Empowering Education through Diversity: A Vital Imperative for Progress

​As teachers and education staff, we always aim for our student to be successful, to have the right knowledge, skills and attitudes and to find their best place in the society we live in. Our modern society is extremely diversified as well as multicultural, and promoting diversity and tolerance in the classroom has become a crucial goal for teachers and educators.

​The new edition of the course “Diversity in the classroom: teaching tolerance and overcoming prejudices and discrimination​” took place in Palermo from 22/10/2023 to 28/10/2023. The participants came from all across Europe, with Vaula from the Joint Authority of Education in  Finland; Megija, Anete and Inga, from Privātāvidusskola "Laisma" in Latvia; Riita and Daisy from Kiiminkipuistonkoulu in Finland; Karin, Maria Lurdes V., Isabel Maria, Maria Lurdes B. from Escola Secundária Alfredo dos Reis Silveira in Portugal; Maria and Agios from Cyprus Ministry of Education Sport and Youth in Cyprus.

​The first key step of the course was to explore what’s diversity and how to manage it in the different countries and schools.
We explored the concept of identity trough 3 different metaphors - the image of the tree, the image of the onion and the image of the iceberg – reflecting on the manifest and on the latent side of identity, and on its different shades.
One of the features of diversity is for sure the concept of stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. We discussed about their characteristics, we analyzed the cause of their existence and we deepened their consequences in society. 

Another point of the week was how to create and inclusive classroom, building membership, empathetic relationships and a growth mindset using specific strategies, methods and best practices. Talking about special needs in education, we deepened the topic of the Italian school model and its inclusive system, analyzing its characteristics and the difference with other countries.
Finally, we discussed about inclusive teaching methods, such as the UDL, testing some inclusive activities like “learning stations” and sharing some ideas for the creating of an inclusive environment.
After all, it was a bright week full of new knowledge, practice, sharing, deep conversations and thoughts, ideas and emotions

Discover more about this course here.