The End of Class
I always couch my lesson plan with some activities that we might not get to. Never the lecture or pertinent information, but some extra writing or fun game, just in case the lesson plan speeds past. If I write a long agenda for the day on the board, then they are never surprised when class doesn't get out early, and I'm never stuck with 20 random minutes at the end of class.
At the end of the lesson, I like to have the students apply what they have learned. Then I can assess whether they are learning the subject matter or not.
Gina,
Self-reflection is an effective activity, that generally is "overlooked". I feel that students can learn from themselves and their experience and use the information to make future improvements.
Tremayne Simpson
I teach Culinary Arts, where every other day is spent in the kitchen and every other day is spent in the classroom. On the classroom days, if I find myself with extra time, I have the students write a brief self-assessment of their previous day's work, with one paragraph about their performance as a team, and one paragraph about their performance as an indivudual. I find it is a great way for me to gain insight into their perception of the previous day's activities, and it also gives them a chance to reflect on what worked, and what could use improvement. It sure beats just giving them a smoke break!
Thank you. That is helpful. I will see about being still more creative in approaching the tougher topics.
Zaina,
This is a common concern for most instructors..."instructing students that have mentally checked-out". I feel that it is best to present them with supplementary activities (perhaps "lighter" in approach) that are topic-based. When I was in undergrad, my Biology instructor was attempting to cover the concept of DNA and RNA, which clearly was a tough subject for the class to comprehend. The instructor noticed this and the next class he provided us with a fun activity which involved creating a "double helix" structure, with different types of candy. It was highly creative and the majority of the class was able to understand the concept, from the activity.
Tremayne Simpson
I think it's a great thing that most of us do, couching our lesson plans with extra activities. So what happens when you get towards the end of a class, a particularly hard one with difficult lessons and activities (think harder than math here) and they have all mentally checked out from so much necessary effort? Do you let them go early, try to get them back by giving something easy to do that still touches on the same lessons, introduce something new, or keep on trucking?
My tendency is to do the second or jump into something new and lighter but I am open to other ideas.
Thanks.
I agree, It is important to end the class in a thought provoking way. I always end the class with questions that they can think about and is part of the lesson for the next day. This way they know what to expect the next class and have an idea of what they need to review.
Yes, I agree. Always good to have a back up. I utilize powerpoints and other presentations and group work on interviews and resume building seeing as how my class is their last before they leave. Great way to get some extra in on a day that flew by too quickly!
