Nativity disappointment why do teachers do it

[Bucketheadbucketbum]

Want to key stage 2 nativity today. It was 1 hour long! Approx 40 kids in it. Some children had multiple lines throughout the hour, on the stage for the bulk of the time, solo songs the works. Others had just one line and spent the rest of the time sitting to the side apart from group songs where they all stood up. I understand all parts cant be equal and it must be a nightmare to try and be fair but this was shockingly poorly distrubuted. Why would you do this as a teacher? So disappointing for the children and parents unless you happen to be one of the "stars" of the show.

Actually as a primary teacher I think they are a great opportunity to help develop the less confident children. I love nothing more than giving some of those a chance to shine, a bit of coaching and a chance to shine can do wonders for their self esteem. I think it’s important all children are given a chance, nothing worse than seeing the same ultra confident children shine year after year, no wonder these others lack confidence if they are not given the chance. No one should be forced but I have definitely seen children overlooked before. A well planned production should give opportunities for all.

Maybe next year you can volunteer to go into the school and help with the Nativity or any school production. The teachers will be glad to be able to offload the tedious work onto another person, they can't do right for doing wrong! How soon before some other doting mummsy comes on here complaining that her darling child is being forced to play a large role they don't want and they're very upset?

Fucking hell, who would be a teacher eh? Some parents are absolute nutters, they should just scrap the whole thing, they don’t get paid enough to listen to this shit

Spread it out how exactly? How many Mary’s are required on stage? What exactly would you suggest they actually do to make the play more inclusive?

I understand op. Every year the same kids - the ones who are already excelling in dance/acting groups outside school. My dc would ask for parts and be turned down. Surely it should be their chance to try it

I've worked in school for years and never has the main part gone to a child 'whose face fits'. What does that even mean exactly? Teachers usually ask children what role they would like and for the main roles they usually do a little mini audition and choose whoever they think can play that role the best. In a class of 30 the same children often end up being chosen because they show the skills needed - they will need to be confident, articulate, have a good memory, and whatever else the particular role requires- comic timing, a good singing voice etc.

First lobster, second lobster, third lobster etc!!!!

And just to say I absolutely didn't want them to force dd to talk/sing on her own. She has autism and would hate that (vs. ds who can't get enough of the limelight).

But surely there is a better way to format it. Have larger groups of 'mixed ability' stand up and say/sing things together so everyone gets a turn at the stage. The shy can join in without the pressure.

A poor boy went bright red, forgot his lines and started crying today. It's fucking barbaric to do that to unconfident kids and only puts them off for life, certainly the only 'life lesson' that poor boy learnt was that public speaking is scary and to fake sickness on Christmas play day.

The one thing that got me through the play today was a boy that looked like a young Gomez Addams without the moustache, he was hilarious.

I agree OP, I mean it is quite a famous story, how hard can it be to write a play that's inclusive. If course young children may cry about this seems pretty cruel to mock a 6 year old for being upset at not getting a part of their heart is set on it. Perhaps teachers' should try to be a bit more understanding. My DS is 15 now but his infant school managed to give most a speaking part if they wanted one. When my DD was 4 she was chosen to be an angel, it was main part and had quite a few lines, I was surprised as she was incredibly shy and clingy. They said it would help her confidence but instead she literally stood and cried through much of it was comforted by a boy who was a sheep and then ran to me in tjje audience and wouldn't let go so yes sometimes it doesn't pan out.

My dc's school tried the one (or it may have been two) lines for every child.
It went like this:
150 children walk in and stand on the stage in rows. First child picks up the microphone and says "Welcome to our assembly. Today we are going to tell you about the nativity".
Sounds good.
However child number two is about 25 children away from child one. So child one switches off the microphone and the microphone is passed along 25 children to get to child 2. Child 2 begins their line without switching microphone on. Other children tell child loudly. Child 2 can't work out how to switch microphone on so teacher has to climb through 3 rows of children to get to child 2 to switch it on.
Repeat for 150 children, with the alternative of some children forgetting to switch the microphone off and it being tapped on the way past by each one of the 25 children who have it, with hissed whispers from the other children to switch it off.

I believe it took nearly 2.5 hours and most of the parents had lost the will to live after about 10 minutes. Be careful what you wish for.

Mind you if I say plays weren't the school's forte, I'm over exaggerating how good they were.
Apparently the year 6 play was so good it "could have transferred to the West End" in one of my dc's year. I wondered if he'd been watching "The Play that Went Wrong" and thought it was serious. 50 children singing apparently all in competition with each other who could finish first was definitely comedy.

That’s plain ridiculous!
I definitely wasn’t the “ Favourite “ at school , but had a clear speaking voice so was often chosen for speaking parts ( Or singing) at primary school , when i really wanted to be a silent angel with a muslin dress and tinsel halo.

The boys who “ Growled” got the non speaking parts, or were Shepherds or Wise Men.
Definitely no favouritism in our school.

She is 11 now and goes a drama club and has wants to be an actress!

You mean disappointing for you ? Give the teachers a break . They are doing their best to fit in a nativity amongst everything else .

why couldn’t you just enjoy the performance and be happy there was something to support and watch.

The title really fits the thread .. why the bloody hell do teachers do it. Moaning about children not getting parts, moaning that it's a good life lesson to conquer a fear of performance at 6 and moaning that a child went bright red saying a line.

We don't do it. We do a carol service in the church (during the day!!!) and feck the begrudgers if they are going to complain we mayas well make it easier on ourselves!

gh, as someone from a ethnic background, this is why we laugh at white peoples kids, their parents pave their way with feathers, and children don’t learn they have to work to get what they want. Even little ones. No wonder why the younger generation have MH issues with parents complaining about the most stupid things to try stop their perfect children ever feeling disappointed.

@MargotChateau what a disgusting thing to say! I wouldn't want someone like you teaching my kids

Argh, as someone from a ethnic background, this is why we laugh at white peoples kids

Wow.

That is incredibly unpleasant and racist. Laughing at children of a certain colour because you are stereotyping?

MargotChateau, bit of sweeping generalisation there!🙄

I don't have any personal experience of this because my kids aren't old enough, but I saw a little girl whilst collecting my son from nursery who was devastated at only having one line in the nativity. I actually felt really sad for her, she was sobbing her heart out. I know it can't be completely equal, but it feels sad that someone who wants more than one line can't at least have a few lines.

No one cares if the child fluffs a line or two,

The child does, though.

@MargotChateau what?!!

There are many precious parents, ethnicity has F all to do with it.

The best shows I have seen have been pretty much a line a child. No superstars, and pushes the shy ones out of their comfort zone without giving them such big parts it's excruciating to watch them.

My daughter's teacher has gone down the social engineering route this year and given the shy children the big parts and it sounds like the rehearsals are a nightmare as noone can hear them at all

The end of a monster 15 week term, teachers are on their knees and this is the thanks they get.

And then we wonder why no bugger will train to do the job 🙄

Trouble is talking in front of a crowd is a good life skill even if the kids hate it.

There is something in this. I’m not saying the kids who really hate it, but there is a “middle” group of children who could probably find something they hadn’t realised that was in them if encouraged. I realise a nativity is a nightmare, but the teachers must get to know the kids quite well and have an idea who could do with a little push.

I think as long as all kids have the chance to shine at something during the course of the year, it’s fine for a nativity to be a bit “uneven”. They do all need to learn to deal with disappointment but if some kids are forever disappointed, they’ll learn the opposite lesson, which is not to try.

Maybe pick the ones who aren’t going to get into the play or the sports team for something else, given them the friendship award, anything so they feel they’ve got something.

Also some kids may not be great readers but are good memorisers of lines.

My DD's junior school incorporated musical instrument performances so that it was inclusive, one boy last year played a piece on tjje trumpet that seemed to only be one note- that was interesting, his own Mum was sniggering but I don't think he saw.