Natvity Rage!

[snowmaiden]

AIBU??? DD is in Y2 and her class performed a version of the nativity. She was somewhat put out that she was a soldier and would have liked to have had more than one line to say. However, she wouldn't have coped with all the lines that the lead characters had to learn (especially being an August born, which may or may not be relevant, but may be considering the two lead roles were played by the oldest girl and boy in the class).

Anyway, that's not my gripe. My complaint is that after the performance all the children were given a small chocolate as a little treat, the two children who played the main characters were given a whole box of chocoaltes each as a reward for being so good in the play. AIBU to think this sends the wrong message to the rest of the class who all played a part in the nativity, big or small, and were all just as important. They didn't choose their own roles in the play or audition and the class choose, the teacher dished them out accordingly.

I taught in KS1 for 10 years and this never happened in any of my schools or classes. All the children were rewarded equally for their part in the play and surely being chosen for the lead role and all the praise and attention that goes alongside this is reward enough in itself???? I am actually somewhat fuming about this to be honest as my dd could do with a self esteem boost and things like this just make it harder.

I just really love the title. Made me laugh.

Hope things cheer up a bit for you.

Oh well, calmed down now- just felt really sad for dd and the other children. In hindsight, think it had more to do with the fact that the main child in the performance always seems to be the centre of attention, he's just one of those kids! I probably wouldn't have thought about it much if it had been a child with a less high profile that had been chosen, who had then worked hard and done really well. But hey-ho!

YANBU. Silly thing for the teacher to have done.

i think yanbu but i probably would forget about it i think by Y2 children can accept something like this, its just a thoughtless thing they've done it's not been done purposely to upset other kids. it's life and come next year everyone will have forgotten. i always ended up with narrator roles, 100's of lines to read but never in the limelight :( not even a costume

Well IME of the school play, the teacher has a pretty good idea of who can actually learn the lines and take direction and the auditions are quite casual: the teacher chooses a child who can learn the part and take direction. This is an audition of sorts, even though it's not a chorus-line type of casting call.

It's true though that hard work for some, results in something that is barely noticeable, and that's a pity, but that's also where you come in and praise the hard work. You know the effort that your child put in to walk on and say her line. To the audience, she's one of many in the chorus.

Unfortunately in life, good looking people, tall people and ones with natural talent get the rewards for very little that they have actually worked for themselves. Being in the entertainment industry is a prime example of that. Most major corporations are more likely to promote tall people and they earn more on average, independent of qualifications, and experience, than their shorter peers.

It's a results oriented world after all, not a process orientated world. Most people use the services of someone they've had a good experience with before, rather than try out someone new who may let them down.

Think about it, you don't get brownie points for trying if you're a neurosurgeon - you get them for not killing a patient, and maybe even more for curing him.

Glad you aren't fuming anymore OP, I doubt your child is/ was as upset as you.

i think tey should have been given apples not chocolates

and a ruddy good toothbrush

YANBU, as a teacher I would never do this.

But really am only answering to say fantastic thread title! I love it :)!

Did you actually see the two children had a whole box of chocolates to themselves or were they just handing the chocolates out to everyone else ? Just wondered as I have put on school productions for many years and often someone would give a tin of sweets or similar to the cast and I would just grab the nearest person to hand them round.