Please confirm that you want to proceed with deleting bookmark. Consider these disadvantages of homeschooling. Instead, people look forward to the holidays for the presents that they'll receive. Video reduces the time of reading and allows you to "instruct" asynchronously. The heat. Having taught about holidays for the better part of 15 years in four schools, I have rarely been questioned but know theres always the potential concerned parent. But meaningful multicultural education must go beyond saying that we're a "melting pot," having an ethnic food celebration a couple of times a year, and acknowledging a few well-known historical figures. Con: If it's real pine, you'll be vacuuming needles all month and opening gifts under a glorified stick. In addition, some Muslims and members of other religions not only refrain from alcohol but can be offended by its very presence, and so may not want to attend a party where alcohol is served, Holder noted. The Pros and Cons of Head Start include: Pros of Head Start Head Start is Free Transportation is Included (Sometimes) Head Start Children Have a Lot of Social Interaction Head Start Teachers Are Licensed by Their State Head Start Children Are Exposed to a Multicultural Environment Your Child Will Learn Daily Life Skills and Routines This means youll need to do your research carefully to ensure that you represent each holiday accurately. 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. Subjects: Language Arts, Literature, Geography, History. * Cover a large table with a cloth. The general rule of thumb is to do this carefully. This year, Spredfast has planned a holiday gift drive where teams can sign up to receive $300 from Spredfast to purchase gifts for nonprofit organizations or charities of their choosing.Susan Milligan is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. You have successfully saved this page as a bookmark. Read about NAEYC's DAP framework for high quality education. He explains why he hadnt eaten and assures the child that he is happy for her birthday. Spending all day in a classroom actively learning is tiring, and there is a limited amount that students can learn. Step #1: Save My Cart Yet, conflicting celebrations may also have common ground. There are no exceptions to this rule. 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. 1. As part of the meal, a lamb bone is used to represent the lamb God commanded the Israelites to slaughter and to mark their doorways with its blood. 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 Kids who can't participate in the costume party can feel left out or uncomfortable. Spread the tablecloth on the floor so students have ample room to work. The focus for students moves away from school and onto family and culture. One example would be using it as a time to talk about different beliefs of life, death, and what happens after death. They can return to our website and order the items you selected. Grades: 6-8, 9-12. A Society for Human Resource Management poll found that 65 percent of HR professionals said their organizations will have a 2015 end-of-year/holiday party open to all employees. This leveled collection of readers covers a range of weather- and season-related topics, from frigid snow to warm sun rays. 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, Teaching respect for diversity includes helping children understand that families have different ways of acting, and these may not be the same as the behaviors in their own family. Members can get help with HR questions via phone, chat or email. However, holidays also pose a range of challenges to ensuring that all children, families, and staff feel respected and to children learning about diversity of families. 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. Check out some of these ideas for inspiration: Activities like these will help you balance fun and games with educational content to make your lessons both impactful and memorable. Lines and paragraphs break automatically. Up to 3 times higher prices of services. Pros of Celebrating Holidays: Only shows limited view of a culture. 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. Support our mission and reach the NAEYC audience through your advertisement, conference exhibit booth, or sponsorship. Celebrating your students cultures is a great way to embrace diversity, but its also a chance to honor the commonalities that bring us together. How Are You Approaching Holidays with Sensitivity in the Classroom? Approximately two million people who work for the federal government would be given a paid day off, and . Theyre not in church on Sunday., Passing on the Joyful Encounter: The role of the catechist. Everything you need is included: the nonfiction articles, a graphic organizer, stationery, and a rubric to grade the essays. 2. Kate Ristow, Contributing Editor to CATECHIST, has worked in Catholic publishing for over 25 years as a national speaker and writer, building on a wealth of experience in the religious formation of children and catechists in both parish and Catholic school programs. Activities that foster these objectives prepare children to live in a diverse society with respect while cherishing their own beliefs. The holidays are a time to celebrate with loved ones. Holidays teach us history and the foundations of our society, deepening our understanding of ourselves and others. Pros and Cons PROS Students have more control over their learning. Advantages Time With Family and Friends: When school is in session, it almost becomes a job for high school students. 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. Celebrating is a great way to be an inclusive and culturally responsible teacher, especially if you have ELLs in your classroom or live in a diverse community. Below, find out how Elf on the Shelf works and explore the possible pros and cons of bringing home a scout elf for your family this holiday season. The holidays can be used to explore how people of diverse backgrounds practice similar values. 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. We also dance around the Maypole. Breaks give students time to bond with family and friends. Major support provided by our founding partner, the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. Holidays can be a fun and exciting way to open doors to talking about different cultures and languages. There's no doubt about it; at some point in your experience, you're going to miss something about where you come from, whether it be the people you love, your pet, the food, or just being able to speak your own language more often. 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. There are definitely pros and cons of celebrating this spooky day. By most accounts, the United States educational system has fallen behind that of other countries. These overarching themes and lessons will appear in holidays across the board, which can help bring greater meaning to your lessons. Others will view it as an opportunity to present the gospel. Review the Story of ExodusMake a Seder Tablecloth. Are there ways to acknowledge holidays, to have celebrations, to honor families that are respectful in a highly diverse world? By this they mean that different actions, readings, and prayers have changed through the centuries. 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. 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? It is no coincidence, I tell students, that holidays like Easter and Passover, representing life and freedom, happen around the same time as more ancient springtime holidays.. The next day a birthday celebration for another child includes cupcakes from the birthday childs family. Copyright 2023 WETA Public Broadcasting. In October, I draw a large circular calendar and mark October 31. Disadvantages of Homeschooling. 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. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate, as long as you work to foster an inclusive and accepting classroom environment. Learn about the collaborative initiative to advance a unified early childhood education profession. 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. Halloween is fun, but it can be stressful. Hold multicultural celebrations - Recognizing the diverse beliefs of children in a given classroom should extend beyond the month of December. 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. Focusing on a common theme or value that a holiday represents can help keep your discussions secular and educational. If your child does not believe in Santa Claus, there's no risk of some kid at school telling them about Santa before you can handle it with kid gloves. While we suggest reviewing their recommendations in full, here are some general rules: Many educators have fought to continue celebrating holidays in the classroom because they see firsthand the value these lessons bring to their students. These more nuanced differences might include how we understand and define concepts like family, responsibility, education, and success. Support access to high-quality early childhood education programs and opportunities and resources for educators. May offend families with different beliefs. Now the United Kingdom has launched the largest test of its kind to see if five days is too long . Especially in diverse communities or schools with ELLs, celebrating your students cultures and observed holidays can help everyone feel respected and included. Login to the Early Learning Accreditation Portal to take charge of your accreditation process. Check out this list of alternatives to celebrating holidays Read More about Alternatives to Celebrating Holidays in the Classroom. 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. One of the benefits of school holidays is the time that families can spend together. The officer is a Wiccan. The government or public action in question* should only engage in secular or civil matters, leaving religion up to the individual. When discussing Ramadan, talk with students about mindfulness and reflection. And teachers, like their students, behave in ways that reflect their culture. Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. That includes: Check out our blog on, Empty cart. There are pros and cons to this as well, since it really can go either way. 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