Make Every Minute Count: Creative Ways to End Your Class

Whether you are following the formular for ending class or you glance at the clock and realize you have five minutes left. (Been there. And, certainly, done that!) You need an effective way to end class. And, it should be “Okay, let’s get ready to go.” So, what do you do?

Those last few minutes of class can easily turn into backpacks zipping, students inching toward the door, and somebody asking, “Can we leave yet?”

But those final minutes can actually be some of the most valuable minutes of your lesson.

A good class-closing activity gives students a chance to think about what they learned, helps you quickly check for understanding, and creates a consistent routine that can make classroom management easier. And, it can keep your students from rushing out of the door before time…if you teach middle school or high school students.

And the best part? It doesn’t have to take a lot of preparation.

Here are 5 fun and easy ways to end your middle or high school class while keeping students engaged until the bell rings.

1. Exit Tickets

My number one go to…exit tickets. They are simple. They are easy to make. And, they count as a form of informal assessment. (So, be sure to keep these in your students’ files. They may come in handy later at MTSS meeting and parent conferences.)

Before students leave, ask them to answer one question about the day’s lesson. Their responses give you an immediate look at what they understood—and what might need to be taught again tomorrow.

Your exit ticket could ask:

What is one thing you learned today?
What is one thing you still don’t understand?
What was the most important idea from today’s lesson?
Give one example of the skill we practiced today.
What question do you still have?

For an English class, you can make the question specific to the lesson.

After a lesson on characterization, for example, ask:

What is one character trait that describes the main character? Give one piece of evidence to support your answer.

After a grammar lesson, you might put a sentence on the board and ask students to identify the part of speech or correct an error.

And, one of my all-time favorites, is to add some simple to answer multiple choice questions on an actual sheet of paper and have students answer them quickly.

Teacher Tip

Exit tickets do not always have to be on paper. Students can answer on an index card, sticky note, digital form, or even a scrap piece of paper.

The goal isn’t to create something else for you to grade.

The goal is to find out: Did they get it?

2. Journaling

Another oldie but goodie…and, one of my faves is journaling. Sometimes, students need a few quiet minutes to process what they have learned.

That is where journaling comes in.

Students writing at the end of classroom

Sometimes, I give my students a prompt related to the lesson and allow them to write for three to five minutes. Other times, all I want is for them to get their ideas down on paper. This type of journaling isn’t focused on crafting the perfect paper. It’s about retaining the information.

Journaling is especially helpful because students who don’t always participate in class discussions still have an opportunity to express their ideas. Remember, I have often shared about my student who was smart, but she didn’t want her peers to know. So, this is the perfect activity for those students.

3. Quick Write

Students doing a quick write at the end of class

A quick write is similar to journaling, but I like to make it even more focused.

Give students one question and a short amount of time—usually two to four minutes—to respond. No overthinking. No worrying about perfect grammar. Just write what they know.

Best of all, quick writes help students practice getting their ideas down without the pressure of a formal writing assignment.

4. The 3-2-1 Strategy

If you want a little more structure, try the 3-2-1 strategy.

Students respond to three short prompts before leaving class.

For example:

3 things I learned today
2 things I found interesting
1 question I still have

That’s it!

You can also change the categories depending on what you’re teaching.

For a short story, you might use:

3 important events
2 character traits
1 theme

For vocabulary:

3 new words
2 words I can use in a sentence
1 word I need to practice

For a novel:

3 important details from today’s chapter
2 predictions about what will happen next
1 question I would ask a character

The 3-2-1 strategy works well because students know exactly what they are expected to do, but you can easily adjust it for almost any lesson.

5. The Three-Word Summary

Here’s one my students love. (Guess why) This is the simplest activity on the list.

Ask students:

“What three words would you use to summarize today’s lesson?”

Only three.

That’s what makes it interesting. Students have to decide which ideas were important enough to make the cut. If you’re reading a story, students might choose words describing the plot, theme, characters, or mood.

For The Monkey’s Paw, for example, a student might write:

Greed. Consequences. Regret.

Another student might choose:

Wishes. Fear. Loss.

Don’t Waste Those Last Five Minutes

The end of class doesn’t have to be wasted time.

You don’t need an elaborate activity, another worksheet, or twenty minutes of preparation. Sometimes all you need is one good question and three to five minutes.

Try rotating these five activities throughout the week:

Exit Ticket – Check for understanding.
Journaling – Give students time to reflect.
Quick Write – Get students thinking and writing quickly.
3-2-1 Strategy – Review several parts of the lesson.
Three-Word Summary – Challenge students to identify the most important ideas.

More importantly, create an intentional ending to your class. Those last few minutes can tell you what students learned, what they missed, what they’re thinking, and what you need to teach tomorrow.

Which One Will You Try?

Do you use exit tickets, quick writes, journals, or another activity to wrap up your class?

I’d love to know your favorite way to keep students learning until the bell rings.

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