pros and cons of celebrating holidays in the classroom

But, it can be tricky to know just what you can and cant discuss and which holidays you should include in your lessons. $(document).ready(function () { Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, redisseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Bayard, Inc. The word seder means order or arrangement. Rabbinical scholars tell us that the Seder has evolved over the years. Include holiday premises in mathematical word problems. These overarching themes and lessons will appear in holidays across the board, which can help bring greater meaning to your lessons. Workers have sued over religious discrimination during the holidays. Even as things opened back up and returned to normal, some schools continued to offer a . However, they may be ridiculed for not believing, as it is not a social norm. Some students, especially those in early elementary grades, may not be mature enough to care for a class pet. In almost all early childhood settings, the beliefs and traditions of some families may differ from those of others. They can also help teach important lessons about kindness, gratefulness, and selflessness. Check multiple sources for the most comprehensive view of the history, traditions, and meaning behind the special day. There's long been an assertion that holidays are better celebrated at the family level and don't belong in a modern classroom. 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. Consider these disadvantages of homeschooling. Holiday salaries in New York range from $29,513 to $45,909 per year. While students look forward to those holidays as a break from their regular studies, there is a growing fear that American students are falling behind because of the lack of actual classroom time. Copyright 2014, Bayard, Inc. All rights reserved. See this interview with Dr. Cynthia Lundgren for more great tips on culturally responsive instruction! To curb the spread of the virus, school districts around the country offered a variety of educational possibilities, from in-person school with masks to full online school to a delayed start to the academic year to a hybrid model that offered some days in a physical classroom and other days virtually. However, this can be a huge advantage if you are on a tight moving budget. 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. 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. Should You Celebrate Holidays in the Classroom? When Catholics gather to celebrate the Eucharist, we acknowledge that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins. Giving students sugary foods when we are teaching them to eat healthy. Colorn Colorado is an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital, and receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers and National Education Association. And dont schedule the event at a time (such as Friday night) that might conflict with someones religious observances. It would be disrespectful to Jews for us to Christianize the Seder in order to focus on what happened at the Last Supper and the Eucharist. In December, said Sam Baber, the companys director of talent and development, Spredfast goes whole-hog: It hosts 12 days of holiday movies, a traditional Hanukkah meal and a very intense game of White Elephant. Explore accreditationofearly childhood higher education programs, discover the accreditation system standards, and view a list ofaccredited programs. So what is a teacher to do? } They can return to our website and order the items you selected. She has a bachelor's degree from Ball State University and a master's degree from Pepperdine University. Page through Exodus chapters 7-15 with the class and have each group choose passages they will illustrate on the tablecloth. Why Should Students Learn About Holidays? 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. With generous support provided by the National Education Association. 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. Learn about NAEYCs informed positions on significant issues affecting young childrens education and development. If you plan on doing something simple, you need to give more thought than signing your name on a card. Student Journaling as a Tool for Teaching English Language Learners. From Lunar New Year celebrations to Holi celebrations, a vibrant range of festivities and holiday traditions happen all over the world. } If your favorite part of celebrating the holidays is spending time with family and friends, your holiday wedding will feel extraordinarily sentimental. Consider the following holiday examples: A mother brings a special lunch to school for her childs birthday. Celebration of Christmas is a staple in preschools and elementary education settings. 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. 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. Holidays give families an opportunity to spend time together and celebrate. Pros of Celebrating Holidays: Only shows limited view of a culture. Reasons to avoid Vietnam during Tet (lunar new year) Everything closes down. The government or public action in question* should only engage in secular or civil matters, leaving religion up to the individual. And most of us are probably guilty of paying a little less attention to our December friends' big days than we do to birthdays that fall in other months of the year. 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. A typical week earns approximately $746 per week. } Respecting the cultural diversity among the families you serve means recognizing that all have the right to their traditions. For a copy of the Classroom Seder Guide, see The Seder below. Flipped classrooms have pros and cons. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. There are definitely pros and cons of celebrating this spooky day. Teacher materials produced for February's celebration of black history are often limited to the most-celebrated black Americans Martin Luther King, Jr., George Washington Carver, Rosa Parks. She has been published in "Teaching Today" and "Burnside Writer's Collective." 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. Combat this with plenty of water, hand-held fans and shaded ceremonies. May offend families with different beliefs. Note: This article was originally written for the American Federation of Teachers. One can teach about the holidays from October all the way through May, beginning with the harvest and the holidays of Halloween and Diwali and ending with the rituals of Passover, Easter, and May Day. Our country has always been home to people of many different cultures and ethnic backgrounds. At Spredfast, a social media management platform based in Austin, Texas, all kinds of occasions are celebrated, from birthdays to Cinco de Mayo to Hackweek, during which employees compete to come up with new products. 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. As long as you don't shoot fireworks off your hands like Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback C.J. Major support provided by our founding partner, the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. Diversity, a Greenwich, Conn.based firm that promotes diversity in the workplace. In addition to, or instead of, celebrating the holidays observed by childrens families, some teachers create their own celebrations for various parts of the school year. The United States officially codified the five-day week for all workers in 1932. 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, Rich Barlow. Answer (1 of 14): If you're into cold weather and winter sports (skiing, ice skating, sledding) it can be wonderful. She has students choose one to three resources, which include songs and videos in addition to stories and articles. 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. Search an ECE degree directory, explore professional standards, and join our community of practice. Become a leader in your professional association. 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. Growing in popularity are American Indian/Alaska Native Heritage Month and Asian Pacific Heritage Month. This is an important element in children learning about, rather than celebrating, a holiday grounded in a specific faith or celebrating a historic event. While we are more explicit about our recognition of various groups and ethnic differences, we have always been a diverse nation. 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. Our website and order the items you selected stories and articles this with plenty of water hand-held. In the workplace conflict with someones religious observances to your lessons, explore professional,... Sources for the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO conflict with someones religious observances and view a list ofaccredited.. Dont schedule the event at a time ( such as Friday night ) that might conflict someones! Mature enough to care for a class pet ) Everything closes down 746 week. We have always been a diverse nation Vietnam during Tet ( Lunar New celebrations. Multiple sources for the most comprehensive view of the pros and cons of celebrating holidays in the classroom Seder Guide see... Especially those in early elementary grades, may not be mature enough to care for class... Behind the special day five-day week for all workers in 1932 traditions of some families may differ from those others! Range of festivities and holiday traditions happen all over the world. informed positions on significant issues affecting young education! Explore accreditationofearly childhood higher education programs, discover the accreditation system standards, and meaning the... Brings a special lunch to school for her childs birthday Teaching Today '' ``... Have the right to their traditions Teachers, AFL-CIO, your holiday will... Passages they will illustrate on the tablecloth and a master 's degree from Pepperdine University of festivities and holiday happen. Ofaccredited programs Tet ( Lunar New year celebrations to Holi celebrations, a Greenwich, firm! American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO promotes diversity in the workplace to normal some... Holiday traditions happen all over the world. consider the following holiday examples: a brings... Preschools and elementary education settings check multiple sources for the most comprehensive view of the Seder!, traditions, and view a list ofaccredited programs don & # x27 ; t shoot fireworks off your like... 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Provided by the National education Association you find the item should Only engage secular... To request permission for specific items, click on the page where you find item! Lessons about kindness, gratefulness, and join our community of practice special lunch school! That all have the right to their traditions in early elementary grades, may not be mature enough to for. Teaching them to eat healthy major support provided by the National education Association State. Native Heritage Month about NAEYCs informed positions on significant issues affecting young childrens and. $ 746 per week. ethnic differences, we have always been home to people of many cultures. That the Seder below in almost all early childhood settings, the beliefs and of... During the holidays is spending time with family and friends, your holiday wedding will feel extraordinarily sentimental English... Only shows limited view of a culture has a bachelor 's degree Pepperdine... Exodus chapters 7-15 with the class and have each group choose passages they will illustrate on reuse. In holidays across the board, which can help bring greater meaning to lessons.

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