Academic dishonesty

[Marianne S.]

No: HPFGUIDX 139413

Sherry:
There's no way that Snape's method of
teaching, waving a wand and directions being written on a board teaches the
students anything more about the intricacies of potion making than Harry
following the HBP book did. Hermione was just suffering from sour grapes
for being beaten, for once in her life, and by someone she considers
intellectually inferior to herself.


Marianne S:
As a teacher, I am disturbed by the conclusions I draw from Harry's 
success with the HBP book. 

First, it seems very obvious to me that the potion directions Snape 
put on the board when he taught were better than the students 
would have seen in any textbook, which is why they were not in a 
textbook. Had Snape not let his prejudice and hate for James color 
the way he treated Harry, Harry surely would have been able to mix 
potions successfully following Professor Snape's directions. We saw 
an example of this after Snape's Worst Memory in OotP where Harry 
made a perfect potion when he wasn't being so stressed and on edge 
because of Snape's constant attacks (of course the actions of Draco 
and Hermione prevented him from getting his earned mark). If Harry 
had been free of Snape's attacks, he may have been as successful and 
learned as much as Hermione did. 

Second, it doesn't seem like Snape was the best teacher. He gave the 
students great information, he told them how to do things, but he 
criticized and belittled students for their mistakes rather than having 
them understand the errors. When students were successful, there is 
no evidence that Snape facilitated their ability to understand why 
certain ingredients worked etc. Had Snape really and fully taught 
Hermione everything he could, rather than just showing her HOW to 
make potions while not encouraging her understanding, she probably 
would have done much better in Slughorn's class. 

Perhaps, though, Snape's methods were due to impending O.W.L.s; 
his teaching could have been the greatest Academic Dishonesty of all. 
Maybe the ministry had "No Wizard Left Behind" legislation (like the 
American "No Child Left Behind" unfunded mandate that forces many 
schools to spend all their time and resources preparing for high stakes 
testing) that forced potentially talented potions masters like Snape to 
teach to the test instead of instilling a deep understanding of content. 
Not that I'm excusing his treatment of Harry and other Gryffindors, but 
even the Slytherins weren't doing well in 6th year Potions now that Snape
was no longer their teacher. 

Marianne S.