School performances

[lovelillyb]

Just been to see DC end of year school performance. 40 mins of watching around 8 of the class of 30 dancing/prancing/singing about whilst the rest sort of sway and mumble along. At one point the rest of the class didn't have any part at all- just stood behind the chosen few and watched. At the very most about 12 children had a part- but at least 80% of it was performed by a select few children. The children chosen were not particularly talented- just lovely average children!! My own DC appeared oblivious but its a bit shit really isn't it?! Sometimes I really hate school

Lucky you being able to go and see the end of school performance!

Oh dear next year you will be unable to go (start thinking reasons your child will believe)!

Next year, when all of the mitigating measures are no longer in force, you could volunteer and show them how its supposed to be done.

Or you could stop whinging and be grateful that the teachers and staff went out of their way to organise this for you.

Or you could just not go.

@clarkkentsglasses yes very lucky! All covid secure with masks, socially distanced and sanitised beforehand.

@FrippEnos no I wouldn't be volunteering! Teachers are being paid, the same as I am to do my job! I shouldn't have to tell them how it's supposed to be done! I thought that's what a PGCE would teach you?!
I'm definitely not whinging and whilst I appreciate the difficult job teachers have more thought should go into these sorts of things! It wasn't put on for parents but rather as a way for the children to celebrate leaving primary school, so therefore should include all children within the class.

I did a 4 year BEd, not a one year PGCE and it STILL didn't cover how to do some of the additional things like putting on school performances. Very stressful they are, with all the scope for judgement and things going wrong.

That said, I'd not put one on that only a few particpated in and usually have parts for all who want one one.

Is it possible that they asked who wanted a part and only those few volunteered?

lovelillyb

You are definitely whinging.

Your attitude is one of the reasons why this type of activity is not happening as often as they used to.

PGCE definitely doesn't involve how to direct a show.

I tried to include every year six in the performance. Some refused. Some didn't understand what was being asked of them (we reduced their roles). Some had a part but were so quiet that no one could tell what they were saying (they still kept their parts). In the end everyone was involved in some way, but parents watching may not notice that.

Yours doesn't sound ideal and it's fine to whinge on here, but please don't let it cloud your judgement of the teacher. It's just one of the many "added extras" that we try to do and don't always pull off expertly. Because we're not experts in that, we're experts in teaching.

I agree to be honest, and it’s not a new thing as I remember my own mum being That Parent about this circa 1988

I think we all appreciate that teachers don’t have an easy job but just the same school performances should not really just feature a very small number of children.

They can’t force kids to take part. They probably asked for volunteers and then gave parts to those who requested- Hence why ‘not particularly talented’ kids did it.

Blimey! Schools can’t win!

I find the singing/ dancing school performances really rubbish - they are always under rehearsed and it becomes painfully obvious that the school hasn’t got a choir.

The worst recent ones have been the ones where the audience can’t actually hear singers over the track the singers on the track they are singing along to 🙄.

It varies, some schools are better at sharing the parts out but there's usually at least a handful of main ones especially at Christmas so they go to the more compliant kids with better memories who can hold a tune solo consequently my dd often had a part (she was a chorister so was used to singing in public).

Maybe next time your DC will be promoted and get to play the triangle or even better, the glockenspiel...oh the dizzying heights...