Student Reflection

INCREASE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT BY TRANSFORMING THE LAST MINUTES OF CLASS WITH A LESSON SUMMARY.

--It won't hurt that engaging your students in reflection at the end of class will prevent them from lining up at the door.

What is it?

A "deliberate and meaningful time for students to reflect on what they've learned and experienced" during class. It is the "final component" of the math workshop structure.

Why do it?

Have you ever walked the hallways during your planning period and witnessed classroom after classroom of students standing by the door waiting for the bell to ring? What if we used that time more productively? Have you ever let your students just work on their homework the second half of class? What if we used it as a time to help students further digest what they've just learned, help prepare them for their next lesson, engage in discussions that lead to deeper learning and/or help them make connections instead of just wasting time? The possibilities are truly remarkable.

How do I do it?

There are many ways to structure your lesson reflection with your students during the last minutes of class. Below are some ideas.

1. Write a prompt in a math journal.

2. Facilitate a turn-and-talk and then a share out.

3. Complete an exit ticket.

4. Revisit a moment from the lesson in small groups or as a large group.

5. Conduct a 4-Corners activity.

6. Have students discover a connection to previously learned material or to material that will be learned shortly.

Activities for Closure

3-2-1

Students write 3 things they learned, 2 things they have a question about, 1 thing

they want the instructor to know. Students can use post-its, index cards, or journals.

3 "Whats"

Students discuss or write

• What did we learn today ?
• So What ?(What is the relevancy, importance, or usefulness of what was learned)
• Now What? (How does this fit into what we are learning, does it affect our thinking? Can we predict where we are going?)

Journal Entries

Each day students write about things they learned. Journal prompts are available at the top of the Grade 1 Additional Resources Page.

Exit Tickets

Students complete a task to end class. The task is brief and connected to the instruction for the day.

Whip Around

Students quickly and verbally share one thing they learned in the class today. You can have them toss a ball from one to another or use volunteers.

Fish Bowl

Students write one question they have about the topic of the lesson. This can be something for which they know the answer or for which they want an answer. Form an inner and outer circle. Students share their questions with the person in front of them to see if they know the answer. Student alternate asking questions. Rotate inner and outer circles if time remains.

Quick Doodle

Doodle / draw two or three concepts presented in the lesson may include words or numbers.

Key Ideas

Students list the key ideas from the lesson and why they were important.

* These examples and others can be found in the 40 Ways to Leave a Lesson link.

Prompts for Closure

• How does something you learned today connect with something you already knew?
• Name two things you learned today.
• Share with a partner what mathematics you learned today.
• What was your favorite part of the lesson today?
• What do you still have questions about?
• What did you like?
• What did you dislike?
• If your parents asked what you learned today, what would you say?
• Write down three math vocabulary words you used today.
• What questions do you still have about today’s lesson?
• If you had to explain to a friend who is absent today, what would you tell him we did in math today?
• How would you explain the math you learned today to your younger brother?
• What I learned today can help me later when (choose a concept that applies to the specific lesson.)