What If the Last Day of Class Looked Different?
For everyone who read last month’s article, I want to let you know that my garage is officially cleaned and ready for spring. After filling both the garbage and recycling bins, a hefty trip to the dump, and a little organizational work, we can once again navigate the space!
As the calendar turns to May, I am guessing quite a few of you are in the process of planning your last class day. I’m not sure what your plans are, but my last-class-period agenda has drastically changed in the past 10 years. This is the shift I’d like to explore in this month’s article.
Traditional Last Day of Class
Looking back to when I was a student, especially in high school, I dreaded the last day of my classes. It wasn’t just that I took a final exam that consisted of covering content taught throughout the entire school year, it was the idea of knowing that I would see only the letter grade, not the results of what I understood and misunderstood.
This didn’t sit well with me as a student, yet I carried out the same process for many of my first years teaching. My mindset was that this is just the way the last day of class was supposed to go…give an exam, spend hours grading exams, and then, after my brain was drained from all the grading, my summer could start.
My Mindset Shift
In 2015, I taught my first AP class. If you are unfamiliar with the AP assessment process, all students must complete their final AP test on a specific day that is chosen by the CollegeBoard. This was often during the second week of May, which meant that afterwards there was still an entire week of class time remaining in the school year.
Some AP teachers use this extra time by giving students a final project that they work to complete. But because this was my first time teaching an AP course, I wanted as much student input as I could gather. We spent nearly four full class periods discussing and reflecting what they felt most prepared for—and where they felt unprepared—after taking the exam. What they felt like I taught effectively and what could be better explained. And most importantly, how they realized they grew in their English skills.
During the first year, this conversation happened organically, but it went so well that I began orchestrating my last class periods, to specifically target student reflection.
The Last Day of Class Now
Before I go any further, I am not advocating the idea of removing a final exam or a final project. I still have my students complete a culminating project that involves them using the various skills we worked to hone throughout the school year. What I am suggesting is having the final exam or project on a day that is not the last class period.
So what happens on the last day of class? Here are my three objectives:
1. Students evaluate my teaching practices.
I used to create my own Google Form for students to complete, but now the school where I teach uses Survey Monkey to have students evaluate teaching practices connected to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and teacher interaction. For principals reading this, if your school doesn’t yet have a system for gathering student feedback, I would highly encourage you to create one, or reach out to a local principal who may have one created already. (With the right prompt, this is an easy task for ChatGPT to draft.)
For me, this feedback is incredibly helpful as I plan course improvements and changes during the summer months. It also helps create focused conversations with my administrators on individual improvement goals. Finally, research shows that student evaluation of teaching has a positive effect on learning outcomes (.50 effect size).
2. Students reflect on their learning.
Most assessments that I give students during the school year have a final question that I call “Evidence of Learning.” With as much detail as possible, students explain how they saw improvement in the skill that was taught, practiced, and assessed. After reviewing their “Evidence of Learning” entries, I have students complete a reflection on the most significant ways they grew in their knowledge, understanding, and skills throughout the course. This approach combines two high-powered student learning strategies: metacognition (.60 effect size) and reflection (.75 effect size).
Reading through these reflections is an energizing (not brain-draining) way to close the school year.
3. We CELEBRATE!
Especially after students realize the various ways that they have worked to grow and hone their skills, I feel obligated to celebrate their hard work. Around the beginning of May, I ask for volunteers in each one of my classes to serve as the party planning committee (fully inspired by the tv show The Office). I put them in charge of creating the kind of atmosphere they want for their final class period. I encourage them to involve as many classmates as possible in planning for food (mostly snacks), drinks, at least one game or activity, and any decorations. I provide the plates, cups, and utensils. I also create a brief monologue that I share in the last 3 minutes of class that lists what I appreciated about that class as a whole, any fun stories from the year, and how I will remember them.
Watching the class collaborate and celebrate their collective work brings a smile to my face—and it's the perfect way to tie a bow on a full year of learning.
I encourage you to let the last class day be more than an ending. Make it a launching point for future learning, both for your students and for yourself as an educator. God’s blessings on your work in these final weeks of the school year.
If there is anything you do differently for the last period in your classrooms, please add it to the comments section below.
Questions for Faculty Discussion:
What currently takes place on the last day of classes in your school?
How do your students currently reflect on their growth and learning from the beginning to the end of the school year?
What might be gained or lost by moving final assessments or projects to an earlier date, leaving time for student reflection and celebration?
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FIND THIS ARTICLE HELPFUL?
If you found this challenge valuable and insightful, I encourage you to check out the online course I created entitled “ChatGPT for Teachers.” After completing the course, you will have all of the tools you need to harness the power of ChatGPT to create a dynamic curriculum, impactful instruction, valid and reliable assessments, and more.
