Teaching Styles LONG

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 147851

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Shaun Hately" <drednort at ...> 
wrote:
 
> Shaun:
> 
 
> 
> Frankly, I don't believe there is a single teacher on Earth who 
could 
> claim they'd never harmed a child. 

Hickengruendler:

Well, maybe. I certainly admit that every individual child reacts 
differently about certain teaching styles, and that things that might 
be helpful to one kid might hurt another, especially if the teacher 
practices a "tough love" style. But the very least thing the teachers 
should do, is not harming the kids on purpose. And while I, 
grudgingly, may accept (but never share) the theory, that what Snape 
does to Neville is a highly misguided (in that Neville reacts 
positively to Lupin's or Harry's teaching style, who both chose to 
build up his confidence) but genuinely well meant attempt to make him 
a better wizard, I cannot see how this explains his behaviour towards 
Harry or Hermione. IMO, it is obvious that Snape singles out Harry 
for solely personal reasons, namely because Harry is James Potters 
son. That does not mean, that I never agree with Snape, Harry 
certainly deserved *any* detention given to him by Snape in HBP, for 
example, (and in fact, Harry got away lightly with his detention 
after injuring Draco in the bathroom). But nonetheless Snape hated 
the boy from the very first second for reasons that have nothing to 
do with Harry himself. Of course in the end Harry gets as biased 
towards Snape as Snape is towards him, but what else can you expect 
from a hot headed teenager, who was treated unfairly by one of his 
teachers from the very first second on. Snape is the grownup, 
therefore it is not asked too much to expect him to act like one, for 
a change. I say this as somebody, who genuinely likes Snape as a 
character, who feels sorry for him and who does not think that he is 
evil. But neither of those things make him a good teacher. 

That does not mean everything about Snape's teaching style is bad. 
Saying that Ernie Macmillan's and Hermione's positive opinions about 
his classes may just be the opinion of some individuals doesn't IMO 
totally capture it as well, since we could also argue, that Harry's 
or Neville's negative reactions about him are also those of some 
individuals and may not stand for the majority of students. Snape 
certainly has a lot of knowledge, and, in contrast to Umbridge, for 
example, does IMO attempt to give this knowledge to the students. 
IMHO, the first DADA lesson in HBP was some stellar teaching by 
Snape. I do not say this because Hermione or Ernie MacMillan think 
so, but because I saw the lesson described in the book and from what 
I saw Snape told them about the nature and dangers of the Dark Arts 
in a very convincing way. Similarly, his simple answer in the later 
lesson, that Voldemort used Inferi in the past and that we therefore 
better expect he may use them in the future as well, was short and 
brought the situaion to the point. (On the other hands, I do agree 
with the students that "Ghosts are transparent" is a very good method 
to disguise them, and here Snape's snarky answer to Harry was IMO 
again for personal reasons). Most of Harry's interpretation of 
Snape's classes in HBP and the way Snape spoke about the Dark Arts 
was IMO just that, Harry's interpretation, formed by his dislike for 
Snape. But nonetheless I will not accept Snape as a good teacher as 
long as he consistanly insults and hurts some of his students on 
purpose.