Ways to end the quarter/semester when everyone is over it.

[paddington_bear]

I think that at one time there was a thread here about activities and such for the final day/week(s) of the quarter/semester when everyone is exhausted.  Or maybe it was a Chronicle article. Obviously every discipline might have different needs as the quarter/semester ends, but do people have deliberate end-of-term activities they do or things that they save for the end, when people are do exhausted to do much else. I'm sort of wishing I'd scheduled presentations for the final two weeks (instead of having them before Thanksgiving break) so that students could be focusing on their own work and I wouldn't have to "teach" so much. Are there any energy-lite activities you do?

[FishProf]

Today is my last day and it is all presentations all the time.

The one final is a tour of the local aquarium

[Liquidambar]

We ended it with a bomb threat, but I wouldn't recommend that...

Some things I like to do in the last weeks of class:

• Student presentations.  When it's not a pandemic, I like to bring doughnuts in honor of their presentations.
  
• Topics for which we can look at cool computer simulations.  I usually give them a worksheet to answer questions about what they observe, so they're at least somewhat mentally engaged.
  
• Topics selected and voted on by the students.  It's extra prep for me the first time, but the popular topics tend to come up again so I can reuse my materials.
  
• Exam review:  Everyone submits a couple of potential exam questions.  I paste them into an outline of our course topics and give them to students as a study guide.  When we talk through it in class, I mention which questions are unreasonable and wouldn't be asked on an exam.
  

[Puget]

I do a "look back special" where they do an in class assignment in which they discuss together and come up with examples illustrating the broad themes in the course. I want them to reflect on the big picture stuff that they will hopefully remember years from now (I'm under no delusions that they will remember any of the details). Then we do exam Q and A.

[the_geneticist]

I do student presentations on their lab projects.  Puts the burden of the work on the students.  I have to create the rubric in advance so it's nice to have a break from prep.

[ciao_yall]

I ask students to reflect on the semester and share out...

1) Their biggest surprise
2) The most important thing they learned

[apl68]

I ask students to reflect on the semester and share out...

1) Their biggest surprise
2) The most important thing they learned

1)  My biggest surprise this semester
Prof. ciao_yall really meant it about no extra credit!


2)  The most important thing I learned this semester
There's stuff in the syllabus that you actually need to know to do you work on time.  Who knew?

[FishProf]

I ask students to reflect on the semester and share out...

1) Their biggest surprise
2) The most important thing they learned

1)  My biggest surprise this semester
Prof. ciao_yall really meant it about no extra credit!


2)  The most important thing I learned this semester
There's stuff in the syllabus that you actually need to know to do you work on time.  Who knew?

How do I put something in the HOF?

[the_geneticist]

I ask students to reflect on the semester and share out...

1) Their biggest surprise
2) The most important thing they learned

1)  My biggest surprise this semester
Prof. ciao_yall really meant it about no extra credit!


2)  The most important thing I learned this semester
There's stuff in the syllabus that you actually need to know to do you work on time.  Who knew?

I ask students what was most challenging, most interesting, and what advice would they give the next group of students.

Challenging: you have to remember what you did in week

• in week [y].
  Advice: take notes, save your lab worksheets, ask questions, listen to your TA, actually learn how to use the equipment.
  
  It's like they think each week is a "one and done!", even when we tell them they are working on a project.

[mamselle]

I ask students to reflect on the semester and share out...

1) Their biggest surprise
2) The most important thing they learned

1)  My biggest surprise this semester
Prof. ciao_yall really meant it about no extra credit!


2)  The most important thing I learned this semester
There's stuff in the syllabus that you actually need to know to do you work on time.  Who knew?

How do I put something in the HOF?

Done.

(Use the quote function, then open HOF, then insert the quoted material)

M.

[statsgeek]

I ask students to reflect on the semester and share out...

1) Their biggest surprise
2) The most important thing they learned

I added this at the last minute yesterday morning, and it was a much better way to end the semester than, "see y'all at the final".  Thanks, ciao_yall! 

[paddington_bear]

Great ideas so far! Here are the questions I'm having the students respond to today on the CMS. (They won't be anonymous but I'm thinking about making the responses anonymous, in case the students are worried.)

What was the most interesting thing (for whatever reason) you learned this semester?
What was the most important thing (for whatever reason) you learned this semester?
If you had to delete one text from our reading list, which would it be and why?  (Feel free to look at the syllabus to refresh your memory.)
Was there one thing that could have happened - either on my part or on yours -  in this class that would have helped you do better and/or better understand the material in this class?

For next semester, I'm still thinking of how to wind down the last two weeks. Presentations are a good idea. I eliminated the final paper in two classes and made a rewrite of their most recent paper optional. I don't totally want to write of the last week or two, but I would like to acknowledge that everyone is exhausted by this point (pandemic or no pandemic).

[apl68]

I ask students to reflect on the semester and share out...

1) Their biggest surprise
2) The most important thing they learned

I added this at the last minute yesterday morning, and it was a much better way to end the semester than, "see y'all at the final".  Thanks, ciao_yall!

Kidding aside, I think it sounds like a great way to do it too.