To continue encouraging the importance of learning from one another, the EA Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) was excited to launch its inaugural Open Classroom Week—a collective celebration of teaching—from Jan. 13-17.
While many faculty members enthusiastically open their classrooms to visitors throughout the year, Open Classroom Week offered a way for faculty to explicitly block out times and locations for colleagues to observe their innovative teaching practices.
"We want to continue cultivating a culture that creates opportunities for organic observation, cross-divisional collaboration, and cross-disciplinary engagement," said Buckley Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning Justin Cerenzia. "We value teaching as 'community property' and want to continue to break down the walls of pedagogical solitude that too often impede the craft of teaching."
Using a robust sign-up sheet, more than 50 faculty from every division and department opted to open their respective classroom to their colleagues. With classroom lessons ranging from the art of realism and political cartoons, improv, and molecular geometry and valence shell electron pair repulsion (VSEPR) theory, to clay work, symmetric encryption, the reading of Julius Caesar, systems of equations "relay races," and asking/answering questions about nationalities in Mandarin, the full depth and breadth of content taught on EA’s campus was ever-apparent.
"Now I am thinking about how we are encouraging students to think critically about the deeper context of some heavy topics," one teacher remarked to another in a post-observation note. "You did an awesome job; it is amazing to see what you are able to draw out of these little minds."
"I bet students feel inspired by your passion and energized by your enthusiasm," said another.
"Your class got me thinking about all the ways we can collaborate and build off the incredible foundation you've equipped students with," said another. "There's tons of overlap between writing effective [journalism] leads and writing powerful opening 'hooks' for college essays. More importantly, it was amazing to see your dynamic class and the 'ah ha' moments you led students to."
To end the week, CTL was thrilled to welcome Dr. Alison Cook-Sather, the 2024 CTL Transforming Teaching Summer Collaborative featured facilitator, back to campus. Dr. Cook-Sather, the Mary Katharine Woodworth Professor of Education and Director of the Peace, Conflict and Social Justice Studies concentration at Bryn Mawr College, and Director of the Teaching and Learning Institute at Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges, led multiple lightning lunch talks about the value of student ownership of learning and student-centered teaching.
"Open Classroom Week provided valuable opportunities to see colleagues in action and celebrate the range of outstanding teaching practices on our campus," Justin stated. "With more than 100 visits from faculty and staff members, the response to this inaugural event exceeded expectations."