I had a long held belief that February is the month that has the most birthdays. My evidence was purely anecdotal, but felt reliable given the number of educational institutions I have been a student or educator in. Whether in Texas, Connecticut, New Jersey, or Virginia, I have celebrated a year’s worth of birthdays with classes and every year felt February held the most celebrations. However, it has recently come to my attention that this is false. In fact, February is the least common month for birthdays. While this revelation first resulted in a slap on the forehead and self-deprecating eye roll, it later had me pondering the significance of birthday celebrations.
Birthdays hold a special significance for students, and marking these occasions within the classroom has become a cherished tradition for many educators. However, the significance of these celebrations extends beyond mere fun and games. Being the focal point of a birthday celebration can profoundly impact a child’s self-esteem, fostering a sense of importance and belonging within the classroom community. These experiences also serve to cultivate lasting friendships, as learners come together to celebrate and share in each other’s joy.
The traditions around birthdays we create similarly play a role in instilling a sense of continuity and ritual. By participating in these annual celebrations, individuals learn to anticipate and engage in something familiar, establishing a sense of connection to their school community. These rituals provide the opportunity to develop a deeper appreciation for the passage of time and a value in shared experiences.
The significance of not only the regularity of the ritual itself but the content of it is why, like everything we do at TVS, the way we celebrate is very intentional. Our celebrations focus on concepts related to the passage of time while truly honoring each child on their special day. Learners walk around a representation of the sun, demonstrating the path earth travels in the course of a year. For each orbit they make they select a learner to give them a character call out. At face value it may not seem like there is much to this. That is until you hear the character callouts.
As a new learner to Discovery, it’s really cool how quickly you have adjusted to Discovery. I’d call that perseverance.
“I think you are a great leader!”
Even when you are struggling with a really challenging unit in Khan I see you keep trying. I’d call that perseverance.
You are a really supportive friend and I wouldn’t have moved up to Discovery if it wasn’t for you.
You are always very thoughtful when someone gets hurt. I appreciate when I’ve been hurt. You wait to keep playing with me till I feel better.
“You always try to include everyone. I’d call that inclusive!”
This tradition not only offers TVS learners the same joy, camaraderie, and sense of belonging that all birthday rituals provide but also another opportunity to show gratitude and appreciation. These lessons in gratitude lay the foundation for empathy, compassion, and positive interpersonal relationships, while also nurturing our learner’s sense of identity and self-worth. Further fostering the sense of confidence and self-assurance we aim to instill in every part of their experience at TVS, cultivating their ability to navigate challenges and embrace opportunities for growth.
While reading this, one might have already guessed at the fact that I myself am a February baby. This not only explains the bias at the heart of my falsely long held belief, but most importantly reveals why, after being celebrated by the TVS community for the first time, I felt it absolutely critical to document the magic in the traditions. Not only was I given an acute awareness of my many laps around the sun, and thus an often forgotten appreciation for my own milestones. I too had the gratifying moment of hearing from the individuals who I am in community with what they most appreciate and recognize as admirable in me. To say I felt like skipping the rest of the day is an understatement. I can’t conceive of a better tradition to celebrate an individual and make them feel not just seen, valued, and cared for by their community but also excited and capable to meet whatever the next year presents. Joy, connection, appreciation, and empowerment: the cornerstones of celebration I didn’t know I was missing.
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