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“We Can’t Talk About That!”
As I travel from state
to state and community to community, I often hear teachers lament their
inability to discuss holidays with the young children in their
classrooms. The teachers often feel that they are the victims of
policies that deny the very real importance of holidays in the lives of
families and young children. As I listen to the teachers, I get a
picture of sterile classrooms that hush up young children who try to
tell their teachers about the tree they decorated in their home over the
weekend.
This approach to the
December holidays seems to miss what it is to live and teach in a
pluralistic society. It denies the importance of families’ religious and
cultural beliefs.
So, how did we get here?
How did we get to the
place where Christmas and Chanukah and Eid ul-Fitr taboo in our
classrooms? I believe that in government-funded programs this sterile
approach is often a combination of legal fears and a misunderstanding of
the separation of church and state. In all programs that strive to
provide exemplary early childhood educational experiences for young
children, I believe it is often a gross misinterpretation of what an
anti-bias curriculum truly is all about. (The use of an anti-bias
curriculum is considered best practices and supported by NAEYC, the
largest early childhood professional organization.) In both cases,
it is simply easier to ban religion and culture altogether than do the
work of being truly inclusive.
But this is not an
either/or matter. An anti-bias curriculum is inclusive. An anti-bias
curriculum does not require teachers to tell children “We can’t talk
about that!” An anti-bias curriculum is based upon respect for the
traditions and experiences of children and their families.
Best
practices in early childhood curriculum do not include curriculums that
revolve around holidays but neither do best practices deny holiday
traditions and cultural values. Best practices are emergent, drawing
interests and experiences from the children and using them to teach
skills and concepts in ways in which children are motivated to learn.
Best practices emphasize respect and emphasize anti-bias attitudes
toward others, seeking commonalities and understanding between
individuals.
The results
of providing an anti-bias experience include:
Calmer Children
Children
who are not bombarded with hyped-up Christmas activities that are often
developmentally inappropriate tend to be calmer.
Respect
Children
learn respect for familial, cultural, and religious differences in the
long term. Children also feel respected and important as others learn
about their families and cultures.
Social Skills
Children
gain social skills as they learn about other individuals and gain an
understanding of human differences as well as human commonalities of all
types.
Suggestions for Avoiding a Sterile Approach
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Teachers can take
the time to read and discuss the basic guidelines from Anti-Bias
Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children by Louise Derman-Sparks
and the A.B.C. Task Force (Washington, DC: NAEYC, 1989). One of the
principles in this resource is that we must self aware and
understand our own cultural and personal values before we can
understand others.
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Teachers can ask
families which holidays, if any, that they celebrate (Kwanzaa,
Chanukah, Christmas, or another). Don’t be afraid to ask clarifying
questions about the holiday or about family beliefs that reject
holiday celebrations entirely. Teachers are not expected to fully
understand another culture or person but they are expected to
listen, learn, and respect.
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Teachers can ask
families to share with them, for use with the children, any symbols
(menorah, candles, pine rope, etc.) that are a part of their family
traditions. These symbols and materials should be identified
specifically. For example, “This is a menorah that William’s
family uses at home during their celebration of Chanukah.”
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Teachers can
decorate their rooms carefully and sparingly using items that
families share with them or items from their own families'
traditions. Perhaps, place a small note card (with the child's or
teacher's name and a brief explanation of how this item is used by
his or her family) next to each item. Teachers need to be extremely
careful not to overemphasize their own traditions. Teachers are the
most powerful individuals in the classroom and must be careful not
to allow that power to indicate a “right” holiday, culture, or point
of view.
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Teachers can
encourage verbal expression and emphasize the importance of families
as children talk in small groups about their family activities. For
example, when Farhada talks about her mother and father not eating
during the daytime the teacher can ask open ended and clarifying
questions that help the group understand Ramadan and help Farhada to
develop verbal skills while feeling valued.
“We Can Talk About It!”
Living with
other human beings in a pluralistic society requires that we talk with
one another, learn about one another, discover and respect our
commonalities and our differences. As we strive to provide an anti-bias
experience in our classrooms, we will undoubtedly make mistakes and find
conflict and, yet, if we work through these differences honestly and
respectfully we have the opportunity to help the next generation to live
effectively in our pluralistic society.
©2006 Timothy R. Graves. All Rights
Reserved. Permission to reproduce for use with parents and families of young
children is granted provided no financial gain is involved and this
copyright notice is included. Mr. Graves would appreciate any feedback and
knowing how and when you use this document. Please let him know by writing
Training Wheels for Early Childhood Education at 1981 Decatur Avenue
Wheeling, WV 26003 or sending an e-mail to timgraves@tw4ece.com.
Additional articles and handouts can be found at www.trainingwheels4ece.com
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