Steps for Better Teacher-Student Relationships: Lessons from Harry Potter's Snape

Professor Snape, By Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12417053

Are you the one teacher in the world that has always gotten along great with every student? Then, you should be selling your secret. Most of us have all encountered a student or ten that has gotten under our skin and pushed buttons we didn't even know we had. We're not going to enjoy the company of every kid the same, but we can learn to get along well enough to give them a great education. We are in education to teach students, to grow their knowledge, skills, and opportunity of success. However, there's something we must do before we can teach them our respective subjects. It doesn't matter if you're teaching physics or auto mechanics. As the prophetic educator, Rita Pierson, states, "Kids don't learn from teachers they don't like!" We must have positive teacher-student relationships to have the greatest effect on student learning. John Hattie's research shows that positive teacher-student relationships have an effect size of 0.72! That is almost two years' worth of growth in one year.

If that's not enough evidence, think back on your time in school. Isn't it true that your favorite teachers are the ones from whom you learned the most? My favorite teacher was in fifth grade. I still remember the social studies stories he told, the reading lessons he gave. And it may have been he who inspired me to become a teacher.

While it is easier to form positive relationships with some students, we must put forth a diligent and concerted effort to have good relationships with all our students. All students deserve a quality education, so if a positive relationship with the teacher is what is needed, we must be focused on providing that just as much as we are providing engaging lessons.

"What if the most unlikely source – the notoriously difficult Severus Snape – could teach us invaluable lessons about building better student-teacher relationships?" For my Harry Potter fans, you know that the one teacher that Harry could not abide was Professor Severus Snape. Let's look at why Snape and Harry had such a nasty relationship and what we can learn from the Potions teacher. Granted, we are mostly going to have to mull over what not to do from Snape, but those are at times the best lessons!

From day one, Harry perceived that Snape had it out for him. The way he looked at him, the way he spoke to him, his body language all said one thing: "I don't like this Potter kid." The relationship only got worse as the school year went on, as Snape targeted Harry and his friends (who were guilty by association). In return, Harry became more disrespectful and uninterested in Potions. He suspected Snape of trying to kill him in a Quidditch match, which goes to show when a student thinks you don't like them, they surmise all types of evil intents. After some time, we find out that Snape doesn't want Harry dead, but he does have a lot of animosity towards him because of his history with Harry's parents.

What lessons can we learn from this saga? I have five suggestions that I gleaned from reading about the back and forth between student, Harry, and teacher, Snape. The sad truth is this: when teachers and students don't like each other, no one wins!

5 Ways to Encourage a Positive Teacher-Student Relationship

1. Start off the right way. Don't bring past experiences into new relationships. Every student deserves a fresh start. Too many times, we think we know a student from their past school years, their parents, siblings, or some other metric we have imposed. However, I have taught students that have siblings that are nothing like them, for better or worse. Don't make the mistake of believing "apples don't fall far from the tree." While this is true in some cases, it isn't fair to allow preconceived beliefs about a child or their family to determine the fate of your relationship with the student.

   
   

2. Set the example. Set the tone. It is no secret that Harry was often rude to his teacher, Professor Snape. However, Snape was the adult and the teacher, so he had a responsibility to be above the fray, so to say. When students are rude to us, we should always do one of two things: ignore it, or correct it. We should not be rude back. We have all failed this test, but the more we resist the urge to give it back to them, the quicker we diffuse the situation and get back to what we want to do—teach! Now, you may wonder if it's really wise to ignore bad behavior. This idea took me a while to get used to, but it is important to ignore some behaviors. When you have pinpointed the reason for misbehavior to be attention-seeking, sometimes it pays to not give them any attention, positive or negative. When that attention-seeker sees that they only get your attention with positive behavior, guess how they'll behave. Yep, positively.

   
   

3. Be careful with sarcasm. Now, asking some teachers to never be sarcastic would be like telling them to not be who they are. When teaching and learning with middle schoolers, my sarcasm is locked and loaded, and you know what? They eat it up! However, what we have to resist is being sarcastic to the point of Professor Snape. He was sarcastic when a student got an answer wrong, made a mistake, asked a question, or anything, really. This type of behavior can be debilitating to student success. If students are afraid to ask questions or take risks, that leads to less success, and that's not why we're teachers. We want all students to succeed.

   
   

4. Always use discipline, but make sure it's fair! Who can forget all the times Snape would discipline Harry in a way that was excessive? It's not that Harry didn't deserve the consequence for his action, but the way in which it was done was seen by even the reader as unfair. Let's not do this to our students. We lose the respect of the misbehaving student and the other students when we are viewed as an unfair referee in the classroom. This may mean that you need to think a minute before you issue a consequence. Can you remember a time when you told a student they had silent lunch, and they said "so," and you said two days, three days, four days, an entire month! This is called a power struggle, and you know who wins? No one. Teaching and learning go out the window, you can't follow through on five years' worth of detentions, and nothing is gained. Avoid power struggles and avoid unfair punishments that can result from our emotions or a tense situation.

   
   

   

   Snape scolding Harry and Ron. Copyright belongs to Warner Bros.

   
   

5. Take time to fix a relationship that is not positive. So, what do we do when we've made mistakes and a relationship with a student is less than ideal? Seek ways to start over. Have an initial conversation that acknowledges the situation is not the best, apologize if necessary, and set the new expectations. Ask the student if there's something that is bothering them about your class, and ask them if they are willing to start over. As a student, it would have gone a long way if a teacher had the humility and grace to try to fix a relationship with me, so I have tried to fix relationships with students now that I am an educator. I have had some success because the student knows you care enough to try. You may be the first adult to apologize and try to turn over a new leaf.

Ultimately, the magic of teaching isn't just in the curriculum; it's in the connections we forge. By consciously choosing connection over conflict, understanding over judgment, and empathy over animosity – even when faced with our 'Harry Potters' – we unlock the true potential for learning and growth in every student. Let us strive to be the Snape who learned, the teacher who builds bridges, one positive relationship at a time.