First, students must be engaged members of the learning community. More so than in other courses students consciously commit to active learning. Because individual experiences and deliberative dialogue are central to the course, each student must continuously choose to attend and participate in every class.
 
Second, students must recognize the learning that takes place outside of the classroom and away from papers and texts. The issues raised in service-learning courses have multiple manifestations in the community. Of course interesting lessons may be gleaned from your service experience, but they may also develop through interaction with community members on the bus, on the sidewalk, or anywhere. Recognize that learning may take place anywhere and conduct yourself with appropriate alertness. Learning experiences may be integrated with your journaling or introduced in class.
 
Third, individual experiences and beliefs matter. Recognizing the learning that occurs through discussion with others and through experience is one of the key areas in which service-learning differs with the traditional educational model. At times, students long for ‘the answer’ from ‘the authority’ but this educational approach explicitly recognizes that there are diverse perspectives on every subject and experience. In that recognition service-learning is an inherently democratic pedagogy. While I may introduce popular academic perspectives, students are urged to challenge those conceptions with information from their own experiences or perceptions. 
 
Fourth, assumptions must be critiqued. This point may seem to contradict the previous assertion, but I see it as complementary. Subjecting beliefs and interpretations of experience to critical analysis makes them more meaningful and intellectually rigorous. Engaged education should cultivate a capacity for critical distance – the ability to critically analyze oneself and one’s traditions. All ideas – especially those put forward by the instructor – explored in the course should be subject to a serious critique.  
 
Fifth, there is ‘a good’ worth seeking and celebrating. In line with the last assertion, this assumption should be critically analyzed as well, and I welcome that. Yet I do want to make clear that, despite analyzing many cogent arguments to the contrary, I remain convinced that efforts to do good and improve lives are important and meaningful. Being constantly critical of this possibility, however, remains essential, as human history is peppered with examples of the efforts of do-gooders gone awry. Nonetheless, let this be the first (and not the last) time I congratulate you on making a conscious decision to be part of something greater than yourself. The more people engaged in this consciously critical effort to improve the human experience the better. I look forward to working with you.