Snape and Neville

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 113479

Alex Boyd wrote:
> 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....  
> 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.
 

SSSusan:
For what it's worth, I've argued this same thing in the past, albeit 
not in as amusing a form as your post.  

JKR *is* the one who used the term "sadistic" about Snape, 
though:  "Snape is a very sadistic teacher, loosely based on a 
teacher I myself had, I have to say" [The Connection, 12 October 
1999].  Your point is still well taken, though, that, as a potions 
*master*, and especially if teaching wasn't necessarily his life's 
dream, Snape may well become extremely frustrated w/ students like 
Neville (and Harry) who seem inattentive, incapable of following 
precise instructions, or, worse yet, to not take the exercises 
seriously.  I've wondered here before whether Snape might not be a 
much better teacher w/ his NEWT-level classes, since the "riff-raff" 
has been weeded out.

Siriusly Snapey Susan, who taught social studies in a U.S. school, 
and so who understands what you mean about the differences in 
educational philosophy between us and Hogwarts.