Harry, Snape and Dementors WAS: Re: CHAPTER Chamber of Secrets Chapter 18:

[willsonteam]

No: HPFGUIDX 189378

Alla: 
> No, I am convinced that in addition to knowing that his method worked, Harry discarded Snape's method because Snape did not convince him that it will be working first and foremost. IMO of course. But if Harry explained it in detail with good reasoning and all that, I think he should have gotten an Outstanding. I do not know yet what is happening in american schools, child in my family only starts school this year. But I am hoping that at least in lab lessons good teachers acknowledge results even if one arrived there by different method from what teacher required. 


Potioncat:
We don't know what the question to the essay was, only that it was a difficult essay to write--we know that Harry used it in some way to show he disagreed. We don't know what Harry wrote. We know he expected a low grade. He didn't seem to expect to fail, nor does it appear he did. If the essay asked about the method(s) discussed in class and Harry answered that and also discussed Expecto Patronum, he should have expected a higher grade. If he bypassed the content taught in class and only discussed EP--then he deserved a low grade. 

The big difference I see is that Harry seems to think he'll get a bad grade and that's what he thinks he earned, while you seem to think he anticipates an unfair low grade.

That was part of what I was getting at about how we would react to this situation if it had involved a different teacher. If Harry turned in a paper to Mcgonagall and anticipated a low grade, readers might be more likely to think a low grade was part of her strict grading method and  that Harry knew he hadn't written a paper that really responded to the issue at hand.

In American schools--and this can varry wildly---if the essay answers the question, it should get a good grade. But in the sciences or maths, there may be a requirement to use a specific process or method and not using it would cause loss of points. The reason why is because it is important that a certain process is learned. 

Or here's one--not sure if it would ever be asked like this---"Describe Darwin's theory of evolution and provide three examples that support it."
If the student wrote, I don't believe in evolution, on the first day God said let there be light---then the student would probaly get a bad grade. If the student said the theory says blah blah blah and the three examples scientists use are 1, 2 3 and then goes on to say why he doesn't believe, then he's answered the question and stayed true to himself.

So, we're probably at our usual meeting place at this point--agreeing to disagree.