Teaching democracy entails matters of process that are implicit in the blurring of teacher and student roles and in relating the democratic classroom to the environment of issues that surrounds it. Paul Petterson of Central Connecticut State University distinguishes the teacher in his drawing, but ties her to the students with bonds of equal weight in participatory and decision-making processes. Once again, there are connections between members of the group as well as some common core among them. Richard Guarasci, provost of Wagner College, translates teaching democracy into an image of the democratic classroom, which includes the larger community. He makes personal development an explicit element of teaching democracy unlike any of the other depictions we have seen so far.
Personal development occurs at the intersection of self and community, or people with differences.
Implicit in these statements about teaching democracy is the definition of what it is not. Two respondents were explicit in depicting this contrast and offered additional insight into teaching democracy. John Stephens, at the time a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, juxtaposed the hierarchical vision of teacher and students with the blurred role boundaries in a participatory, problem-solving group. Once again, we see members of the democratic classroom related by many different bonds, roles, and actions. Barbara Knight, a member of the Department of Public and International Affairs at George Mason University, showed the contrast between teaching democracy and a hierarchy that puts the teacher literally at the top of the ladder.