Teaching Styles / Sorting Hat

[amiabledorsai]

No: HPFGUIDX 159785

> wynnleaf
> Snape is not a pleasant person.  But in general, the idea that a
> teacher should be changing teaching styles to accomodate the
> changing needs of  *every* student is simply not possible.  You're
> basically asking for a sort  of kaliadascope of changing styles
> which is not really workable in the classroom.

AD:
Isn't the point of this discussion that Snape seems to have a
different approach to Neville than to, say, Gregory Goyle?  All I'm
suggesting is that, if he is going to handle Neville as a special case
anyway, that he might, just for fun, try an approach that has actually
been demonstrated to work.

wynnleaf:
> I think that what you're really saying is that Snape shouldn't do
> things that upset Neville or other students.  

AD:
No, that's not what I'm saying at all, else I would also be
complaining about McGonagall.  Over the years, I've had the great good
fortune to have several strict teachers, to my considerable profit. I
have no problem with a teacher being strict, nor with the occasional
use of sarcasm or even... irony.  

On the other hand, I think it might be nice if a teacher were to
occasionally wipe the foam from his mouth, and, well, teach.

wynnleaf:
"Mean" is not a teaching style... 

AD:
In this, we are in perfect agreement.

wynnleaf:
> (more expanding horizons I suppose?).  In Neville's case, he does 
> not only do incompentent things in Snape's classroom, so it's not
> purely Snape being scary that causes Neville to mess up.  Snape's
> manner may exacerbate Neville's incompentence, but it doesn't cause it.

AD:
Ah, we've come to the nub.  Snape's manner exacerbates Neville's
problems, there's no "may" about it.  It ought to be within Snape's
ability to change this; he needn't become Mr. Chips, not bring Neville
hot cocoa and sing him lullabies, he need merely, as a start, refrain
from gratuitous insults.

Sadly, this seems to be beyond his capabilities.

wynnleaf: 
> Snape's teaching style -- some lecture... putting instructions on
> the  board, lots of hands on projects, assignments of essays, etc.,
> has little to nothing to do with Neville's problems.

AD:
I note that you do not include a teacher's behavior toward students as
part of "teaching style". 

My horizons grow even broader.

and more AD:
> >An especially incompetent teacher would abuse his authority to
> > take out his embarrassment on that student, instead.
> 
> wynnleaf
> That doesn't make him an incompetent teacher.  That just means he's
> doing some unpleasant things.  You're equating being pleasant with
> teaching ability.  Also, you're judging a teacher's competence based
> on the performance of a very few students.  While *you* might do
>  that, almost no schools would judge that way.

AD:
Nope, I'm judging him on his behavior toward several students, Neville
chief among them. 

<Snip>
> wynnleaf,
> Well, fortunately you don't have to take his word for it...

  ...So if 10+
> students scored O's on their potions OWL, out of 40+ students in
> that year -- well,  AD, that's 25% or more making the highest level
> possible OWL in Potions.
> 
> I think that's probably an excellent record, wouldn't you?

AD:
I think it's statistically meaningless--we know nothing about how the
other teachers did, whether OWL scores are curved, or how Snape's
students do on a year-to-year basis (other than Snape's self-serving
comment in OOTP).

If you insist on it, though, what say we analyze those ten "O"
students? Let's see, we have Hermione Granger, a student who managed
to brew Polyjuice Potion under improvised conditions in her second
year; four Ravenclaws, who, while probably not in Hermione's class,
must certainly be quite bright; Ernie MacMillan, whose 5th year study
schedule made Hermione look like a slacker; and four Slytherins.

So we have six students who likely would have received "Outstanding"
grades even if Filch taught the class, and four Slytherins.

Alright, Snape knows how to teach Slytherins.

> >AD:
> >... Fortunately for him (Snape), Hogwarts makes an effort to hire
> >the handicapped.
> 
> wynnleaf
> What a slur on the handicapped!

AD:
You're right! Comparing Snape to a handicapped person does slur the
handicapped! So let's see, what shall we compare Snape to?  Hmmm... 
pond scum?  No... sewage sludge? Not quite... Blast-ended Skrewts?

Nope, can't do it.  Can't think of anything to compare Snape to that
doesn't insult that thing.

My apologies to any pond scum, sewage sludge, or Blast-ended Skrewts
that may have been offended.

 Wynnleaf:
> Back to the topic at hand.  I already said that a compentent teacher
> does not change styles constantly to accomodate every need of every
> student.  

AD:
Yes, you said that.  What a remarkable thing to say.  You claim that a
competent professional would not change his technique to suit the job
at hand.  

I had no idea horizons could get so broad!

> wynnleaf
> As I did not equate being "down to earth" with threats, insults,
> etc., nor, in fact, Snape's sarcastic manner, I would suggest in
> enlarging your horizons, you read posts more thoroughly.

AD:
Ah, forgive me; you see, as the subject was Snape, Snape's behavior,
Snape's teaching style (or lack thereof) and Snapetudenalism in
general, I thought you were somehow, when you used the phrase,
referring to Snape.  What have we changed the subject to, then?

> >AD:
> >Yes, I can see how much extra effort it would be for Snape to
> > refrain from gratuitous insults outside of class, mustn't
> > overwork our delicate little flower.
> 
> wynnleaf,
> What??  Not sure what you mean.  Neville, of course, *is* a bit
> delicate in that way -- in that he is easily made nervous and
> uncertain.  Harry, Ron, and many others aren't the least delicate.

AD:
I'm sorry, what was it you were saying about careful reading?

Amiable (well, actually, feeling a little snotty today) Dorsai