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Each year as we get closer to the end of 2022, I think about what ways we can celebrate the end of the calendar year as a class. When I first started teaching in 2014, I brought in a Christmas tree for my class without thinking that perhaps my class doesn’t celebrate. This year as we are learning about surveys and analyzing the results of these surveys, we decided to pose the following question to the class, “What do you celebrate in December?” This is similar to the question I asked my class last February, “What are the things people celebrate in February?” Students had the chance to pass if they preferred not to say but I found most students were excited to share what they look forward to as 2022 draws to an end.

From here, we graphed the results and saw that almost all of our students celebrate Christmas, many celebrate New Years Eve, two celebrate Diwali (which my student suggested was a winter holiday) and many students just enjoy celebrating two weeks off to themselves. After displaying this graph on our math wall, I brought in some decorations and students decorated the class making sure to have all celebrations equally represented. From there, we started learning about other celebrations and students started to share that they had never heard of them before. We listened to Kwanzaa stories and heard about the history of the day. Later this week, we will listen to stories from other cultures. We also have a calendar with 31 squares on it where each day, the previous student of the day selects a friend to have a treat. This is selected based on who they think has been trying their best and should have a treat. This is a simple way to take a holiday item and turn it into a student-led initiative (non-holiday related).

Next week, once again students in our school will be learning about a variety of Winter Celebrations by helping with crafts and lessons shared by other teachers in the school. Even though December is filled with holidays, it will be important to recognize holidays in the other months that they occur as we need to continue to be mindful of all celebrations equally.

A student in grade three asked me this question the other day, “Why can’t we say the word Christmas?” which I thought was a very important question. I hope I helped him understand that we can say it but not everyone celebrates it. So it is important to know if someone celebrates a holiday before we just assume that they do and before we wish them well on that day.

How do you celebrate the holidays in December with your class?

In my previous blog post “Lost in Translation” I discussed the many unexpected benefits of maintaining first language — and what might be lost if we do not.  Moving from the lost, to the found, I offer these free websites as possible tools we can use to build a multilingual framework in our classrooms. The following links contain books, articles, and guides translated into many languages.  A good number of these websites have audio functions built into them, allowing students to listen to content in both English and home languages. For those that do not, opening them on an iPad and using the accessibility “speak” function will usually allow audio readings in most languages.

 

Unite for Literacy      

https://www.uniteforliteracy.com/

Storybooks Canada   

https://storybookscanada.ca/

World Stories  

https://worldstories.org.uk/

World Languages  

https://www.av2languages.com/listing.php?authkey=6aeqfo

Story Weaver

https://storyweaver.org.in/

ERGO Live Well Books            

https://www.ergo-on.ca/Classroom-Resources.htm

BBC News in Your Language

https://www.bbc.co.uk/ws/languages

World Wildlife WWF

https://wwf.org/?global=show

Canada Food Guide Multiple Languages

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canada-food-guide/resources/snapshot/languages.html

United Nations Global Issues

https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/children

 

At the time of posting, all of these websites were up and running. May they continue to be for many years to come.

Happy Reading!

How do these December spirit days sound to you?

• December 2nd:  Be Festive!
• December 9th:  Sweater Day
• December 16th:  Character Day
• December 23rd:  Be Cozy!

Our Student Council is a group of grade 6, 7, and 8 students led by my colleague Lisa Flanagan. Lisa and the students have created inclusive spirit days and activities. For this blog post, I interviewed Lisa and the executive committee, hoping that you will be as inspired by them as I am.

How was the Student Council Created?

Executive– At the first meeting, anyone in grades 6, 7, or 8 was welcome to sign up. We created a grade 7- 8 executive committee, which includes people with previous experience. There are a bunch of committees: decorating, announcements, fundraising, Tilley TV, yearbook, Audio/Visual, General Helpers, and Spirit. There are executive members on each committee.

James – We stress teamwork. The different committees collaborate on the activities we are doing with the school. Like when it was time for fall door decorating and the photo scavenger hunt, we all worked together. (everyone nods in agreement)

How did your spirit days come about? We used to call the spirit days by other names.

Coral: You mean like Crazy Hair Day? No, we don’t use “crazy” like that anymore. You have to use the right language. Like we don’t have March Madness spirit month, we have March Moments.

Franklin – Also, you can’t imitate someone’s hairstyle from their culture and call it crazy. That’s not ok.

Lisa – We want to shift the focus more on how to be rather than specifically what to wear. It gives more room for creativity and self-expression. The March Moments spirit month includes: Be a Fan, Be a Star, Retro Day, and Titans Day (school colours). On Be a Fan day, you can choose anything you’re a fan of; it doesn’t have to be sports. Also, when decorating, we focus on the seasons rather than the specific holidays.

What other opportunities have you enjoyed with the student council?

James – Right now, we have the fundraiser and donations for Bethesda House (a local agency that supports people dealing with abuse and gender-based violence). It’s been really successful with donations of food and gift cards. It’s great when we work together, and you see the payoff.

Destiny – I presented our plans to the parents on the school council. I was nervous, but they really liked our ideas and were happy I was there.

Rose – We also have grade 7 students who help on grad night. They are really important, and grad wouldn’t happen without them!

Leslie – We have fun! We are building independence and handling new responsibilities too.

Years ago, we used to have an elected student council. The nominees would have to give a speech to the class, and then the class would vote for two representatives. What do you think of that?

Franklin – Honestly, it would just be a popularity contest, and people would be left out. The way we do it gets more people involved.

————-

I’m so proud of our student council and their work with Lisa. They are terrific role models! They help on pizza day, run the music station at special events like the Terry Fox run, and are on the daily announcements. I’m looking forward to seeing how they develop as leaders at our school. If you have suggestions for our student council, please leave a comment.

*Students’ names have been changed.

 

If anyone out there can find Ms.Jordan from Brookmill PS in Agincourt, I want to thank her for reading aloud Island of the Blue Dolphins when I was in grade 5. I remember the intense emotions the story evoked. At one point, Ms. Jordan was overwhelmed and asked me to finish reading a heart-wrenching scene to the class. Here I am, decades later, cherishing that beautiful gift she gave us by reading aloud. You may have had a similar experience around that age with books like Charlotte’s Web, Holes, or Bridge to Terabithia. Nothing can compare to hearing a great story in person. It will entertain you, enrich your life, expand your vocabulary, ignite your imagination and give you food for thought.

I am also grateful for the many picture books I have shared with children over the years. They are one of the most powerful teaching tools. With books on every topic imaginable, you can use them to relate to every part of the curriculum. Educators know this, yet I’m left wondering if reading aloud to children is happening less often these days.

During the 2020-21 school year and much of 2021-22, educators had strict restrictions for physical distancing and masking. Reading aloud to students became very challenging. Instead, teachers turned to books online. With desks stretched across the classroom, it was easier to see illustrations on a large screen. Since wearing a mask made projecting our voices difficult, we saved our weary throats for a few minutes while the video played. I understand the need for playing read-aloud videos at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now students can gather together to listen to a picture book, view the illustrations, and discuss it.

Let’s get back to sharing more rich read-alouds with our classes.

Students will benefit from hearing you bring a book to life. Here are a few of the important reasons you should be the one reading to your class:

* You can model what it means to read with expression,

*The students will be much more likely to ask questions and share similar experiences while you are reading compared to interrupting a video, 

* You can stop and clarify word meanings, 

*You know your students and can explain the context when needed,

* You can relate your connections to the story,

*You will be strengthening the bonds in your classroom community.

Reading aloud opens a gateway to deep discussions with your class. There is a plethora of incredible books out there! Ask your colleagues and your teacher-librarian for suggestions of books available at your school or visit your local library.  Your students may end up thanking you decades later!

Here are a few of my favourites:

Picture Books

Thunderboy Junior by Sherman Alexie – Importance of your Name

I am Enough by Betsy Beyers – Self-Confidence, Identity

Stolen Words by Melanie Florence – Loss of Indigenous Language

The Bad Seed by Jori John – Self Awareness

Duck Days by Sarah Leach – Autism, Friendship

Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester – Inclusivity, Humour

Not a Box by Antoinette Portis – Ingenuity

The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson – The story of Nokomis Josephine-ba Mandamin

Suki’s Kimono by Chieri Uegaki – Identity

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt – Anxiety

Junior Novels

The Secret Life of Owen Skye by Alan Cumyn – Humour, Family

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo – Believing in yourself, Love, Loyalty, Courage

Wonder by R.J. Palacio – Friendship, Choosing Kindness, Inclusivity

Intermediate Novels 

Fatty Legs by Margaret Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton – Residential School, Courage

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes – Racism, Compassion, Gun Violence 

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix- Friendship, Courage

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed – Bravery, Hope

 

Happy Reading!

I was looking forward to showing Ali* the science video that day. 

Ali had arrived at our school several years earlier, when he was in grade 2.  If he found sudden immersion in a new country and unfamiliar language at all unsettling, this confident 8 year-old didn’t show it. Despite having only beginner English skills, each new school day saw him marching down the hall with gusto, his infectious grin naturally drawing people to him. In those early days, it was typical to enter his classroom and find him engaged in animated, gesture-filled conversations with classmates and teachers – which, despite being entirely in Arabic, were somehow basically comprehensible to all. Weeks slipped into months, and finally to years. He conversed easily in English before we knew it. We no longer heard the exuberant flow of Arabic; gestures were now stilled. 

When Ali began grade 6, both he and his mother expressed interest in his studying Arabic.  Our department had a series of English-Arabic science videos  – explaining the science curriculum topics he was studying in class no less. I was excited to show him the video, in both languages. 

I remember sitting at the round table in the book room, and pressing ‘play’ on the iPad. Ali watched the video in Arabic in silence. As the short, simple clip came to an end, he looked up.

“What did you think?” I asked expectantly. 

Ali hesitated. Then he replied, “I didn’t understand it.”

I was confused. The topic was relatively simple, and Ali’s teacher had told me earlier that day how solidly he had understood the science unit. 

“You didn’t understand the science?” I asked. 

“No. I didn’t understand the Arabic.”

***

Losing first language is not often talked about in school. We are usually so preoccupied with helping students acquire English, that thoughts of their home language may fall to wayside. Yet the more I learn about this phenomenon, the more it seems to me like an insidious disease. Slowly advancing, symptoms hidden, its progress out of sight and unnoticeable — until it’s too late. 

Multiple researchers have noted that first language development is arrested upon entering an English-speaking school environment. And it can regress, with English quickly becoming the dominant language. Indeed, web searches for “first language loss” produce an endless chain of heartbreaking stories. Recently I came across an article by Jenny Liao in The New Yorker, which began with the sentence “When I speak Cantonese with my parents now, I rely on translation apps.” The This America Life story RSV-Pa begins with the descriptor, “Larry speaks English. His dad speaks Chinese … After 20 years, with the help of filmmaker Bianca Giaver, he and his dad have their first conversation.”

Their first conversation.

I cannot imagine what it would be like, to be unable to communicate freely (or at all) with the people I love most in the world. I cannot imagine what it would be like, to be unable to communicate with my own child.

Many years ago, I heard an ESL specialist state that the majority of students who begin school in Ontario speaking another language will eventually lose the ability to communicate in that language, to varying degrees, with English becoming their preferred and most fluent language. I remember wondering at the time how that could be true, especially if parents and family members continue to speak first language to the child. This was certainly the case with Ali’s family, who spoke only Arabic to him. But as I later learned, the type of language used in school can be vastly different from the type used at home. Rich and varied vocabulary and grammatical structures are required (and learned) when reading novels, writing literary essays, and explaining cell structure. The language at home can be comparatively simple: “Get your coat”, “Come for dinner”, “What did you do today?”  These every-day exchanges include fewer vocabulary items and simpler grammatical structures. Additionally, students are typically not learning to read and write in first language.  No wonder language acquisition and proficiency leans heavily in favour of English.

As teachers we are in the position of working with families and students to help maintain first languages. From recommending home language classes, to accessing the growing number of free dual language book websites, to encouraging discussion of news events and complex topics at home in first language, there are a number of multilingual supports at our disposal. One of my new favourites is storybookscanada.ca, which contains simple illustrated audio books, written and narrated in English and many languages.

We know that students who maintain and develop first language tend to learn English more quickly and do better academically than those who do not. But the preservation of identity and connection to family offer a particularly urgent motivation for creating a multilingual framework in our teaching practice. To all educators tirelessly working to include first languages in the classroom, 

Дякую 고맙습니다  شكرًا لك  merci  谢谢  gracias ਤੁਹਾਡਾ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ شکریہ mahadsanid Cảm ơn thank you.

 

*student names have been changed