nastiness).  I'll state
at the outset that I do think Snape's teaching methods are, er,
counterproductive, in addition to being mean.  

Most of the interpretations that I've seen say either "Snape uses
nastiness as a motivational tool," or "Snape is nasty because he
enjoys upsetting students."  These *may* be true, but my classroom
experience suggests a third interpretation: "Snape cares deeply about
his subject, and considers what he's teaching to be so basic, that
Neville's apparent idiocy is so deeply frustrating that Snape loses
his temper."

Teaching students who simply *do not get it* is enough to drive even a
completely reasonable person half crazy.  (Today, for example, I gave
a quiz on sentence fragments and run-ons, and a young woman who is
taking my class for the second time interpreted the instructions as
meaning to turn the run-ons into fragments, and vice versa.  Or
something.  I'm really not sure what she was trying to do.  If I'd had
the option of poisoning her toad, I'm not sure I would have been able
to restrain myself.)  

And, as has been noted in the context of McGonagall, Hogwarts
apparently considers publically commenting on students' inadequacies
as a way of shaming them into increased effort an acceptable
educational philosophy.    Making students feel bad about themselves
is, apparently, *allowed*.  

Neville's potions mistakes are presented in the books as fairly basic
failure to follow directions (eg, usage of an excessive number of
spleens).  Snape puts directions on the board, and Neville,
apparently, either ignores them or for some reason finds them
difficult to understand.  *We*, having the benefit of distance from
the situation, can grasp that Neville, being scared out of his wits,
is unable to bring his full attention to following the directions. 
But on the ground, that can look an awful lot like "the little brat
just doesn't care enough to pay attention."  Failure to follow simple
directions drives nearly all teachers straight up the wall.  Of course
in a modern US school one is simply not permitted to lose one's
temper, no matter how imbecilic students are being, but, as noted
above, Hogwarts seems to have a different policy.  I'm not saying I
*approve* of Snape's teaching methods--Neville would surely learn
better if he managed to adopt a more patient and understanding
attitude--but I don't think outright sadism is necessary to explain him.

Alex