This blog is a part of Equity in Action, a blog series exploring the many ways early childhood educators and administrators, higher education faculty members, policymakers, advocates, and other ECE allies can bring the new Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education position statement to life in practice and policy. Ensuring that all students understand the different types of celebrations that happen is a positive reinforcement of cultural awareness in the classroom. Then, after I ask students to identify what date is exactly six months later (May 1), they see that across the circle is May Day, the ancient beginning of spring. 5 cons of having technology in the classroom Photo credit : Markus Spiske 1. So what is a teacher to do? I've been in Maryland my entire life, but nothing will change the fact that I absolutely HATE being unnecessarily cold. Cons of teaching abroad 1. This article shows teachers how to bring rich cultural content into their teaching in a way that expands students' knowledge, interest, and respect for the group being featured. Join NAEYCs team and help us advance the education of young children across the country. Our public schools are again being asked to meet the challenges that come with a rapidly growing and diverse population. Copyright 2014, Bayard, Inc. All rights reserved. After all, schools used to have Coke machines on campus and allow students to. Learn about the collaborative initiative to advance a unified early childhood education profession. Some of the most prominent are African-American History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, and Women's History Month. Procedure: A few weeks before your classroom Seder, have students work in small groups to decorate the tablecloth (bed sheet) you will use for the ritual meal. Serving and Supporting Immigrant Students, Bilingual & Dual-Language Education: Overview, Schools and Families: An Important Partnership, Supporting ELLs During COVID-19: Educator Voices, Family Literacy: Multilingual Video Series, Meaningful Multicultural Education in a Nation of Immigrants, The December Dilemma: Acknowledging Religious Holidays in the Classroom, The December Dilemma and English Language Learners, TESOL Resource Roundup: December Holidays, Teaching the Holidays: The December Dilemma. For our Jewish brothers and sisters, the Seder is a sacred ritual. Focus is on meaningful ways to celebrate holidays without spending money. However, they may be ridiculed for not believing, as it is not a social norm. The Drawbacks of Class Pets. So at the point we decide that we want to implement more culturally responsive instruction, where to do we start? Read about this initiative focused on equity in early childhood and find other equity-related content. Celebrating holidays can be a fun and festive way to break up the repetition of day-to-day instruction. var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); Since the decision does not speak to holidays specifically, most schools have continued to celebrate holidays in the classroom, but some have employed stricter guidelines to ensure the lesson content is appropriate and does not jeopardize their funding. 1. Tell your students that they will have the opportunity to participate in a modern-day Seder in this session. She does not realize it is Ramadan, when observant adult Muslims fast between dawn and dusk. Check multiple sources for the most comprehensive view of the history, traditions, and meaning behind the special day. * Make copies of Psalm 135:1, 5-9, 21. . If she had, she might have planned with themfor example, asking if the the birthday childs family might check with Esthers family about bringing a non-leaven cookie or pastry for Esther. Explore accreditationofearly childhood higher education programs, discover the accreditation system standards, and view a list ofaccredited programs. These overarching themes and lessons will appear in holidays across the board, which can help bring greater meaning to your lessons. The Supreme Court decided that schools could not receive public funding if they engaged in religious instruction. Why Should Students Learn About Holidays? Makes a person remain with the family for enjoying and planning for the future. And dont be afraid to look for primary resources within your school. As we know, many children base their impressions of the holidays on what the commercial culture teaches them. Done thoughtfully, holiday activities also promote a sense of community among children in the program who celebrate different holidays. Many holidays include the motif of light, which you can use to begin to discuss what they have in common: Teachers sometimes focus on the winter holidays just to provide cover for discussing Christmas. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. An Anti-Bias Guide to Including Holidays in Early Childhood Programs, have contributed to the authors thinking.--Editors. Holiday celebrations build and strengthen connections between home and school, and among children who share the same holidays. Disadvantages of Homeschooling. Here are our tips on what to cover, how to incorporate the holidays into your educational lesson plans, and more! You may be considered cheap. Place this plate on the table. If you want to learn about another culture but aren't sure where to start, a cultural festival can be a great springboard for your education. Focus on the historical and cultural impacts, not the religious influence. Even then, its important to clarify that within any belief system, different families celebrate in different ways. Tours and tickets tend to sell out. * Also on the table place the following: two unlit candles; a plate on which you have placed a piece of matzoh for each student (you may need more than one plate depending on the size of the group); one or more glasses half-filled with salted water; place setting of one plate and one cup for each participant. Some of the guidelines urge educators to: The complete guide and a more comprehensive list of recommendations is available at the First Amendment Center website. However, during the present-day global era, the role of traditions in schools has become an increasingly complex issue. The purpose is to recall the Exodus story with our students and honor its part in our story of faith. Here are some resources to help you teach your children about different holidays: PBS Parents: Search for "holiday diversity" or "cultural diversity" for a great list of resources. Join your professional membership association, explore local Affiliates, and access unbeatable member benefits. Grades: 6-8, 9-12. A typical week earns approximately $746 per week. Adding technology to the classroom increases the overall amount of exposure to electronic devices. Sign up today for free resources, activities, lessons plans, special promotions, and much more! Given that research, test data, and anecdotal evidence repeatedly confirm that culture plays a significant role in teaching and learning, student diversity challenges us to explore ways to bridge cultural differences and develop culturally sensitive teaching practices that recognize and accept these differences. The officer is a Wiccan. For example, one group might draw Moses before Pharaoh; another group might depict one or more of the plagues. Impossible to celebrate every culture. With holidays becoming more commercial, Christmas and Chanukah have lost some of their value. Pro: Appreciate the money, time, and effort spent in decorating the tree as much as you can prior to Christmas Day, because after that, they are just a sad reminder that the holiday is over. Celebrating a particular holiday is appropriate in faith-based programs or in programs in which the holiday is truly lived by every family in the program. Now turn the clock forward a hundred years. Many teachers will be glad to honor your family's beliefs if they know your wishes. Understanding the different ways people do and dont celebrate; learning accurate, respectful vocabulary about holidays; broadening childrens worldview of what a holiday isthese are all wonderful, powerful learning outcomes for children about holidays. And teachers, like their students, behave in ways that reflect their culture. By most accounts, the United States educational system has fallen behind that of other countries. days; or occasions for Recognizing Family and Neighborhood Heroes.. Be sure the table is large enough for all class members to sit around. Learn how SHRM Certification can accelerate your career growth by earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. She complains to the head teacher that both her and her daughters feelings were hurt. Fourth-grade teacher Sarah Pemberton periodically uses 10 to 15 minutes set aside for in-class reading to teach her students about cultural, federal, and religious holidays and celebrations. Read about NAEYC's DAP framework for high quality education. Diversity, a Greenwich, Conn.based firm that promotes diversity in the workplace. Become an organizational or corporate partner to inspire early childhood education at the local and national level. The rest of that time is spent on weekends, holidays and vacations. On the other hand, they can increase prep time for teachers and can present challenges to students. Longer breaks such as the winter holidays allow families an opportunity to reconnect. Advantages Time With Family and Friends: When school is in session, it almost becomes a job for high school students. For example, Mothers Day and Fathers Day, in the traditional narrative, recognize only one type of family. So as Thanksgiving 2021 the 400th anniversary of the supposed first Thanksgiving approaches, you may be wondering exactly why Thanksgiving is bad. Even within groups that honor the same holiday, how individual families celebrate will reflect both similarities and differences. Dec. 16, 2015. This is certainly true regarding holiday practices. Acknowledging or celebrating holidays in early childhood programs can bring pleasure to many families, staff, and children and can be useful in building connections between school and families. Learn about and purchase the best books and resources to support young children's learning and development. Ignite and fulfill your professional development goals! Luckily, the teacher notices the conflicted expression on Esthers face and intervenes: Esther, do you know that cake is made with leavened flour and that you cant eat it during Passover? Esther nods her head. The first step in implementing more culturally responsive instruction is recognizing how our own cultural conditioning is reflected in our teaching: how we set up our classroom, establish relationships with students, even how we design and deliver our lessons. Celebrations can be respectfulfor example, Honoring Our Families get-togethers; Thanking the People Who Make Our School Work (cook, janitor, bus driver, etc.) Browse pros and cons of halloween resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources. Learn about our work with governments and NGOs around the world to support young children and their teachers. Cons of Keeping Valentines Day Simple. Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-china.aspx") > -1) { She has students choose one to three resources, which include songs and videos in addition to stories and articles. However, the Elf on the Shelf tradition may not be right for every family. If you plan on doing something simple, you need to give more thought than signing your name on a card. Don't attack me. The heat. In October, I draw a large circular calendar and mark October 31. Read about NAEYCs leadership, mission, values and beliefs, and strategic governance. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Teaching Elementary-Age ELLs the Hidden Curriculum, Christmas Stories: American Indian Heritage, Winter Stories: Asian Pacific American Heritage, My Celebrations: Books For Young Children, Migrant Students: What We Need to Know to Help Them Succeed, How to Create a Welcoming Classroom Environment for ELLs, Tips for Choosing Culturally Appropriate Native Books and Resources, Social and Emotional Support for Refugee Families: A School Psychology Perspective, 10 Strategies for Building Relationships with ELLs, Language Objectives: The Key to Effective Content Area Instruction for English Learners, Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom: 12 Strategies for Language Instruction, Using Cognates to Develop Comprehension in English, Culturally Responsive Instruction for Holiday and Religious Celebrations. Visit WETA's other education websites: Start with a Book| Reading Rockets|AdLit|LD OnLine, Web development by Boxcar Studio and Rapid Development Group, A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners. For example, the actual Exodus took place over 3,000 years ago, and it is likely that the first Passover meal was celebrated in the desert as the Israelites journeyed toward the Promised Land. Caution: Eliminate the nuts if there are students with allergies. Virtual & Washington, DC | February 26-28, 2023. Develop grassroots efforts advancing early childhood in your community with these tools and resources. A bunch of snowflakes or garlands on the walls, for example, is perfectly OK, but a manger scene is such a religious symbol that it could offend non-Christian workers, lawyers and experts say. Video Program Guide. Learning about a holiday means teaching children about what the holiday means to different people and about the many different ways those families who honor the holiday celebrate it. Teaching about a holiday requires that teachers make very clear that the class can enjoy learning about each others holidays while holding to their own familys beliefs and traditions. To support the experiences of children, their families and the staff in the program. Look at historical photos from the holiday and have students make up their own stories about what is taking place. That extends to these areas of potential conflict:Days off. She is coauthor of several books, including Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change, Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, and Teaching/Learning Anti-Racism: A Developmental Approach. It does mean that you make choices that do not disrespect or leave out any family. From Columbus Day to Independence Day to Thanksgiving, the U.S. pretty much specializes in taking dates that celebrate genocide and discrimination, and repackaging them as family-friendly holidays. Part of honoring diversity in your classroom is teaching about holidays you dont celebrate. You may be surprised at the number of teachers or administrators who can give you a firsthand account of the holiday in question. Learn about NAEYCs informed positions on significant issues affecting young childrens education and development. She is upset when Edward, a student teacher, doesnt eat anything. Check out our five tips for celebrating holidays in the classroom in an impactful and appropriate way. More school time could increase student learning. Other kinds of designated holidays often included in early childhood program activities may be based on beliefs or practices that negate some families. When beginning a lesson about the winter holidays right around Thanksgiving, I ask the question, What is one thing many of the winter holiday traditions have in common? Among many correct answers, the one I am looking for is light. The stories, traditions, and lore of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and even Chinese New Year contain things like stars, fireworks, lamps, candles, and fire. Arguing that it is okay for a program to celebrate a dominant culture religious holiday, on the rationale that the props and activities connected to the holiday are not specifically religious, but just fun and therefore okay for everyone (e.g., Christmas trees, Santa Claus, cards, and gift giving, or Easter bunnies and egg hunts), does not respect cultural and religious diversity. Challenges that come with a rapidly growing and diverse population if there are students with allergies on beliefs practices. 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In October, I draw a large circular calendar and mark October 31 earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP, all!