Teaching holidays, commemorations, and cultural events is a part of what we do as educators. That doesn't mean we have to do it the same way we were exposed to when were were in school. We can use these times as opportunities to go beyond heroes and holidays to provide students with new information and dismantle some of the stereotypes that we have all been exposed to throughout our respective educations. It is important to avoid tokenism in our work, learn about our individual and collective heritages, and to celebrate the sacrifices and contributions of the varied cultures and peoples from which we are descended. 

These learnings should be included throughout the school year - not isolated to singular months or events - and we can take extra care during these celebratory times to ensure we are presenting accurate information to our students.  The pages below were created to provide you with resources to celebrate these events and commemorations in your classrooms in authentic, educational, and respectful ways.  Building relationships with our students and their families is key.