Teaching Styles

[Bart Lidofsky]

No: HPFGUIDX 190749

Nerona:
> I agree Pippin, but McGonagall never favors a student, she gave
> points to the Slytherins when they deserved it, she never removed
> homework as if it didn't exist. (When Harry in book 5 when Snape
> dropped his potion and told him, "Another zero, Potter.") Although
> she bullied Neville couple of times but she was fair at the same
> time.
>
> Snape on the other hand did his best to humiliate Harry and his
> friends, ex: when Malfoy jinxed Harry but it hit Hermione and her
> front teeth got really big, Snape looked at her and said he sees
> no difference at all (book 4) and then sent Harry to detention
> and probably gave Malfoy point for it.
Bart:
Prof. McGonagall used a technique of having high expectations of her 
students, and expecting them to live up to them. She used her judgment 
as to whether or not failures were based on lack of talent or lack of 
effort. She would be very stern with students who she felt were not 
trying hard enough, but she had the flexibility for dealing with 
students who failed in spite of their best efforts.

Snape also had high expectations, but he also appeared to believe that 
all failure was due to a lack of effort. From what we have seen, he 
believed that if failure itself was not sufficient punishment to 
motivate the students to do better, so he used humiliation as a 
motivator. Unfortunately, with many students it probably made them do 
worse by making nervous mistakes, although it probably made a lot of 
students work harder to avoid being the target of Snape's barbs. Note 
that, when on his own, Harry achieved an "E" in his Potions OWL.

Both methods were effective, but Snape's had the probable side effect of 
making students who, if more gently treated, might have succeeded into 
failing.

Bart