First lesson WAS: Re: Marietta, was Slytherin's Reputation

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 185760

SSSusan:
> > My long-argued position has been that, since Snape knew Harry was 
> > potentially The Prophecy Boy, he really needed, if he was going 
> > to be an effective teacher, to set aside his petty grievances and 
> > his biases and his anger and resentment and MAKE SURE this kid 
> > learned all that he was capable of, that he reached his full 
> > potential.  It was, after all, *vital* that Propechy Boy be as 
> > prepared as possible to face down Voldemort.
 
Montavilla47:
> But didn't Snape do that?  The most objective measure we have of
> Snape's methods are the results shown in the O.W.L.s.  Harry 
> received an E, which is the second-highest mark possible.  

SSSusan:
To the best of his ability?  I don't believe so, no.  A teacher who 
insults and berates and belittles most often does not draw out the 
best work from a student... and we know he didn't from Harry, who 
tended to shut down and/or just get angry in return, rather than 
saying, "Okay, I'm just gonna buckle down and SHOW this guy he's 
wrong about me!"  Nope, Harry wasn't that kind of student, and if 
Snape really wanted Harry to learn, he'd have known that.  He didn't 
care, tho, imo.  

And I'm also talking about Harry learning not just classroom stuff, 
but life stuff beyond it.  The inability to stick with Occlumency, 
the "oops" with the potion -- these are not the kinds of things 
teachers who are determined for a student to learn do.  IMHO. :)



Montavilla:
> And, I'm not sure that Snape knew about Harry having to face
> Voldemort.  Dumbledore tells Harry that the eavesdropper (Snape)
> only heard the first part of the prophecy, which might not include
> the bit about "either must die at the hand of the other."
> 
> For all Snape knew, Harry might have already fulfilled the prophecy.
> When Dumbledore got Snape promise to protect Harry, there was
> nothing about protecting him in order to face Voldemort in the 
> future.

SSSusan:
Yes, that's true that he didn't know the second half, but by the time 
Harry had been at Hogwarts a couple of years, he definitely knew that 
Harry was in danger from Voldemort, and that it was very serious 
business.  

I guess I think of someone like Lupin here.  I know, I know -- it's 
been argued by some that Lupin's method of teaching the Patronus 
Charm wasn't all that explicit either (comparing to Snape's teaching 
about Occlumency/Legilimency), but does anyone doubt that Lupin would 
have done *whatever it took* for Harry to learn?  He stuck with 
Harry, he was patient, he was encouraging -- all the kinds of things 
a kid learning something new & difficult needs to help him along.  
This is what I mean about Snape not doing all he could have.  He 
proved incapable of setting certain things aside so that he could be 
& do those things. 

This is not at all to downplay the important things he did teach, the 
important things Harry learned from *or* because of Snape.  I'm just 
talking about effective instruction and a *desire* to teach a 
particular student.  Snape was a grudging teacher of Harry and on 
occasion was an impediment to his learning, in my view, along with 
those times he did teach okay.  Harry was to blame, too, but, having 
been a teacher of teens, I will always put the higher burden on a 
teacher to get the ball rolling and to play fair.

Just my two knuts.  YMMV of course.

Siriusly Snapey Susan