15: Stopping an Activity

Best Practice 15: Stopping an Activity

Always give students an idea of how long an activity should take before starting it and then warn them when they should begin wrapping things up (i.e., a few minutes before time is actually up).

Then give students a few more moments to finish their assignment or, in groupwork, to finish what they were saying.

Not Everyone Needs to Finish Every Time

It is okay if not all of the students had a chance to finish an activity –simply take note of which students did not and try to include them in the post-activity discussion before they run out of answers.

Post-Activity Discussion

While teachers should always check all of the answers on a worksheet, it is not necessary to cover each and every discussion question provided in the textbook. Just make sure there is enough time to give everyone a chance to speak, otherwise they might feel cheated.

Stopping a discussion thread while things are still going well might seem counterintuitive but it helps stave off boredom and leaves students wanting more. With their enthusiasm high they will be even more eager to participate in the next speaking activity!