A Great Last Week Of Class
Time to read: 4 minutes
As the last week of classes approaches, you might be overwhelmed with tasks, leaving little time to plan an amazing finale for your course. However, achieving a renewed sense of excitement and purpose in your teaching and your student's learning is possible with just a few simple steps and a genuine desire to make it happen. This article will explore these steps and guide you toward finishing your course on a high note.
Do you remember all the things you did to start the semester right? Your 'Start Here' module and first week were filled with course videos, welcome announcements, and discussion posts. As the semester progressed, you suddenly find yourself approaching finals week, which begs the question, where’s the ‘End Here’ module?!
Compared to the often mandatory step of Week 1 Introductions, course conclusions are often overlooked. Sure, the last week of class is busy with final exams, lots of grading, and many student questions, but you can do a few things to close the semester successfully.
Consider the following…
Offer a Study Guide
A study guide helps students prepare for final exams but can also reduce the number of questions you get from students about the exam. This guide does not need to be long or involved or give away test questions. Instead, try using a simple thematic outline, reminding students of the main concepts, themes, and points for them to fill in the details as they see fit.
Or host a study session. You and your students could review questions or themes as a class, or they could form their own small study groups.
For those with final projects or presentations instead of exams, create an end-of-semester countdown or checklist to help students track tasks, assignments, and assessments. Certain LMS calendar features can even automatically generate this list for you on the student’s course dashboard!
Keep your office hours
You may feel tempted to do away with office hours during the last few weeks of class, but this is when they need you most! Keep your office hours front and center and re-advertise them to your students. Some students forget your availability, so a gentle nudge may be all they need to open up about their questions.
Revisit Introductory Posts
The last week of class is a great time to reflect. Have students revisit their responses to the questions you asked during the first week. How have their thoughts, ideas, or goals changed?
Open-ended questions you can ask during this week…
How have the lessons from this course influenced your college experience this semester?
What will you take with you into future courses?
What was your favorite part of this course? Why?
What was your least favorite part of this course? Why?
What is the most interesting thing you learned in this course?
What is one skill you have developed or improved while participating in this course?
Have a Proper “Sign-off”
Studies have shown that students feel more comfortable asking for help and being honest in a classroom where their instructors share something about themselves.
By creating a video or announcement in the last week of class, you can share a few details about what the class has accomplished and what you have learned alongside your students, such as…
Your favorite unit of instruction, highlighting student contributions or celebrating and showcasing student achievements
Changes you plan to make to the course for next time
Ways you plan to stay connected and current in your field, encouraging students to join professional organizations related to their major
Ways students can stay in contact with you in future semesters
Use the last week of class to help bring closure to the course and encourage continued networking or appropriate follow-up activities for student’s next steps. Then, start thinking about next year. You may not have the energy you had at the top of the semester right now, but you do have perspective.
Use your go-to note-taking tool (app, doc, list, hidden page in the LMS, etc.) to capture ideas and insights for the next time you teach this class.
Good luck to everyone nearing the last week of the semester!
Which methods have worked for you, and what might you try?
Wait, There’s More!
Discover how to enhance student engagement by learning how to maximize course communication and layering it with your existing course schedule.
Download the FREE guide to help devise a plan for layering communication over that schedule through a series of phases.
