The Graduate Center’s Teaching and Learning Center’s Open Teaching Initiative is pleased to launch Open Classroom Month. Designed to help prepare and familiarize Graduate Center students with CUNY’s undergraduate classrooms as well as a range of instructional models, Open Classroom Month invites Graduate Center students to visit classes taught by experienced CUNY faculty. Observing how other instructors develop and implement lessons, manage discussions, utilize classroom space and technology, and mix instructional methods can help Graduate Center student instructors evolve as teachers, and, for those just starting out in the classroom, can help demystify college instruction.

Numerous faculty from a variety of CUNY campuses and disciplines have generously agreed to open their classes from March 9th-April 11th. To browse the complete list of open classes, please visit  http://cuny.is/open-teaching. You can view Open Classes by campus or by teaching method keyword. Participating instructors have provided a brief description of their teaching practices and what you can expect to experience during the class visit.

We encourage Graduate Center students to visit as many classes and explore as many instructional methods as they can: visit classes both in and outside your discipline; use Open Classroom Month as a way to familiarize yourself with the student body, classrooms and logistics of multiple CUNY campuses, as well as as an opportunity to see instructional methods that you plan to use, already use, are hesitant to incorporate, or that may even be completely new.

To sign-up to visit a class, click the “sign-up to visit” link and use the Doodle Poll scheduler to see all available dates and times. Please be certain that any sessions you select fit your schedule, including commute time to campus and navigating the classroom. The day before you visit the class, please send the instructor a brief email to let them know you’ll attend.

You will need to sign-in at the front desk of each campus using your Graduate Center ID card, so please budget time to do so. Make sure that you’re able to arrive at least five minutes early to the course, and, if you can, introduce yourself to the instructor. Participating faculty have generously opened three spaces/visit in each class session, so be sure to sign-up as soon as possible and/or remove yourself from the sign-up if your schedule changes. The Teaching and Learning Center will notify each instructor to expect your visit. Maps to each CUNY senior campus can be found here.  

If you would like to sign up without your name being public, or if you have any questions, please send an email both tlc@gc.cuny.edu and avra.spector@gmail.com.

Thank you for your interest in Open Teaching Month, and we sincerely hope you’ll be able to take advantage of this opportunity!