Classroom elves, Christmas Trees in the lobby, Polar Express viewings, Santa at dismissal, when does celebrating the holiday season move from fun to culturally insensitive? I knew of a school where Santa came every year to speak to the younger students. During instructional time. When the principal moved to end this tradition, she was asked if she wanted to be the person who "didn't like Santa." I love celebrations and I definitely think school should be FUN but I am committed to being culturally responsive in my work as a school counselor.

Teaching Tolerance states that "culturally responsive teaching recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning, enriching classroom experiences and keeping students engaged. How can we take this definition and apply it to our celebrations during the holiday season?

Walk around your building and take note of the decorations you see in the hallways, in classrooms, and especially in the lobby. Are holiday traditions other than Christmas included in a more than nominal way? A menorah in the corner of the classroom does not a decoration make. I once visited a school where the media center had set up beautiful vignettes of different holiday traditions including a Christmas scene with faux-fireplace and stockings and a table set for a Hanukkah meal. I've never seen anything like it and I was amazed at the care that the librarian had taken to make each display meaningful.  

All cultures celebrate the spirit of kindness and giving in some way. You don't need to focus on Christmas to appreciate these traits. Consider a food drive or acts of kindness day to celebrate. Likewise, traditions are founded in spending time with our loved ones - I am attending a school's "gift of reading" day this week where each class has special visitors from the community and district to read to them. I am choosing to read non-holiday books because I wasn't comfortable with my Christmas-only selection at home. But I am wearing my ugly sweater! The students will all be in the pajamas but I have to go back to Central Office ;)

Make it a point to learn about the traditions and holidays that your students celebrate. Ask questions about what those traditions mean to their families. Not all religions have a celebration in December so keep your questions open wide to year round traditions and holidays by asking "What is a tradition that you have in your family?" 

The holiday season is also an opportunity for your students to learn. Explore traditions, holidays, and cultural experiences of a wide variety of communities as you move through the month of December. All students are better for learning about others.

We also keep our questions open because not all children have the joy of Christmas, Hanukkah, or other traditions at home. For many children, their celebration days will be empty due to poverty, abuse, or family crises. I recently saw a classroom lesson where students wrote a letter to Santa with the quote about "those who believe will see presents under the tree." My heart breaks for those kids who either don't believe because that is not their family tradition or that do believe but won't have presents or a tree.

I strongly believe school should be fun. There are many ways to celebrate the festivity of the holiday season while learning and growing from the rich, diverse religious and cultural traditions that are represented in our communities. As school counselors, we are charged with making school a welcome and inviting place for all students to learn. How are you working to make your school welcoming to all this holiday season?

When is gaming too much? How can we support students in understanding that moderation in gaming is great but overdoing it can have negative influences. One of my friends, Ian Wenstrand, has recently published a book titled "Plugged In" about a boy who is obsessed with video games and accidentally blurs the line between gaming and reality. Ian is a talented artist and I could stare at the illustrations in the book even without the text. Here's an interview about his work:

• What inspired you to write this book? Are you a gamer?

I wanted to write the book my younger self would want to read. The books I was attracted to as a kid had intricate artwork paired with fantastical stories. In Jumanji, by Chris Van Allsburg, the children get to go on an adventure that takes place in their normally calm neighborhood. That was a huge inspiration for Plugged In. Taking something normal and transforming it into something surreal was always very interesting to me. The idea that a character's neighborhood could be the setting for an adventure was something I wanted to incorporate into my own book.

I have been a gamer since as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent most of my time on the weekends riding my bike to the arcade to play 4-player Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with my friends. After that, Super Nintendo and PlayStation were the console systems I played the most. I still play video games to this day, although less than I used to. Today, I mostly play games that my kids want to play and try to introduce them to the classics as well.

• What are the benefits and downfalls of video games for kids?

Games can help kids learn valuable problem-solving skills. When a child plays a video game they are basically interacting with a computer and learning how to work through an obstacle or defeat an enemy. I feel like more and more games are getting incorporated into the learning process. Minecraft (which is arguably the most popular game among kids right now), in particular, has recently been used as a tool to introduce kids to coding - another skill in high demand.

I believe the downfalls of video games for kids result from heavy usage. If a child refuses to do anything else and is becoming further and further removed from friends or family, that's when problems can start to arise.

• How do you think that kids can tell when they are gaming too much?

 Unfortunately, I think most children don't yet have the self-discipline to tear themselves away when they've been playing too much. I was certainly that way as a kid. I think it's the parent's job to help their kids understand that games are okay, just in moderation.

• Any tips for parents that are worried their child is playing too many video games?

I think that setting limits on how much time they can be in front of a screen, in general, is important. Phones, tablets, and TVs dominate so much of our attention that it's hard for kids to understand that there should be limits on how long they are in front of a screen. I think that children should have varied life experiences and sitting in front of a screen is not going to show them all the world has to offer. I think that helping your child develop diverse interests helps with this. Explore what else they really have a passion for and help them to pursue that. Are they creative? Do they like music? Is there a sport they are interested in? The games will still be there when they get back.

• What do you like to do when you are not plugged in?

I like to go running, hiking, create artwork and illustrations, take my kids to the park, and go swimming.

• What advice do you have for kids who think their friends might need to unplug?

Get them to go explore your neighborhood or town, join a sports team, do something that requires you to be out of the house and with people. There are plenty of games that expand beyond a solitary experience and encourage social and multiplayer experiences. Pokemon Go! is one game that I've seen have great success in getting people outside and socializing with each other. I've seen a large group of parents and kids meet together in a park to play the game with one other. These types of games give people the opportunity to get out and explore and to be part of a larger community.

I highly recommend the book - I think it would make a great few session lunch bunch book club for boys. They will love the illustrations - aren't they amazing?! Ian is offering a giveaway through Amazon this week. Make sure to check it out!