Building Multicultural Competence in Catholic

Schools

Knowledge – Skills - Attitudes

Culture“Culture primarily expresses how people live and perceive the world, one another, and God. Culture is the set of values by which a people judge, accept, and live what is considered important within the community.”

USCCB, National Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry (1988), 69

Administrators are challenged to foster a system of beliefs and

behaviors that recognize and respect the presence and value of all diverse groups within the school, including teachers, students, and parents.

PedagogyThink about how you teach…not what you teach.

Pedagogy: The art and science of how something is taught and how students learn it. In other words, how content is presented.

• Pedagogy can contain hidden messages about cultures.

• Ignoring the various cultures within a classroom can send a message that multicultural awareness is unimportant.

• Integrating cultural awareness into the teaching process can foster a classroom atmosphere of acceptance and respect.

The integration of multicultural awareness and respect should occur

throughout the day.

Develop a positive learning community where students accept, understand, and celebrate

diversity.

Group Discussion and Sharing• What opportunities are there within your school

community to celebrate diversity?

• Are there people within your school community that could be included in classroom lessons that foster cultural awareness?

Developing a Learning Community with Multicultural Competence

• Time spent on building a school culture that welcomes, understands, and celebrates people of various backgrounds.

• Focus on:• Knowledge• Skills• Attitudes

Knowledge Knowledge of church documents on understanding of culture. Knowledge that cultures have rules about proper and improper behavior. Knowledge that cultures have material dimensions

• Food• Clothes• Home Furnishings

Knowledge of general dynamics of intercultural interpretations Knowledge of more than one’s first language Knowledge of the invisible aspects of culture…

• Values• Beliefs• Perceptions• Mindsets• Attitudes

Skills• Ability to understand different values and

behaviors

• Ability to communicate effectively

• Ability to show empathy

Attitudes• Openness to other cultures

• Desire to learn about other cultures

• Accepting intercultural interactions as part of life rather than a problem

• Mindfulness

• Respect

Implementation• Create a plan and timeline for educating

the staff. • Include beliefs about multicultural

competence in the school philosophy.• Integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes

into the daily life of the school.• Integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes

into classroom lessons and projects.

Recognize students who serve as peacemakers.

School Wide Recognition

Small Group Sharing

• Share one way that your school provides school wide recognition to students for behavior.

• How could your school integrate cultural awareness into this existing recognition?

Which of the following essential questions could be altered to include multicultural

awareness?

GROUP DISCUSSION

Integrate Multicultural Awareness into Essential Questions

How does the geographic areain which people live affect their

lives?

PARTNER ASSIGNMENT

Write three essential questions

that integrate multicultural awareness.

Require students to show respect for everyone.

Be sure classroom rules

include clearexpectations on how

totreat others.

SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION

Create at least two rules

that could be added to

help develop cultural respect.

Group ActivityOne-Hour

• Create a school wide thematic project focused on multicultural competence. • What would be the purpose of the project?

• Service• Fundraising• Raising awareness of cultural differences• Impacting school climate• Education• Other

• What would the project be called and how long would it last?• How would the school “Kick off” the project?• Explain how this thematic project would support the mission of the school.• How could every student participate and find value in the project?• How could teachers support the project in the classroom?• How could parents become involved? • How would you know if the project was a success?