Hermione and Snape. Was: Re: Accio 2005 press releaseTrial of Snape

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 128412

> SSSusan:
 Still doesn't counter my point, imo, which isn't that they're not 
 learning at all; it's that they're not learning to their potential.
 
 It's my contention that what they're learning is learned in large 
 part in spite of Snape's methods & treatment of them.  
> 
Again, you have to keep in mind that when I talk about a "good" 
teacher, I'm talking about not just one who succeeds in 
 disseminating information but one who brings out the MOST in
his/her  students.  There is nothing I've seen in canon which would 
 demonstrate Snape has done *anything* to actually try to draw out 
the best from (at least) these three.  
> 
> Now, as Shaun might point out, there may be kids who would happen
to  thrive on what this nasty, insulting, sadistic (JKR's word) teacher 
does, but in my mind at least two of these three aren't in that 
camp. 

> Betsy:
> > Oh, there's definitely room for improvement.  Probably the best 
> > teacher at Hogwarts, IMO, has been Lupin.  He not only taught his 
> > students, but he got them enthusiastic about his subject and 
> > excited to learn.  And yes, Snape has a long way to go to achieve 
> > that level of teaching, but I haven't seen any hard evidence put 
> > forward that points to him being a sub-par teacher.  
> 
> SSSusan:
> Aha!  We actually do have a bit of common ground here.  I think 
> Lupin is an excellent counter-example to Snape, as is McGonagall.  


Pippin:
We have canon that Snape is a better teacher for Hermione, in
the sense of helping her reach her potential, than Lupin. Lupin
doesn't  teach her to fight her boggart. And it's Snape who assigns
the werewolf essay. Though she already knew more about werewolves 
than anyone else in the class, it was doing that essay that enabled her to
identify Lupin. 

I think this goes to what Shaun was saying. Hermione garners
praise so easily that praise, much as it pleases her,  won't motivate 
her to stretch.  Obviously, being called an insufferable know-it-all 
*didn't* discourage her, even though it brought her to tears. It may
have  made her all the more determined to *show* Snape. 

Snape doesn't seem interested in pushing Hermione harder in potions, 
but should he be? Children aren't sausages to be stuffed with all the
knowledge they can hold. Midway through her second year, Hermione's
knowledge of potions had already outstripped her discretion about
using them. If I were Snape, I wouldn't be pushing,  I'd be holding my
breath and hoping Hermione's  judgment caught up with her potion
making abilities before she managed to kill someone.

Pippin