Teaching is not and never has been a popularity contest.

[hickengruendler]

No: HPFGUIDX 157920

 
> AD:
> So, if being an ass is the best way to get through to Neville, we 
can
> conclude, from his performance against the Boggart and his "E" in
> Charms, that Lupin and Flitwick are even bigger bastards than Snape?
> 
> 
> Amiable Dorsai
>

Hickengruendler:

Not to mention that dastardly Professor Sprout. ;-)

IMO, the books make crystal clear that, no matter how good a teacher 
Snape may be for other students, he is not a good one for Neville. 
Neville shows progress when people show confidence in him, like Lupin 
and Harry. He was also said to perform much better during his Potions 
Owl, when Snape wasn't there. I fully believe those users, who said 
that teachers like Snape were the best for them. I, however, made a 
different experience. I always was a pretty good student and by far 
my worst subject was sports. And when I was 12, I had a Snape like 
teacher in Swimming and it was hell on earth. I can honestly say, 
even now with another 12 years gone by, that *nothing* good came out 
of it. (The teacher was later fired, because he touched some girls, 
by the way. Oh, how I rejoiced, when he was gone). 

Of course, not every student is the same, and therefore how we 
reacted to these kind of teachers doesn't matter. The books show us, 
how Neville does react, and it is not good. Therefore Snape's methods 
are not the right ones for this particular student. On the other 
hands, and in Snape's defense, that of course also means, that it is 
impossible for a teacher to change their behaviour, since what is 
good for individuum one might not be good for indidual two. Still, 
more often than not Snape goes too far IMO, and he does enjoy 
humilitating persons, see his commentt about Hermione's teeth for 
example, which really does not have any pedagocial value at all.