Great directors work to ensure their films have amazing endings.
Gifted novelists work hard to write great closing for their stories.
Musicians use the closing of their performance to leave their audience wanting more.
Great educators (that’s you!) know that to unleash learning, creating a powerful closing for each learning session is essential.
That’s because the closing of a learning session is a critical time for all learners to:
- Lift The Weights
- Make meaning of the session
- Consider what they learned
- Check for understanding
- Think about their own thinking.
Yet, it can be difficult to find ways to ensure effective closings always take place. To help, here are three quick ways to create powerful closings for your next classroom, presentation, staff development or professional learning session.
1. 30 words or less
At the end of the session, have participants write in 30 words or less what the session caused them to think about. Once completed, invite all participants to stand and share their responses with a partner. Finally, ask for a few people to share their 30 words or less with the entire group.
2. Sentence starters
Show a few sentence starters (I think…I feel…I’m learning…I’m curious…etc.) to the group and ask everyone to complete a few of the sentences. When they are done, have learners stand and share their sentences with a partner. Finally, ask each person in the room to share one of his or her sentences and sit down. Once everyone is seated, the session is closed.
3. Stand in a circle
Standing in a circle helps create closure and sense of completion. Use the above writing strategies and once everyone has written, have them stand in a circle. When everyone has shared, have everyone shake hands and close the session.
