For the past five years, I’ve been sharing some of my favorite books along with the perfect gifts to go with them. It really is one of my favorite recipes for gifts for children: 1 great book + 1 fun toy = sure-fire winner with loads of use!
Holidays, Cultural Sensitivity, and a Chance to Fall on My Face
They say you should do something that scares you every now and then. Something outside of your comfort zone.
I was so there this past week.
I was invited to be on a discussion panel for Rae Pica’s BAM! Radio show, Studentcentricity. I was surprised and flattered to be invited, but radio is a new medium for me.
It scared me a little.
Then I found out the topic: Cultural Sensitivity During the Holidays. A topic that is so important, but also a potential minefield of controversy. Since I tend to prefer the sweet spot between extreme opinions on most issues, that essentially means I have plenty of opportunities to offend everyone equally. Throw in the fact that I could very easily misspeak in my effort to be concise for this fast-moving format, and I was sweating bullets. [Read more…]
Do Holidays Have a Place in the Classroom?
I met with a program director not too long ago who talked with me about the improvements she’d made to her center. Among other changes, she proudly announced that she had “gotten rid of all holidays”.