Diwali Presenter
My class this year is made up of a diverse group of children but at 4 years old many of them are just now learning about race, culture and ethnicity and I think it’s important to highlight and share those essential aspects of identity and diversity as often as possible and discover our connections with other’s identities as well. One way I did that for our classroom was planning, coordinating and inviting parents to come in, present and share about something important to their family. One student’s mother volunteered to come in to teach us about Diwali and rangolis. Using our community as a resource to give children access to opportunities they wouldn't otherwise have was something I intentionally incorporate into my planning.
Table of Contents
1. Teacher Preparation
2. Photos of Diwali Presentation
3. Student Engagement and Reflection
4. Teacher Reflection
Table of Contents
1. Teacher Preparation
2. Photos of Diwali Presentation
3. Student Engagement and Reflection
4. Teacher Reflection
Teacher Preparation
In order to prepare for a visit I had made sure every student had a chance to share their family photos and answer questions and comments from their peers. Once that was finished and children had their own opportunities to share about their families I wanted to invite the families into the classroom as well. I wanted to make sure that parents felt well-prepared and so I sent them an email outlining some suggestions for sharing (bring a book, share a video, bring traditional clothing or food, etc.).
In addition, I knew encouraging them to bring those items and share stories would align well with the Identity and Diversity portions of Teaching Tolerance's Anti-Bias Framework as seen below:
Once I heard back from one of the families that wanted to come in and share about Diwali, I did my own research about the meaning and significance of the holiday. I discovered the following from Teaching Tolerance:
"Diwali, the festival of lights, is the biggest and most important holiday in India and is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs. It happens every fall, depending on the cycle of the moon, and lasts five days. This year it began Nov. 13 and ended Nov. 17. Diwali began as a harvest festival. Each day brings different traditions including the lighting of candles and lamps and setting off fireworks. These represent good over evil, the light defeating the darkness. In India, the end of the festival marks the start of the new year. It is a joyful celebration of hope and new beginnings and a time for family.
Diwali may not be a mainstream holiday in America like Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, it is one of many celebrations this holiday season that exemplify the beautiful diversity in our world. More than that, when we have students in our classes or schools who mark Diwali, we serve them by showing interest in and appreciation for their lives and cultures" (Sansbury, 2012).
References
Sansbury, S. (2012). Diwali offers another reason to be thankful. Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/diwali-offers-another-reason-to-be-thankful
"Diwali, the festival of lights, is the biggest and most important holiday in India and is celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs. It happens every fall, depending on the cycle of the moon, and lasts five days. This year it began Nov. 13 and ended Nov. 17. Diwali began as a harvest festival. Each day brings different traditions including the lighting of candles and lamps and setting off fireworks. These represent good over evil, the light defeating the darkness. In India, the end of the festival marks the start of the new year. It is a joyful celebration of hope and new beginnings and a time for family.
Diwali may not be a mainstream holiday in America like Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, it is one of many celebrations this holiday season that exemplify the beautiful diversity in our world. More than that, when we have students in our classes or schools who mark Diwali, we serve them by showing interest in and appreciation for their lives and cultures" (Sansbury, 2012).
References
Sansbury, S. (2012). Diwali offers another reason to be thankful. Retrieved from https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/diwali-offers-another-reason-to-be-thankful
Photos from Diwali Presentation
(All photos taken by me.)
A student's mother shares a famous story about Diwali from a book they love to read at home.
Student Engagement with Rangolis
An important part of Diwali is the creation of rangolis. As the website Diwali Festival explains:
"'Rangoli is a Sanskrit word, signifying a creative expression of art by means of colors. In ancient times, beautiful rangoli patterns and designs were made on the entrances of Indian homes for beautifying them and welcoming the guests. Besides a creative expression of art, they were also considered a symbol of good-luck. Ours is the culture of, “Athiti Devo Bhava” means “Guest is God”. So, what can be better than rangoli in expressing this cultural mannerism and hospitality that we possess by tradition. Although rangoli is made on many occasions in India, but the Diwali festival witnesses the greatest use of rangoli. People made rangoli on the entrance doors of their homes on the auspicious occasion of Diwali, not only to welcome guests, but goddess Laxmi (the goddess of wealth and fortune)" (n.d.).
So, as a culminating activity student's were encouraged to select their favorite rangoli and color it in. Most students were only able to finish a few parts of them during the school day. However, some of the children decided to take them home to finish and excitedly shared what they learned at school that day with their own families. One parent after I posted on Instagram about the Diwali visit commented that her son had insisted on finishing his at home. The students were extremely engaged and continued to reflect on the experience at home.
(All photos taken by me.)
References
Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India. (n.d.). The tradition of rangoli. Retrieved from http://www.diwalifestival.org/the-tradition-of-rangoli.html
"'Rangoli is a Sanskrit word, signifying a creative expression of art by means of colors. In ancient times, beautiful rangoli patterns and designs were made on the entrances of Indian homes for beautifying them and welcoming the guests. Besides a creative expression of art, they were also considered a symbol of good-luck. Ours is the culture of, “Athiti Devo Bhava” means “Guest is God”. So, what can be better than rangoli in expressing this cultural mannerism and hospitality that we possess by tradition. Although rangoli is made on many occasions in India, but the Diwali festival witnesses the greatest use of rangoli. People made rangoli on the entrance doors of their homes on the auspicious occasion of Diwali, not only to welcome guests, but goddess Laxmi (the goddess of wealth and fortune)" (n.d.).
So, as a culminating activity student's were encouraged to select their favorite rangoli and color it in. Most students were only able to finish a few parts of them during the school day. However, some of the children decided to take them home to finish and excitedly shared what they learned at school that day with their own families. One parent after I posted on Instagram about the Diwali visit commented that her son had insisted on finishing his at home. The students were extremely engaged and continued to reflect on the experience at home.
(All photos taken by me.)
References
Society for the Confluence of Festivals in India. (n.d.). The tradition of rangoli. Retrieved from http://www.diwalifestival.org/the-tradition-of-rangoli.html
After the rangoli pictures were partially completed in class and then sent home to be finished a parent responded on our Instagram page about how her son finished his and loved it. The invitation of parents into the classroom not only brought home to school but also went from school to home as well.
Teacher Reflection
Our school believes that parents our student's first teachers and we are their second. I take that to heart and believe that students and parents have much to teach us but can only do that if given the opportunity. It was important for me to include parents in my student's access to new and different cultures. Learning about Diwali and rangolis opened up new and different discussions that day but also for many weeks after. Children would spontaneously create rangolis on the nature area with rocks, sand or sticks or re-enact the stories they heard during dramatic play. Other children felt more comfortable discussing their families and inviting their parents in to share about their family's traditions and stories. This experience created deeper and more meaningful relationships between me and their families, students and each other and cross-cultural understanding.