An Inclusive December Classroom
It's December! Now what?!
It can be easy to go about this month and this season doing what's considered 'normal' by dominant culture or get stuck in the mindset of "this is what I've always done in my classroom." Maybe you have an annual Christmas-themed party—a 'winter' party, but still play a Christmas-themed movie, facilitate some form of secret Santa or white elephant, and invite the class to wear ugly holiday sweaters.
But I wonder… I wonder what would happen if you tried something new?! This December in your classroom, what would it look like to focus more on your students' identities and less on the commercialized aspects of the month and the Christmas holiday… What would it look like to decenter Christmas (because it's not everyone's reality) and instead center each learner?! Who are your students? What do they value? Who they are matters.
So you want to acknowledge the season, the month, and the fact that it's the end of the year, but how do you facilitate inclusive discussions and activities that don't fall into the trap of focusing on only one thing? My go-to is ALWAYS some form of journaling… giving students the space to gather their thoughts. :)
Open-ended journal prompts:
What does the month of December typically look like for you, your family, and your community? What's important about this month? How does this month feel, smell, & sound?
What are you most excited about this month? / What are you looking forward to? What are you NOT looking forward to?
Do you have things that you value/celebrate this month? Name them.
If given the opportunity, what would you change about this month?
What goals/tasks are you proud of this year?
What's significant about December?
What hopes do you have for the end of this semester/quarter?
Model this! Respond to the journal prompts independently and share your responses and thoughts with your students! So let's say you love all things Christmas (no shame–I do too!) …pajamas, movies, sweaters, the hustle and bustle in stores, baking with the family–share those things! Students will see how much joy sharing how you move through this month brings you. As the teacher, what are you proud of this year? SHARE. WITH. YOUR. CLASS! Modeling this makes it safe for them to share their experiences, even when they aren't the same as yours.
Understanding and accepting that we're not the same is when the beauty happens.
It's also important to note that students are not joyful during this time of year. Your classroom culture will determine how much or how little students want to name and share.
Whole-class discussion
Lead a discussion on what it would look like to have an inclusive end-of-year celebration–you'll be surprised by what ideas students come up with!
Something to remember/think about:
Decentering something isn't about shaming people who support whatever the something is… it's about shifting the narrative around what gets the most focus… it's about equity.
We’re halfway there!
