“Whenever we open a bracket, we need to close it.” Closings are usually what gets cut when a task overruns, yet they recycle language and give the teacher data for the next lesson.
Favourites from the 21
- 3-2-1 exit ticket (3 things learned, 2 questions, 1 use).
- Choose a word: each student writes a sentence with a studied word on a sticky note; the teacher reuses them as next lesson’s gap-fill.
- Inside-outside circle: each student writes a question about the lesson, asks it, rotates.
- Error auction: 6–8 sentences, some wrong; groups bid from an imaginary 100.
- Exit quiz (Kahoot, Forms); Jeopardy or noughts and crosses only if ~10 minutes remain.
Limits
A menu, not tested; no levels.
Why it matters (Claude)
A closing is the cheapest retrieval practice slot in the lesson, and the “choose a word” routine builds next-lesson spacing automatically. Protect it by timing the closing first when planning, and cutting from the middle.
Connections
The oral exit ticket · Spaced retrieval is the best-supported technique · Familiarity is not mastery - retrieve, explain, contrast, transfer