As the scent of cinnamon wafts through hallways and twinkling lights begin to glow in classroom windows, students gather to share stories, traditions, and memories from home. Paper snowflakes dangle from ceilings, snowmen are carefully drawn in art class, and the buzz of holiday excitement fills the air. But amid the glitter and garlands, educators face an important question: How can we honor this season while respecting and celebrating the full diversity of our students’ cultural and religious backgrounds?

Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) is an educational approach recognizing the cultural diversity of students, understanding that cultural differences can lead to different learning styles and needs within the classroom. Using CRT can help teachers understand how their students’ home cultures may differ from their school’s culture and help narrow the gap between the two. Educators using CRT might ask their students to write a story about themselves to gain an understanding of their students’ culture and values. They can also conduct their own research into the various elements of their students’ cultures, including their values, traditions, language, and identity. Educators using CRT aim to use the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance style of diverse students to make learning more relevant and impactful for them, including designing culturally relevant curricula where possible. [1]

CRT has proven to promote positive outcomes in students: Schools that implement CRT practices have demonstrated improved academic scores, reduced disciplinary disparities, and increased student engagement. By creating a sense of belonging and increasing involvement for all students in the classroom, CRT helps close achievement gaps between minority and non-minority students. CRT also helps to foster critical thinking and prepares students of all cultures and backgrounds for a global workforce. [2]

There is no single way to implement CRT, as each classroom has its own unique needs. However, there are general strategies that can help teachers get started. Educators can begin by integrating the cultural traditions of their English Language Learning (ELL) families into the classroom environment. This can mean incorporating art, music, and games from various cultures, or introducing visuals that reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of their students. Educators can also include books with multicultural themes to explore universal cultural topics. Likewise, showing genuine interest in their students’ lives outside of school—such as asking about community events and traditions—helps build stronger connections. It’s also important to ensure that major assignments and exams do not conflict with religious or cultural holidays. When possible, providing materials in students’ first languages can support ELL families, and using current world events as discussion points can teach students to think critically and consider multiple perspectives. [3]

With the holiday season approaching, developing a culturally responsive educational approach can give educators some guidelines on how to navigate the season’s many holidays with care. The First Amendment Center has issued a guide [PDF] for educators seeking guidance on how to incorporate CRT into their classrooms during the holiday season. This guide urges educators to approach teaching about holidays in an academic way and not devotional one—focusing on the awareness of religions rather than acceptance of one or more religions. Likewise, they urge educators to teach about religion, not the practice of particular religions. This allows teachers to expose their students to a diversity of religious views, while avoiding imposing any particular view. [4]

The line they draw is clear: teach, don’t celebrate. It’s important to communicate accurate information, making it clear that students can enjoy learning about other cultures’ holidays while still holding their own family’s beliefs and traditions. Engaging children in holiday activities relies on the assumption that the students and their families believe in the holiday’s purpose and meaning—which may not be the case.[5] Instead, educators can create space for dialogue and sharing between peers, ensuring that students don’t feel pressured to participate in any activities that don’t align with their beliefs and emphasizing universal celebrations instead. Activities like cutting out snowflakes, winter storytelling, making DIY bird feeders, and focusing on seasonal changes can help to bring the holiday excitement into the classroom while recognizing the diversity of students’ cultures.

Publishing Solutions Group

Publishing Solutions Group understands that true inclusivity in educational materials means moving beyond a singular, dominant cultural narrative. We recognize the challenges that educators face in honoring seasonal events like winter holidays while respecting the full spectrum of students’ backgrounds. 

Our practical support directly enables the strategies outlined for educators. We assist in developing resources that integrate diverse cultural traditions, visuals, and multilingual materials that in turn provide educators with the tools to foster an inclusive classroom environment. This allows educators to facilitate dialogues and critical thinking, helping every student feel seen and respected during the holiday season and beyond.

[1] Abacioglu, C. S., Volman, M., & Fischer, A. H. (2020). Teachers’ multicultural attitudes and perspective taking abilities as factors in culturally responsive teaching. The British journal of educational psychology, 90(3), 736–752. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12328

[2] https://www.neafoundation.org/ideas-voices/the-case-for-culturally-responsive-education-a-policy-imperative-for-public-schools/

[3] https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/culturally-responsive-instruction-holiday-and-religious-celebrations

[4] https://newseumed.org/sites/default/files/2020-11/download-RFC-Haynes-Thomas-0965686345_0.pdf

[5] https://www.naeyc.org/resources/blog/holidays-diverse-world-applying-anti-bias-thinking-curriculum

Photo by Marcel Walter for Unsplash.