Facing Diversity: Intercultural Classroom Management

Description

Concept by Ilaria Barbieri

This course is for teachers working in multicultural classes. Diversity challenges traditional teaching strategies and asks for innovative solutions.

This introductory course will address issues such as: how is it possible to create a syllabus suitable both for native and non-native students? How can educators face language and communication difficulties? How can students interact in a productive way regardless of their cultural belonging? 

Through case discussion, sharing of good practices, and engaging activities, participants will explore intercultural educational practices. They will receive prompts to foster communication in their classes and will explore solutions to plan activities aiming at meeting newcomers’ needs without interrupting the regular didactic flow.

Teaching strategies with concrete, across-the-board objectives will be presented (role-playing, cooperative learning, and many others). 

By the end of the course, participants will have gained broader awareness about different learning approaches, intercultural communication, innovative methods, and how to convert diversity from burden to opportunity. 

Learning outcomes

The course will help the participants to:  

• Identify students’ different learning approaches to be able to choose the correct teaching strategies;
• Choose suitable methods for different classes, contexts and moments during the lesson;
• Select teaching strategies with concrete, across-the-board objectives: role-playing, cooperative learning;
• Acquire expertise related to intercultural communication;
• Convert diversity from burden to opportunity.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Course introduction & setting goals

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities using drama for trust and ensemble building;
• Identification of needs and goals for each participant and relevant populations;
• Presentations and Warm up games;
• Dealing with typical multicultural classroom management problems;
• Needs analysis and Classroom “Identikit”;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Day 2 – Mindfulness and reflection

• Getting to know each other: active listening, empathy, mindfulness; 
• Towards an inclusive school: what unites us and what divides us? Games and soft skills are serious stuff.

Day 3 – Relation vs tolerance

• A matter of identity: relation VS tolerance; 
• Recognizing oneself and being recognized;
• The narrative construction of identity;
• Autobiographies.

Day 4 – Language for communication

• Communicative needs; 
• Language to establish relationships; 
• Language to study; 
• Language for full integration; 
• Mixed ability classes: Methods of Differentiation and cooperative learning.

Day 5 – Inclusive school

• Families and schools: strengthening relations; 
• Building Inclusive Environments: from multicultural to intercultural classes.  

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.