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. Instead of being at school, students are merely shuffled to another home or institution. Many parents do not have the same time off as their children, causing added expense with babysitting or daycare. There are other differences but, hopefully, the integrity and spirit of the celebration have been maintained and will enable your students to enter respectfully into the experience. Celebrating Winter Holidays in the Classroom . Personal decorations are fine as long as the decorations are kept to a minimum and are not in any way treading on the rights of othersand that includes ensuring that decorations dont create an unnavigable workspace, said Natalie Holder, an employment lawyer and founder and CEO of Quest It is important to note that like the values we instill in our children at school, the holidays of many world religions share common themes, such as thankfulness, caring for others, peace, and forgiveness. Celebrations can also be whimsical and playfulfor example, "Bring Books Alive Day" (making and wearing costumes from books, eating foods from favorite books, acting out favorite stories); "Pajama Day" (wearing pjs and slippers to school, telling bedtime stories, sharing family bedtime rituals); or "Backwards Day" (wearing clothes backwards, However, this can be a huge advantage if you are on a tight moving budget. Check out 10 negative and positive things Halloween can teach your kids. Field trips to a neighborhood market or library firm up real life applications of classroom learning. Unfortunately, the teacher had not thought to check ahead of time with Esthers family when the birthday celebration was scheduled during the Passover holiday. Spread the tablecloth on the floor so students have ample room to work. The downside is that you will have to pack w. As Catholics, we praise God that Jesus passed over from death to new life and pray that we, too, may one day share that new life. "Kids who are being treated for ADHD do better in more than just the classroom," Dr. Ravitz says. The heat. Celebrating holidays in the classroom is fun and exciting, but it can also be very educational and culturally valuable for students. Find the latest news and members-only resources that can help employers navigate in an uncertain economy. 8. When I answered, "Cooking with my flatmate and going for Turkish!" they longed to join us. Cons of Keeping Valentines Day Simple. Please purchase a SHRM membership before saving bookmarks. Be sure the table is large enough for all class members to sit around. In May, I teach the children English Morris dances, which date back to springtime planting celebrations of more than a thousand years ago. Activities that foster these objectives prepare children to live in a diverse society with respect while cherishing their own beliefs. Even some Christian families see these as pagan appropriations that trivialize one of their two most important holy days of the year. Here is an incident where a student teacher allows her personal feelings to undercut a basic practice of the Jewish holiday of Passover. 1. The Seder was further developed in medieval times, yet scholars believe that the wording and sequence of aspects of the Seder differed from community to community. All of these recommendations are in line with the standard that officially guides states and schools on this issue the "Lemon Test," named after the 1971 court case of Lemon v. Kurtzman. Celebrating a holiday engages children in holiday activities as full-fledged participants, on the assumption that their families believe in the holidays purpose and meaning. Knowing the purpose and worldview underlying a holiday will help you make decisions about what role, if any, you want that holiday to play in your program. } This means youll need to do your research carefully to ensure that you represent each holiday accurately. For any reprint requests, please contact the author or publisher listed. Join your professional membership association, explore local Affiliates, and access unbeatable member benefits. The officer is a Wiccan. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. Dont champion or push celebration of one holiday over another. 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. With generous support provided by the National Education Association. Breaks give students time to bond with family and friends. Your school librarian may also be able to provide resources for you and your students to use in your research. Some of the reasons have to do with cultural sensitivity. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate, as long as you work to foster an inclusive and accepting classroom environment. Others still give off just Christmas but have floating holidays which employees can use for other religious holidays, said Hope B. Eastman, principal with Paley Rothman in Bethesda, Md., and co-chair of the firms employment law group.Office dcor. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. The American Indian Movement, among other groups, have gone as far as to state that the continuous celebration of this holiday is oppressive towards Native Americans. $('.container-footer').first().hide(); The pros and cons of celebrating Halloween email Christians across the UK will have different opinions on whether or not to celebrate Halloween. This website uses cookies to provide you with the best browsing experience. She does not realize it is Ramadan, when observant adult Muslims fast between dawn and dusk. How do teachers approach such issues as textbook content, values education, controversial issues, and religious holidays? You have to be sensitive to peoples religions, said Louise Ann Fernandez, a labor and employment lawyer with the California-based firm Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell. Anti-Bias Education: The December Holidays from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. For example, Mothers Day and Fathers Day, in the traditional narrative, recognize only one type of family. temp_style.textContent = '.ms-rtestate-field > p:first-child.is-empty.d-none, .ms-rtestate-field > .fltter .is-empty.d-none, .ZWSC-cleaned.is-empty.d-none {display:block !important;}'; More employee appreciation supports your company culture and your business. For the many families of other faiths, the activities are inseparable from the underlying meaning of the religious rituals themselves (after all, a Christmas tree is still a Christmas tree, and the Easter bunny is the Easter bunny). Other kinds of designated holidays often included in early childhood program activities may be based on beliefs or practices that negate some families. Taking the time to thoughtfully discuss how to make respectful learning about holidays a part of your curriculum is worth the results when all children and families feel that they are cared about and belong in your program. Have an approach that is academic and not devotional. This is certainly true regarding holiday practices. The purpose is to recall the Exodus story with our students and honor its part in our story of faith. It is hurtful to children and families to impose celebrating of the holidays of one group on all the children and staff, or to make the holiday traditions of some groups visible while others are invisible. Spending all day in a classroom actively learning is tiring, and there is a limited amount that students can learn. Some believe it encourages children and adults to embrace spiritual darkness, while others see it as a bit of harmless fun for the kids. 2. Many parents and kids alike enjoy the fun and games of including this yearly ritual in their Christmas celebrations. Our country has always been home to people of many different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Compromise: Opt for a faux tree. Some schools may place no limit on holiday discussion while others may ask teachers to skip lessons on holidays entirely. When viewing video content or other materials at home, students have the option of learning at their own pace. First Amendment Centers Finding Common Ground, Be open to answering questions from students, talk with students about mindfulness and reflection, explore how light and shadow work while celebrating Diwali. Place a small pillow on each chair. Christmas is the reason for the season, he said. These hidden aspects of culture can cause misunderstandings and cross-group conflicts; they can impact teacher-student and student-student relationships, and create hard-to-identify barriers to academic content matter. 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. Thats why its interesting, even surprising, that nearly 100 percent of students say they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Passover, and Halloween. Explore accreditationofearly childhood higher education programs, discover the accreditation system standards, and view a list ofaccredited programs. SHRM Employment Law & Compliance Conference, Celebrating the Holidays and Diversity in the Workplace, New OSHA Guidance Clarifies Return-to-Work Expectations, Trump Suspends New H-1B Visas Through 2020, Faking COVID-19 Illness Can Have Serious Consequences, Antisemitism Fears, Incidents Are Rising in the US, Former CNN Anchor Speaks on Being Canceled, Overcoming Biases, How to Balance Religious Accommodations with Company Vaccination Requirements. Small notes may not be considered thoughtful. Even as things opened back up and returned to normal, some schools continued to offer a . 00:48. There are definitely pros and cons of celebrating this spooky day. It is important to note that like the values we instill in our children at school, the holidays of many world religions share common themes, such as thankfulness, caring for others, peace, and forgiveness. The next day a birthday celebration for another child includes cupcakes from the birthday childs family. Many in the education community believe that this is due to an outdated school schedule still based on a harvest schedule that gives students summers off and extensive holidays throughout the year. Popular Searches:DAP;Coping with COVID-19;E-books;Anti-Bias Education;Online Store. After all, schools used to have Coke machines on campus and allow students to. 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. Perform a science experiment: test which fruits and vegetables dye Easter eggs best or. Major support provided by our founding partner, the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. Note: This article was originally written for the American Federation of Teachers. Remind them that Jesus was a devout Jew. The focus of Passover celebrations in Jewish homes is a ritual meal called a Seder. Students attend an average of 180 school days per year. These more nuanced differences might include how we understand and define concepts like family, responsibility, education, and success. Celebrate a national holiday as a class and discuss its meaning Have scholars share their personal experiences of holidays Classroom Considerations Instructors are encouraged to supplement or substitute resources to meet the needs of their students Pros Lesson provides a sample key of the celebration matrix to assist learners Search an ECE degree directory, explore professional standards, and join our community of practice. Help them recall that on the night before he died, Jesus gathered with his disciples to celebrate Passover. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Like our Jewish brothers and sisters, we give thanks that the angel of death passed over the homes of the Israelites. The three sections of the guide discuss rethinking the holidays, planning for change in teaching approaches, and aspects to consider when using holidays in the classroom. Colorn Colorado is a national multimedia project that offers a wealth of bilingual, research-based information, activities, and advice for educators and families of English language learners (ELLs). Many teachers will be glad to honor your family's beliefs if they know your wishes. With a global economy in place and our technology moving at a rate faster than we'd ever imagined, every teacher needs more help meeting the needs of and being culturally responsive to his/her students, many of whom now have roots in places like Mexico, Puerto Rico, Vietnam, Somalia, Croatia, and Jordan. Also, since the public school schedule is largely centered around Christian and Jewish holidays, many students may end up attending school on holidays that are important to them and their families. Here are some ideas to help you highlight multicultural and religious holidays appropriately, and select the right activities and materials: When it comes to religious holidays or traditions, what is their appropriate place in the curriculum? Halloween, following the bounty of the harvest season, is the beginning of the dark time of the year, a scary period for early agrarian societies. Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. 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. Celebration of Christmas is a staple in preschools and elementary education settings. The focus for students moves away from school and onto family and culture. Stay up-to-date on issues in early childhood education and hear perspectives from a wide range of educators. One benefit of participating in Halloween events and celebrations is that it could be used as a conversation starter, sparking discussion between you and your children. 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. Brief Description. Expect sweaty upper lips, hot and bothered groomsmen and guests fanning themselves in wedding photos. Video reduces the time of reading and allows you to "instruct" asynchronously. Diversity, whether it involves religion or the gender of the partner someone brings to a workplace party, should be celebrated along with the holidays so that everyone feels welcome, experts advise. So at the point we decide that we want to implement more culturally responsive instruction, where to do we start? The article offers suggestions that teachers can use throughout the school year, as well as when observing cultural and religious holidays and celebrations. Please log in as a SHRM member before saving bookmarks. That includes: Regardless of how commercially advertised or widespread these secular approaches may be, they are grounded in specific religious and cultural assumptions. So what is a teacher to do? Caution: Eliminate the nuts if there are students with allergies. Whether or not to include any holidays in your curriculum, and what activities to use if you do, requires thoughtful decision making. Consider the following holiday examples: A mother brings a special lunch to school for her childs birthday. Discoverthe latest research and best practices, and engage with our diverse community of professionals! When we acknowledge that our classrooms are natural extensions of our own culture, we can begin to make room for the cultures of others. Edutopia and Lucas Education Research are trademarks or registered trademarks of the George Lucas Educational Foundation in the U.S. and other countries. Engage with our policy agendas, advocacy resources, and current initiatives. Workers have sued over religious discrimination during the holidays. Virtual & Washington, DC | February 26-28, 2023. Look for the and see details. In almost all early childhood settings, the beliefs and traditions of some families may differ from those of others. Instead, people look forward to the holidays for the presents that they'll receive. That's because it's a misnomer to think that ADHD affects only their performance in school. Your job is to make students aware of the many cultures around them and to help them find commonalities among themselves and those they may view as different from themselves. Even then, its important to clarify that within any belief system, different families celebrate in different ways. For your convenience, you have permission to make copies of the Classroom Seder Guide to use with your students during your classroom Seder [CLICK HERE]. Include holiday premises in mathematical word problems. Support our mission and reach the NAEYC audience through your advertisement, conference exhibit booth, or sponsorship. Find a sponsorship opportunity thats right for you and help support early childhood educators, parents, and other professionals. 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. The key, employment lawyers and workplace experts say, is to make sure no one feels excluded or forced to participate in workplace festivities. See Review the Story of Exodus at the end of this article for an activity that will help you and your students review the story of the Exodus in preparation for your classroom Seder meal. In October, I draw a large circular calendar and mark October 31. But you can create lesson plans in all subjects around the holidays that will make your lessons far more memorable for students. However, the Elf on the Shelf tradition may not be right for every family. Rich Barlow. It does mean that you make choices that do not disrespect or leave out any family. Celebrating holidays can be a fun and festive way to break up the repetition of day-to-day instruction. She has students choose one to three resources, which include songs and videos in addition to stories and articles. She complains to the head teacher that both her and her daughters feelings were hurt. 3. The rest of that time is spent on weekends, holidays and vacations. Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? Okay, not everything, but most businesses, including museums and other tourist attractions, are closed. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. It's important to know what your purpose is in bringing up religion most often, teachers intend to foster tolerance for other beliefs and faiths, and one of the best ways for teachers to do this is to plan ahead and to consult with informed sources, colleagues, parents, and the community. Now turn the clock forward a hundred years. We recognize the obvious cultural differences such as foods, heroes, holidays, arts, and clothing differences that, much like the tip of the iceberg, are clearly visible above the water. Longer breaks such as the winter holidays allow families an opportunity to reconnect. Why Should Students Learn About Holidays? She has a bachelor's degree from Ball State University and a master's degree from Pepperdine University. Title VII of the Civil Right Act of 1964 says employers cant discriminate based on religion, and must reasonably accommodate employees sincerely held religious practices unless it will cause the employer an undue hardship. That means people cant be fired because their religion forbids them from working on the Sabbath, but it also means companies arent required to let the entire staff take off the entire week of Christmas. This approach makes it possible for every child to participate in shared special days with the rest of the class. Linda Kamp, a primary education teacher in Arizona, shares ideas for accommodating students who don't celebrate holidays: "Make a plan with parents for situations like birthdays and holiday activities and discuss what an acceptable alternative might be.". Taking days off here and there can provide students with the mental break they need to be engaged when they go back to school. Three resources, and what activities to use if you do, requires thoughtful decision making the birthday family! Are merely shuffled to another home or institution science experiment: test which fruits and vegetables dye Easter best... Days with the mental break they need to be engaged when they go back to school for childs. Circular calendar and mark October 31 opportunity to reconnect school year, as as. Practices that negate some families onto family and friends cultural and religious holidays and vacations,... 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