Education

Maximizing Learning Opportunities: A Guide to Effective Class Endings

The end of class is one of the most important parts of a lesson cycle. It's more than just a signal to students that it's time to leave. It's a golden opportunity to assess and cement the day's learning.

Photo by Markus Spiske / Unsplash

“The final minutes of class are the perfect time to ask students to draw connections between what they’ve learned and how it can be applied in other settings. Rather than rushing to pack up their belongings, students can do activities such as creating a list of ways that the day’s material applies outside of class.” - Class Wrap-Up Activities

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The Significance of Class Endings

Ever notice how everything seems to come into sharper focus at the end? It's like we've been on a journey, and we're now standing on a hilltop looking back, seeing the path we walked in its entirety. The end of class offers a similar perspective. It's a moment that can be leveraged to assess what the students have learned and to solidify the lessons of the day in their minds. Using this time effectively ensures that the knowledge we imparted doesn't evaporate when they step out of the classroom.

Effective Ways to Conclude Your Class

So, how do we use the end of class effectively? A recap of the day's learning can work wonders. Run through the key points, ensuring the students note them. This serves as a mental checklist for them, ensuring they've covered all the important areas.

Next, consider a quick quiz or an assessment. This not only serves to highlight any areas that need further attention but also helps students to remember the material better. The act of retrieving information helps to strengthen those memory pathways.

Finally, the end of class is the perfect time for an open forum. There's always a question or two lingering in someone's mind, and addressing them clears doubts and reinforces the learning. It also fosters an environment of open communication and can help students feel more comfortable asking questions in the future.

Practical Tips

Time management is key. Ensure you have enough time for a recap, a quick assessment, and a Q&A session. Don't rush through these - they're as important as the lesson itself. This is where I struggle most in my practice. It’s easy to get caught up in instruction and work time.

Encourage everyone to participate - even the quiet students. Often, they're the ones with the most insightful questions or contributions. Creating a safe and inclusive environment in your classroom will ensure that everyone feels comfortable speaking up.

Ideas

Complete a Brain Dump.
Reviewing main points using a word cloud
Creating a group summary on the board
Having students write a one-sentence summary of the lesson
Playing a quick round of a relevant trivia game
Doing a quick round-robin of students sharing what they learned
Asking students to write down one remaining question they have
Playing a quick game of "Fact or Fiction" with the day's material
Having students create a social media post summarizing the lesson
Doing a quick "show and tell" of student work from the day
Asking students to predict what will come next in the course
Having students write a "letter" to an absent student, explaining the day's material
Playing a "connect the dots" game, relating the day's material to a previous lesson
Asking students to create a quick sketch or diagram summarizing the lesson
Having students pair up and teach each other one point from the lesson
Doing a quick role-play relevant to the day's material
Asking students to write down one way they'll use the day's material outside of school
Having students create a quick concept map of the lesson
Asking students to write an exam question based on the day's material
Doing a quick "exit ticket" activity where students write down one thing they learned and one question they have
Having students rate their understanding of the day's material on a scale of 1-10