To challenge sub-standard teaching?

[Dolly397]

Went to my dd’s end of term dance show the other day at our primary school. My dd is in Y1. We have 2 dance teachers and they did a weekly 1 hour class with the children for a year. All children tried really hard but you could see that those with one of the teachers didn’t know their moves and overall were badly rehearsed whereas the other lot seemed better prepared. I said afterwards that one of the teachers was not very good as seen by the end result as it was sad to watch. One of the mums took real offence and said I shouldn’t slug little children but surely it’s not the children’s fault that their teacher didn’t try very hard. Maybe I should have kept quiet especially as my dd happened to be with the better teacher. My dd didn't dance particularly well despite being with a better teacher so I wasn't showing off or anything. Feel wretched for saying anything but then again surely one should not put up with bad teaching? When it is so obvious for anybody to see how different the end result was depending on which teacher your child ended up with. AIBU?

[CaoNiMao]

It's Year 1, not the Bolshoi!

[t4gnut]

How are you in any way qualified to judge teaching?

All end of term primary dance shows are excruciating crap.

[Brownfiesta]

All end of term primary dance shows are excruciating crap.

^this

[Whatthefreakinwhatnow]

cao 😂😂😂

[corythatwas]

Dolly, I can hardly believe I have to spell this out: the dance show is not part of the curriculum; it's a fun thing the teachers organise out of the goodness of their hearts to let the children enjoy themselves. They are not trained dance or drama teachers and have no obligation to have such training. People who are keen for their children to learn to dance sign them up for dance classes.

[timeforabrewnow]

As my dear Mum used to say, 'if you can't think of something nice to say, don't sat anything at all'

[Balletgirlmum]

What others said. You want better standards pay for your hold to go to a proper dance school with RAD/ISTD qualified teachers. Even then standards will vary widely according to natural ability & whether the same like ds turn up every week & don't miss sessions because of Mary's party, a family day out, too much homework, a school event or just don't feel like turning up.

[Dolly397]

Thank you guys, you are of course right, I should have kept my mouth shut. Except these lessons were on the curriculum and both teachers are qualified dance teachers and the school is pushing this as if it's the best thing that's happened to us since sliced bread. They even said these dance lessons may lead to grade I in dance. Hence my stupidly high expectations.

[DaphneCanDoBetterThanFred]

Isn't there a possibility that one teacher took the more able kids in one group and the other teacher had a group that found it a bit more challenging? Splitting the groups would have let the more able ones learn more, and the less able group wouldn't feel demoralised not being able to keep up with the more able?

[Mrsmorton]

Holy fuck. It was a dance show. Feel sorry for the teachers tbh.

[Dolly397]

The children chose themselves which group to go to. It's difficult to explain without seeing it but the difference was quite clear. Like I said my daughter is not good at dancing but she said they practiced a lot for the show while some of her friends in the other group didn't do much, according to her. It is just a school show at the end of the day and usually I don't say anything, don't know what's got into me. The school told us we have this amazing opportunity with real dance teachers...

[t4gnut]

Any year 1 dance show is basically semi organised milling about to music.

[BombadierFritz]

I blame the parents. Bet the slack fuckers never practised with their kids at home.

[MajesticSeaFlapFlap]

It's Year 1, not the Bolshoi!

Proper lol'ed at that 💃

[Balletgirlmum]

year 1 is aged 5-6. You have to be at least age 7 to do Grade 1. At this age in any dance school (& generally at external dance schools you only get kids who want to be there) you are lucky if they remember anything. Skipping in time is a huge challenge, spacing nigh on impossible. At a normal school with presumably larger group sizes & kids who are only doing it because they have to you will not get wonderful results. Dance technique takes years to build up.

It is an amazing opportunity as it gives children a chance to experience something they might not get the chance to normally.