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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to message the teacher re Christmas play cancellation

214 replies

Rascalsandradishes · 06/12/2022 18:52

DS(10) in y6 came home very upset today saying that class performance has been cancelled. It is tomorrow morning.

Teacher messaged in the class app approximately half an hour after school ended to say the play hasn't really been cancelled but wanted to use this as a stimulus for them to write a persuasive letter to get the head to change his mind. Teacher requested parents play along and help them form some arguments.

DS was really quite upset that his last show of primary school was 'cancelled'.

I couldn't play along, it just felt cruel and I don't lie to my DC. I had to tell him it wasn't real and that this was the base of a homework task.

AIBU to message the class teacher to say I've not played along and tell her how upset DS was? I can't imagine being the only parent feeling this way.

OP posts:
BakedTattie · 06/12/2022 19:28

Bloody hell that’s awful.

id be really cross with the teacher

SeenAndNot · 06/12/2022 19:29

That’s appalling. Kids are traumatised enough with everything being cancelled for the last two years, this is just cruel.

Thatiswild · 06/12/2022 19:29

So poorly judged. My kid would be devastated too, they’ve been through enough. I’d be encouraging your child to write down how they feel and present that to the teacher and you write to the head. Awful!

VillanellesCoat · 06/12/2022 19:30

forrestgreen · 06/12/2022 18:57

I get him to write a letter to the teacher persuading her to not use that homework again as it's cruel

I would do this too!

Tillylime · 06/12/2022 19:31

I would send your own letter in the guise of homework with a few spelling mistakes to hide the strong language describing her upsetting subterfuge as cruel and disappointing behaviour from a supposedly professional person.

1dontunderstand · 06/12/2022 19:32

Utterly ridiculous of the teacher and head. Why are they causing unnecessary upset?

dapsnotplimsolls · 06/12/2022 19:32

Piss-poor judgement by the teacher.

Dontfencemein · 06/12/2022 19:33

Whatever happened to the idea of telling the children “imagine that your Christmas play was cancelled….’?

BendingSpoons · 06/12/2022 19:34

Presumably there will be some parents who are very confused about this too, and might miss the play. Silly idea!

Notanotherone6 · 06/12/2022 19:34

The play is tomorrow morning and they've got to write a letter to persuade the headteacher to change his mind before it starts?

Ok then.

Consufed · 06/12/2022 19:35

That's a rubbish idea. Completely unnecessary and the only message being that it's OK for your teacher and parents to lie to you Shock

CarefreeMe · 06/12/2022 19:35

Did you read the OP carefully?

Yes I did.

Do you really think he’s going to pretend to cancel the play the day before (and therefore the children not bring their outfits and props) and expect the children to write a letter in one evening and give it to the head to read through them all and persuade her to un-cancel it all before 10am?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 06/12/2022 19:38

Yanbu

What on Earth is this teacher thinking?

Consufed · 06/12/2022 19:38

write a persuasive letter to get the head to change his mind. Teacher requested parents play along

Turn the tables on them! Help your DC write a letter to the head, explaining how unkind and unnecessary it was of them to do this. Enlist other parents to do the same as well.

ChaToilLeam · 06/12/2022 19:38

That’s shitty and so ill judged. Children have been through enough lately and so have parents. How shit to trick the children and leave them upset and disappointed, and expect parents to continue the charade.

Flurbegurb · 06/12/2022 19:39

@CarefreeMe

Teacher messaged in the class app approximately half an hour after school ended to say the play hasn't really been cancelled but wanted to use this as a stimulus for them to write a persuasive letter to get the head to change his mind. Teacher requested parents play along and help them form some arguments.

I mean, OP can only go on the facts they have to hand, as above.

Comeonbarbiebrianharvey · 06/12/2022 19:40

Do you think it was used as a threat to the class for bad behaviour...stop misbehaving or the play will be cancelled...and this is so they don't lose face? That's my first thought

lunar1 · 06/12/2022 19:40

I'd honestly be tempted to just take my child out for the day. They atmosphere of the play is spoiled anyway and at least half the children will be unsettled anyway now.

Similar was done to me in my first year of university, so 24 years ago, I still loath the cunt of a lecturer.

KrisAkabusi · 06/12/2022 19:41

Tillylime · 06/12/2022 19:31

I would send your own letter in the guise of homework with a few spelling mistakes to hide the strong language describing her upsetting subterfuge as cruel and disappointing behaviour from a supposedly professional person.

That's an even worse idea than the teacher's!

murmuration · 06/12/2022 19:42

Wow. I’m sure there will be some parents who don’t get the app message and don’t show up (and maybe write angry letters about having booked time off work!)

WeepingSomnambulist · 06/12/2022 19:43

CarefreeMe · 06/12/2022 19:35

Did you read the OP carefully?

Yes I did.

Do you really think he’s going to pretend to cancel the play the day before (and therefore the children not bring their outfits and props) and expect the children to write a letter in one evening and give it to the head to read through them all and persuade her to un-cancel it all before 10am?

That's exactly what they've done.

Told the kids the play has been cancelled so can they all write a letter to beg for it to go ahead.

The teacher then messaged the parents to tell them that the play isnt actually cancelled but can they all play along and pretend it is and help the kids with their homework task of writing a persuasive letter.

Persuasive letters are a task in primary 7. They're usually framed in some sort of, "Imagine this thing has happened and then write a letter persuading them to change it."

Instead of the imagining part, the teacher had actually told the kids it is cancelled and they need to write a real persuasive letter. And has asked the parents to play along with the lie.

BCxx · 06/12/2022 19:43

The teacher has most likely lost her marbles as a result of it being December and she’s having to deal with homework, behaviour, school play, planning, marking, observations, learning walks, tracking meetings and probably various parents complaining over trivial things daily. She’s misjudged this but why not just play along, the kids would talk about that for years! I was a teacher, worst job in the world. Send her a bottle of wine in and tell her to have a bubble bath when she gets home, she’s probably already a member of the same Facebook group as me and 110k others (exit the classroom and thrive) don’t push her over the edge.

Knittingnanny2 · 06/12/2022 19:44

What ridiculous nonsense. One of the reasons I had to take early retirement was the nonsense I was often directed to teach to infants.
It almost certainly wasn’t the teachers idea, some stupid idea from above. I was supposed to deliver an RE lesson to year 1 many years ago around Harvest time. The plan said give each child a paper plate and ask them if they would like a biscuit. Then they had to turn their plates over and if their was a tick there they could have a biscuit and eat it in front of the rest of the class who had no tick under their plate. The object of the lesson was to show that not all children in the world had enough to eat.
Fortunately I was both old and brave enough to refuse to do this activity with 6 year olds.
If I were you I’d be contacting the head to say my child would be doing “ persuasive writing “ homework on a different subject.

Rogue1001MNer · 06/12/2022 19:49

Excellent thinking @CarefreeMe

Stompythedinosaur · 06/12/2022 20:05

That is very bad form. I would definitely tell my dc. I would still ask them to write the letter, using their imagination, though.