Snape as Neville's teacher / JKR's sexy men roll call

[phoenixgod2000]

No: HPFGUIDX 168477


> Betsy Hp:
> I think the reason I don't see Snape as abusing his authority is 
that 
> I see a rational (though mistaken) reason for his using Harry as 
his 
> impossible question guinea pig.  There's nothing wrong with a 
teacher 
> hitting his students with near impossible questions to set up what 
> sort of classroom he's going to run. 

Phoenixgod2000:

As a teacher, let me say sure there is.  You establish your 
classroom all right, you establish it as an unfair class and kids 
will tune you out.  There are few better ways to get your students 
to have their backs up and resist you than what Snape did.  Look at 
what happened with Harry. How many students over the years have 
decided they never want to have anything to do with potions because 
Snape killed their interest before it had the chance to develop?

Snape actuallty starts out well with his Potions are powerful speech 
but undercuts it right away by setting up his classroom as 
adversarial. That is no way to get students to love a subject he 
plainly has passion for.  

>Sure, the student being asked 
> the questions feels like an idiot, but that's not an abuse of 
> authority, IMO.

It may or may not be an abuse of authority but it certainly isn't 
good teaching.  It doesn't make the student interested in finding 
the answers to his questions, which is what a skilled teacher could 
easily do. The job of a teacher is to convey knowledge, not to make 
students feel stupid.  

That's what they have peers for :)

phoenixgod2000, who is not touching the Hogwarts men's calendar with 
a ten foot pole, but thinks Bellatrix could have an absolutely yummy 
gothic spread.