Gordon State College’s Open Classroom Initiative was designed to foster discussions about teaching and learning, and to promote community and engagement in and across departments through the exchange of ideas.

The mission of Gordon State’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is to “empower conversation, sharing, and mutual support” among their faculty in order to promote “innovative teaching and engaged learning” (http://www.gordonstate.edu/cetl/home). The Open Classroom Initiative is one way they support this mission.

Each semester, instructors can volunteer to open their classrooms on the day of their choosing. Some may have a technique they want to showcase—flipped classroom, scaffolding, leading class discussions—others might just want general feedback on their teaching. Typically, three to four instructors observe any given “open” classroom.

Following the class, the instructor and observers are encouraged to meet for coffee or lunch to discuss their impressions. Each observer also sends an email thanking the faculty member for letting them observe, and includes at least one thing they thought the instructor did well, and at least one suggestion for improvement.

According to Dr. Erica Johnson, Director of the CETL at Gordon State, the initiative encourages faculty to “take a look at what we do on an average day—to see what we teach, how we teach, and to follow up with conversations about why we use the practices we do” (http://www.gordonstate.edu/cetl/home).

The program began in 2015 with three faculty members opening their classroom. This semester eight instructors have volunteered. Three have opened their classrooms more than once. Dr. Johnson said that their president, Dr. Max Burns, has even participated in the program.

To learn more about Gordon State’s Open Classroom Initiative, visit CETL’s website or contact Dr. Erica Johnson .