Teaching Styles

[richter_kuymal]

No: HPFGUIDX 147981

Gerry wrote:
> Do we? I'd say we see a boy so paralyzed with fear of his teacher 
that he regularly goes to pieces and makes elementary mistakes. 
SNIP SNIP SNIP
. It is sadistic, pure and simple. Now I agree that
> Snape would never have let him poison his pet, it is clear from the
> reactions of the class everybody thinks he is capable of it and I'm
> sure he knows it. Otherwise his "incentive" would not have worked. 
So
> what do we have: do this right or your pet dies. 

PAR wrote:
====it's not as if there weren't other methods, even ones that were 
not OOC for Snape.  While doing the same as Flitwick (who tolerates 
well Neville's errors), IF Snape were both a good teacher and truly 
100% DDM, he could have done something like: 
"Since you are so determined to show off Miss Granger, you can tutor 
Neville and YOUR grade will be based on his success".  
Unload the problem to someone who has actually shown she can help 
Neville. Appear to be picking on Granger, while actually letting her 
do "extra credit".

OR, if he's bound and determined to do it by threat:
"For every error you make in potions Mr. Longbottom, I will deduct 
10 points from Gryffindor".  Appeals to the Malfoy crowd, does 
the "threat" bit, but it might actually work for Neville if he (as 
red hen has suggested) is trying to appear incompetent because he 
doesn't want to be a wizard.  

In regards to Snape teaching Potions well, I find HBP an interesting 
light on that.  Here we have an individual who is apparently VERY 
talented and inventive (assuming he didn't copy the improvements 
from LILLY, which is entirely possible) but there is no indication 
that Snape has done any of the following:
1. TEACH the formulas he himself used.  He does use a book and 
writes down the directions from the book -- there's no indication 
that his board instructions differ or Hermione would have mentioned 
it.

2. Encourage in any way, manner or form any discussion or 
inventiveness regarding either theory or in performing the potion 
making.  It is clearly "by the book" only in his classes.

3. Indicate that other books may have different formulas/approaches 
for the same potions (we only hear about Moste Potent Potions as 
having ADDITIONAL, not different, formulas).

Possibly he would have addressed "differences" or "creativity" in 
NEWT Potions, but there really isn't anything to indicate that.  He 
certainly isn't doing that in NEWT DADA either.

Snape may be DDM! but I don't think this extends to a willingness to 
truly encourage brilliance in his students and IMO this is not a 
teacher I would ever want to have or inflict on students.  
PAR