The holiday season brings joy, excitement, and plenty of questions from curious students. Teachers often find themselves navigating conversations about Santa, elves, religious celebrations, or why families celebrate different traditions.
These questions can be tricky, especially in a diverse classroom. Students bring a wide range of beliefs shaped by their families, cultures, and traditions. When teachers answer with sensitivity, it helps create a classroom where every student feels safe enough to share, ask questions, and participate fully.
Research from the Center for Child Development shows that children feel more secure and engaged when teachers respond to their questions with empathy and clarity. This is also a powerful opportunity to practice Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, such as perspective-taking, emotional awareness, and respect for differences.
During the holidays, teachers often hear questions like:
Before answering, gently explore what the student already understands.
Try asking:
This helps you sense if the child is seeking reassurance, clarity, or just sharing excitement.
Try This Simple Response Template: Acknowledge + Affirm + Redirect
This approach honors each family’s values while guiding children back to trusted adults at home.
Teachers can preserve joy without contradicting any belief system.
Try saying:
These responses validate many traditions and help children feel proud of their own family practices.
The holidays are the perfect time to model emotional understanding and awareness.
Try This:
Why It Works:
Children learn empathy by seeing it modeled. When teachers elevate curiosity and respect, classroom culture becomes more inclusive and emotionally safe.
Teachers can help students understand and respect one another by introducing a variety of holiday traditions.
Ideas to Try:
Why It Works:
Representation helps students feel seen and valued. When children see their culture reflected in the classroom, feelings of belonging and engagement increase significantly.
You can set expectations early in December by reminding students that everyone’s traditions matter.
Try This:
Why It Works:
Predictable routines and clear expectations lower anxiety for students who may feel unsure or left out during the holiday season.
Navigating holiday conversations is an opportunity to strengthen connection and sense of belonging. When teachers respond with warmth, neutrality, and cultural awareness, students learn empathy and respect, skills that serve them long after the holidays are over.
To help teachers bring more joy, calm, and well-being into the school year, explore our onsite PD Reclaiming the Joy of Teaching, where educators learn research-based habits to reduce stress and build lasting resilience.
