I love to wrap presents. There are so many ways to make a present special, regardless of its contents. All of the paper designs, ribbons, bows, and tape decals excite my creative side and make me feel like a kid in a candy store! When I give a gift, I want to make sure the wrapping is appealing since the wrapping is the first part of the present the receiver sees.
To me, the wrapping on the present is similar to our semesters. The present is the content, and the wrapping is the delivery of the content.
To help make the semester even more special, I recommend adding a bow! We have spent the last 15 weeks with these students, really building a connection with them. While it is necessary to conclude the course with comprehensive assignments, I believe it is also valuable to conclude with a reflective session of some sort. The final session could be one of the following:
- A gratitude session where students share what they’re grateful for in your course.
- A storming session that allows students to generate all they have learned this term.
- A “warm-fuzzy” session where students give praise to one another in the class.
- A reflective writing freewrite prompt for students to review their work this semester.
Make the course even more memorable by having a session that provides students with the opportunity to see all they have learned and maybe even allow them to see their growth. As you are “wrapping” up the semester, I encourage you to find a way to top off your course with a bow!