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Three Ways Teachers Can Create a More Inclusive Mother’s Day
Post submitted by Welcoming Schools Project Coordinator Charlie Girard
This Sunday, families across the country will celebrate Mother’s Day. For some families, however, this holiday can be a challenging time. Children may have two dads or they may live with grandparents. Some may have experienced the loss of a mother.
Educators can help all students feel included during this time. Here are three ways that you can show every student in your class that their family matters:
1. Read a book with your class that features diverse families.
HRC’s Welcoming Schools has several lists of books that kids love that adults can use to explain different kinds of families. The lists include books on adoption, books that highlight LGBTQ parents and much more.
2.Use lesson plans that celebrate all family structures.
Our engaging lesson plans allow students to define their own family structure as opposed to a set, traditional family binary. Explore Welcoming Schools’ lesson plans focused on family diversity. All of these lesson plans align with the Common Core standards.
3.Make sure school celebrations can include a broad range of caring adults.
Having celebrations such as “Family Day” or “Special Person Day” allow students to acknowledge any supportive person in their life. This leaves room for students to honor caring adults, regardless of gender or relationship.
For more tips and specific books and lesson plan suggestions to help all students to feel included this Mother’s Day, read Welcoming School’s Note on Mother’s and Father’s Days.
HRC Welcoming Schools is the premier comprehensive approach to creating respectful and supportive elementary schools with resources and professional development to embrace family diversity, create LGBTQ-inclusive schools, prevent bias-based bullying and gender stereotyping, and support transgender and gender-expansive students.
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