Some Students Really Don't Want Their Names Read on their Birthdays

 

*FREE TEMPLATES: Linked here!*

As we get to know our students and families, it's important to be mindful of the ways that we celebrate. Often, we celebrate birthdays, achievements, and milestones based on our own preferences, cultures, and experiences. We cannot assume that everyone has the same preferences!

Truth be told, I hated the panic of having a student walking into my classroom and announcing "IT'S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY" when I didn't have anything prepared or ready for them. So one summer, I spent hours on Pinterest looking at fun, inexpensive ideas of things that I could share with a student to celebrate their birthday. I ordered materials and prepped all of my students' "birthday" materials and stored them in a cabinet in my classroom. I plugged dates into my Google Calendar so that I could have the items ready to go on their desk when they walked into the room. 

In schools, many times we desire to acknowledge students publicly on their birthday. Often, we will read student names over the announcements in the morning. Sometimes, this can be a very welcome thing! Other times, though, it embarrasses students. Some students prefer to not have their name announced publicly. It is also incredibly important to note that many times, when we do this, we actually mispronounce our students' names on their special days. This happens often when the person reading the students' names don't have a relationship with the student! So instead of being a positive experience, it's humiliating- or even degrading. 

Think about it! Many of us are embarrassed when we go to a restaurant and a member of our group shares that it is our birthday. All of the sudden, we have a huge number of folks running to our table and shouting a song. We don't know where to look, what to do, or how to react. It launches us into a few minutes of PURE. AWKWARD. Although- some of us love this (or at least don't mind it!)! 

How do we avoid this? ASK! Ask the students & families about their preferences!

At the beginning of the year, I tend to ask a lot of getting-to-know-you questions. One of the questions we can all ask our students is how they prefer to acknowledge special days in their life. You can list birthdays/adoption days as an option. You may even share with students and families how you typically acknowledge birthdays/adoption days in your classroom. "I typically give students a prize from the prize box, kids can choose the class Brain Break activity, and we sing Happy Birthday or Las Mañanitas." Or, you can provide students with a checkbox of options! 

Here are two free templates that you may use to help you, your students, and families. Be sure to go to FILE and MAKE A COPY so that you can edit these to meet your needs!