The teacher's role is transformed in The Learning Community. Traditionally, teachers are trained as subject matter experts and classroom management professionals. Teachers can also be group process catalysts, organizational development facilitators, creators of interdisciplinary thematic units, and learners along with the students. Our teacher brings his specialties into the weekly learning experience in the form of topical seminars on world issues, electronic publishing, field experiences in ecology, and workshops in the study of human consciousness. The group's shared experience is created by the student, the group, and the teacher.
Students share exciting discoveries that they make while pursuing their contracts.
The group engages in a goal-setting process that produces a collective vision and a rich set of calendar activities. The teacher assists the group in becoming autonomous and offers thematic units that are connected to local and global issues. The progressive nature of the program's curriculum offers opportunities for increasing awareness, observing patterns, developing strategies for change, and participating in the creative process. Below is a three-week sample calendar showing how the program could be designed.