End of the year for school students means a lot of upcoming changes. Now that students are coping with remote learning situations, it is essential for teachers to help them create a reflection in their mind about the learning experience as well as life experience they have had this year. Most importantly, teachers need to use activities and practical approaches to teaching to end the school year on a positive note.

For teachers, the end of the school year can be one of the busiest and stressful times of the year. But this year can be rediscovered as a doorway to rethink students’evaluation for their assessment.
 

Try these end class refection activities for wrapping up the year and help students sum up their learning experience in newfound ways –

Journal Prompt

Journaling has always been an important way to create scope for introspection. With journal prompts as their end-of-the-year reflective assignment, students will have the opportunity to connect their classroom learning with the experience they were exposed to through lessons and activities. Journaling can also help students to process their thoughts and emotions to process how the uncertain time of lockdown due to the pandemic has their life around them.

Teachers can use this tool as a final reflection of the event and learning of the entire year. to help them out a bit, you can give them prompts such as:

• This year, I faced challenges in…
• I discovered these things about me this year…
• My three take away from this year is…

Use these prompts as hints to what you can expect from giving them the task of writing journal. Better to keep no word limit; however, do ask them to highlight the passage and important segment so that they can share those specific passages with their peers in the class.

Virtual Graffiti Board

Virtual graffiti boards can be so much fun. This could be done individually as well as in small groups when students can create a board with memories and reflections of the year. And then you can marge it together for a final graffiti. Students then can also add comments sharing their learning experience. to make it more engaging you can first brainstorm the ideas first with students and then ask them to proceed with the task. This activity brings potent refection on students' minds and also stimulates them about their previous learning.

Digital Portfolio

Digital portfolio can be a great source to remind learners of what they have accomplished throughout the year. Students can reflect on their dedication and perseverance despite challenges and adjusting to remote learning. Assignments they have completed during the year, which are the ones they think have helped them to learn something valuable about themselves or about the world. Break down this assignment by asking them to choose 2 or 3 past assignments, ask them to write about why they have preferred it, and what they have learned from it.

Letter of Thanks

Though the year has been tough on us, there are certainly things we can be thankful for. Plus, the attitude of gratitude is a magnet to bring blessing and positivity to our life. Try to cultivate this in your students’ lives. Ask them to create notes of appreciation for peers, friends, parents, teachers, and even the school community. Whoever and as many your students want to write it to. Note of gratitude can help them understand the importance and value of community. This is an experience that your students can carry for the rest of their lives.

Note to Future-self

Undoubtedly, a tough year needs to be ended with an attitude of hope. The idea for writing a note to future self is to get students motivated and excited for the upcoming year. This can create an opportunity to make goals for next year. It allows them to think about their plan and what could be their possible next step. With a note to future self-activity, the teacher can ask students to write a letter to their future self and share tips for success as a compassionate idea to navigate the upcoming school year.

With students covering their milestones on curriculum, end of the school year is a time of holistic reflection. Teachers can improvise their essential teaching methodologies while checking off their lesson list, but closing year needs to be embraced by an approach of open-mindedness, especially because of the kind of adjustment we needed to make this year. Finding a sense of closure can also create an opportunity for students to view the larger picture.

Pre and Primary Teacher Training courses can help 21st century teacher to incorporate creativity and innovation to use the digital platform to summarize lessons and learning activities withpractical approaches to teaching.

Written By : Roshni Chatterjee