Who Teaches Whom: The Varied Voices and Instructional Roles of Community Service-Learning Partners

The question of what defines a teaching role has long been a catalyst for dialogue and debate among practitioners in the service-learning community. The success of the service-learning model relies on a reciprocal exchange in the dynamic and ever changing communities in which we serve, where shared ownership, mutual respect, and a consistent exchange among various participants facilitates learning outcomes. Through partnership with community agencies, students, faculty, and staff, we have begun to answer the question of who teaches whom in the service-learning environment. This article documents how relationship where community partners grow deeper, student roles expand and we broaden the pedagogical impressions of what defines a teacher. Through a qualitative review of programs and courses, with insights of participants, we will demonstrate how the community-university partnerships fosters a critical exchange for all involved, including participants, community, and institution. The innovative nature of the service-learning instructional environment modifies the dynamics of classroom, causing the roles for learners to vary and the teaching role to change.