Teachers often spend the last minutes packing bags and giving homework. Those minutes are precious. What happens at the end is what students carry home.
Stop early
Plan to finish five minutes before the bell. Then use those minutes well.
We have five minutes. Let us look at what we learned.
Ask three students
Ask three students to say the target sentence. That is your check.
Say it to me. Now say it to your partner.
Say what they learned
Name the thing. Students often do not know what the lesson was about.
Today we learned to ask for the price.
Give one small task
One task, clear and small. Not a page.
Tonight: ask one person for a price, in English.
End on a good feeling
A short game, a song, or a kind sentence. Students remember the mood.
You worked well today. See you on Thursday.
Words to remember
- finish — to end something
- target — the thing you are learning
- task — a small piece of work
- mood — how you feel
Questions & answers
Q: What if I run out of time?
Stop the activity, not the ending. The last five minutes matter more than the middle task.
Q: Should I always give homework?
No. One small task is better than homework every day.
Q: How do I check the whole class quickly?
Ask three students, or ask pairs to check each other with the target sentence.
Q: Is a game at the end a waste of time?
No, if it uses the lesson's language. A game is practice with a happy face.
Q: What if students are packing early?
Give the ending first. Say, "Two minutes, then you can pack." Clear time helps.