Opening the classroom to the community: Interactive groups

4.3. Volunteers: adults participating in the groups

Volunteering is a key element in the development of interactive groups as provide new opportunities for learning through interaction, not only with peers but also with adults. So that, if the volunteers come from different backgrounds and cultures, have different beliefs and skills or even speak different languages, the potential for exposure to all types of learning experiences increases exponentially.

However, volunteers do not replace teachers, who remain responsible for the proper functioning of the class. The role of each one can be summarized as follows:

• The teacher:

• • DESIGNS the activities. He or she is the one who knows what contents have to be worked or reinforced.
  • He or she COORDINATES and gives PEDAGOGICAL COHERENCE to the activities.
  • He or she takes the TIMES, OVERSEES the general development of the session and cope with ASSESSMENT.
• The volunteers:

• • They act as FACILITATORS, dynamic agents who promote solidarity-based interaction and dialogues among students so that every student in each group achieves the learning objectives.

  • The adults participating in the groups can be: family members, community members, former students, volunteer university students, teachers from the same centre.