How many times have we felt tempted to finish a long day by saying: Class is over? Probable a few, right? But we should consider that to make a class memorable the last minutes are also quite important. Why? Because we have to make sure our students have followed us all along the session, to know if they have understood the points presented, not to mention the opportunity to have feedback about our own performance.
We all know for sure how to begin a class; we also know how to organize the session, we plan the activities that complement the topic, the exercises to be done and the class dynamics; we may even anticipate probable questions, but do we also prepare how to close a class effectively? Closure allows teachers to consolidate what was taught, clarify some doubts and like it or not, the chance to express the feeling of satisfaction or dissatisfaction your students may have.
The first thing we have to keep in mind is not to be predictable: use different strategies that can be completed in a few minutes and engage your students in such a way that they will wonder what you have prepared this time for them.
Let’s go through some ideas. Feel free to tailor them if suitable for your group of students or simply to fit your personality:
- If you have pre/intermediate or intermediate level students, ask them to summarize the class content using a headline. You can use any interactive onlineboard or Notepad.
- In a Jamboard, paste three sticky notes: pink (difficult) , yellow (in progress) and green (no problem at all). Ask them to write their names in the one that reflects their understanding of the lesson. It can be done on all students’ levels.
- This one. based on Reflective Thinking is quite well-known: What did I learn today? How can I put it to use? Is it helpful? You may use Pear Deck and keep track of your students’ answers.
- Another one students seem to enjoy is 3-2-1. You may ask different questions each time, let’s say: Name three things you have learned today; choose two activities you really liked, and one segment or topic that was particularly difficult for you.
- This is the one I like the most: use Google forms or Mentimeter with a short survey with catchy images and questions such as: What was the objective of today’s class? Who participated the most today? What grade would you give to yourself for your participation in class if you were the teacher? Why?
- Use a feedback line in a Kahoot and ask your student to choose the number that expresses their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the class.
- Ask your students to write One Word that summarizes their feelings towards that day’s session. Encourage them to use synonyms and not to repeat the same word. You may want to share two images with a list of positive and negative words.
I hope some of these ideas will help you not only to appraise how successful your class was, but also to identify the adjustments to be made.
And now, your turn: How do you usually close a lesson?
