A few years ago, when I was teaching in a third grade dual language classroom, I implemented an activity in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month that ended up sparking lasting community-building for my students.

It started with a modest idea: I sent an email home to families, inviting them to share something from their culture with the class. I didn’t anticipate a big response, but families jumped at the opportunity to share. Some of my students brought in traditional clothing and pieces of art, while others printed out images or wrote down stories. The resulting display represented a beautiful bridge between school and home, opening a conversation about culture and community.

What made the experience so powerful was that it went beyond a one-time “show and tell” moment and, instead, laid a foundation for relationships and identity affirmation.

 Students were excited to learn about their classmates’ traditions, and they were able to glimpse commonalities. I remember students from Argentina connecting with their classmates from Colombia over their love of soccer – or fútbol. The conversations sparked by those shared items brought the class closer together, fostering pride in their cultures and creating a real sense of community. Students and teachers from outside our classroom community heard about the display and came in to see it.

 Hispanic Heritage Month occurs so early in the school year, and one thing I love about this activity is that it’s a low-lift way to deepen classroom connections.

1. Invite families to participate: I sent out a low-pressure email inviting families of Hispanic heritage to participate.

2. Prepare a display area: I set up a table to collect students’ items, and it grew into a beautiful, living display of the diversity in our classroom. The table was always full of new surprises as more students brought in items.

3. Make time for conversation: When students brought in their contributions, we made time to talk about each one. I asked them to share why the item was important to their family, and we all learned from one another.

4. Invite in the larger school community: We loved having students and teachers from other classrooms stop in to see the display and learn about the people in our class.

The sense of pride my students felt in sharing their heritage lasted long beyond Hispanic Heritage Month. Some students decided to leave the items they brought in the classroom – flags, photos of themselves in traditional clothes, drawings – and it made the classroom feel more student-owned.

Throughout the school year, students drew connections between lessons and the cultures represented in the room, and when students shared stories about their lives, they’d often refer back to the items they’d brought in for the table. The experience gave me new ways to check in with my students and understand their lives.

 As we think about building more culturally affirming classrooms, this is a meaningful way to start. Getting to know your students and their families through their cultural backgrounds not only builds connections but also enriches our classroom community and strengthens our ability as teachers to meet each of our students where they are.