Tostoes said she didn’t know anything about Children’s Day until her student taught her about it.
“It was fascinating,’’ said Tostoes, who has had students from all over the world, including Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Russia, and India. “Every year it differs.’’
December can be a tricky time of year for schools. Should teachers use the approach of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa to teach about cultural differences, or should they ignore those holidays (as well as Diwali and Eid al-Adha, which vary on the fall calendar) because it’s so difficult to demonstrate parity in an increasingly multicultural country?
Not so long ago, schools celebrated Christmas. Now they are trying to figure out how to celebrate differences - and report experiencing a mix of frustration and success.
“It’s a place where educators are very uncomfortable, and we don’t want to offend anyone,’’ said Bradford Jackson, superintendent of Holliston’s school system. “I’m somewhat embarrassed about it at one level, but it’s just the nature of the business.’’
To prepare students for a multicultural world, Jackson said, it would be healthy to use the holidays as a teachable moment. But part of the challenge is the state’s curriculum frameworks, and the feeling that time is always at a premium.
“The curriculum standards are kind of the Scrooge of the holidays,’’ said Jackson. “The flexibility and the freedom we once had to do holiday units have long since disappeared since the state has dictated what we’re supposed to be teaching.’’
There is more flexibility in the lower elementary grades, he added.
In order to understand cultures you have to understand their religions, said Jackson. But religion is a sensitive topic, and these days most educators don’t relish the idea of being lambasted for trying to teach from a global perspective.
