Teaching Styles / Sorting Hat

[littleleahstill]

No: HPFGUIDX 157947

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "dumbledore11214" 
<dumbledore11214 at ...> wrote:
>> Alla:
>> I mean, you can  even argue that Snape praises Neville at the 
> lessons we 
> don't see, I guess. IMO JKR put everything about Snape teaching 
that 
> she considers important on the page. It is not like his teaching 
> methods are the final mystery ready to be revealed  same as his 
> allegiances are IMO. I think all we need to know about him as a 
> teacher is in the  book already.

Leah: 

I agree with this, and think he can be defended perfectly well from 
canon. 

> 
>> Alla:
> But I mean, IMO the fact that Snape runs his mouth on Neville on 
the 
> very first lesson speaks very strongly against Snape trying 
> **anything** but scare tactics.


Leah:

My memory of PS/SS was that Snape was pretty mean to Neville in the 
first lesson. On a re-read I saw something else.  Snape has no 
agenda with Neville when the lesson begins.  He is wholly focused on 
Harry (I'm not getting into Snape's Potter problems here). Then he 
sets the class to making 'a simple potion'.  Neville manages in very 
short order to melt Seamus' cauldron, get the whole class standing 
on stools and he himself 'moans in pain' as boils appear on his 
arm.  'Idiot boy!' snarled Snape.  This may not accord with some 
teaching methods, but if that situation had occured in some of the 
classrooms I've been in, I can tell you Snape's response would seem 
mild by comparison.   And that's ALL Snape says to Neville-he then 
dispatches him to the hospital wing.

Now no one really knows Neville at this stage, but he has all the 
potential to be the resident class dork.  Snape could quite properly 
have taken points from Gryffindor for Neville's error; Neville has 
not followed instructions and has caused a nasty situation. That 
would really have made Neville popular with the other Gryffindors. 
Instead Snape moves the point of interest from Neville by rounding 
on Harry and deducting points.  The rightness of this I'm not 
debating here, as I've said, though no doubt Snape thinks he is 
right in taking Harry down a peg or too.   So in fact, Snape says 
and does nothing untoward to Neville in this scene; in fact he 
deflects blame from him.

Leah (rushing to leave for a holiday)