Snape the teacher

[tbernhard2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 152357

Shaun wrote:

> But I do know that a teacher can have all the appearances of Snape
(and more) and really still have his students in mind.

But Shaun, it's not just appearences of Snape that we have - it's
actions - Rowling goes a great length to show that Snape can accuse
wrongly, while still being close to the mark. The lesson - those who
have nothing to hide have nothing to fear. Most of the time. This has
been mentioned on the list a few times over the last day in the
context of totalitarianism.

> 'He demanded the best of everyone.' ****** ****** is also remembered
as a strict disciplinarian."

This is not disciplinarianism we're talking about, though, but in
class prejudice against certain students. Was your teacher afraid of
any of the boys parents, as in a Lucius Malfoy? Did he have a pet, as
in Draco? These are the things that stick out for me...

> When I first encountered this man, I was a clinically depressed 13
year old who cried at the drop of a hat

Thank you for the personal perspective. I've read it numerous times on
this list. It identifies your argument as substantially a personal
testimonial, though, and the differences from Rowling's work are
evident. Harry is not clinically depressed, for example.

> I can't demonstrate this statistically but I do have the impression
that most of those who express a dislike for Snape *as a teacher* on
this list are female, and most of those who express support for his
teaching style as valid are male. 

Shaun, this is impossible to say. I'm male, and I think Snape is a
nasty cow. We CAN say that most of the people on the list are female.
My own impression is that more men hate Snape, in fact. Not ALL of
this can be attributed to the Rickman effect. :)

> Sax presents the idea that a confrontational, in-your-face approach
to classroom management that can even involve yelling at a child works
well with a lot of boys - but would be a very bad approach for most
girls - who tend to respond better to a supportive,
non-confrontational approach.

And the context for "working well" really defies analysis - I'm
certain the lives of adolescents are affected by their teachers in
countless ways - does the study say, for example, that it works well
with boys because they internalize the criticism differently, and act
out against, for instance, other boys at recess? These studies are
quite silly, at some point. Look at the internal processing of Harry
after using the frightening slasher curse in HBP - he's not
internalizing Snape's voice, but remembering a voice we've heard long
before - he internal ethical compass, as it were. I'd trust that with
my life more than some side-effect of a disciplinary teaching style.

> Stress improves learning in males 

Again, as you identify, we would need to define our terms much more
clearly. Learning math? Learning how to instruct others? Learning what
is good or bad? When is humiliation good, or when does it work in
instruction? What part of teaching is the instruction in so-called
facts and what is the passing along of beliefs about reality, that may
be different in 10 years? Which students strive to grasp the
transient, and which are focussed where on something less passing,
like literature, say? Who has stress at home, in the dorms? What is
the nature of the external stresses affecting each student? How does
that mix with Snape's teaching? Etc. etc.

> The point is though - that gender may make a difference here to the
way some of us are seeing Snape's teaching style.

Well, the fact that males learn better with stress-producing teachers
than girls doesn't mean ANYTHING about how men and women appreciate
any particular style of teaching. These are separate things.

dan