“Effective Plenaries in a lesson are those that help the teacher to make sure all students understand what they have learned. They can be used as an opportunity for reflection, or simply as a way of summarising or reinforcing key points from the day’s lessons.’ (https://www.structural-learning.com/post/a-teachers-guide-to-lesson-plenaries) 

When you include plenaries in your lessons there are 3 important things Phil Beadle (2013) informs us we should keep in mind:

1. Plenaries need to be planned,

2. Give sufficient time for them,

3. Get the pupils to do the work. 

Features of effective plenaries: 

• Planned and executed so a teacher can assess understanding of the whole class. 
• Used throughout the lesson as a form of assessment. 
• Enough time for pupils to participate and demonstrate their understanding and learning. 
• Highlights pupil misconceptions to ensure they are addressed promptly, before becoming embedded. 
• Kept simple so everyone knows what they are doing and how to access the plenary. 
• Summarises learning and gets everyone involved. 
• Links to prior and future learning. 
• Accessible for all learners to be able to demonstrate their understanding. 
• Happens at the most effective time in a lesson. 
• Used as an opportunity to celebrate success and provide feedback. 
• Allows a teacher to evaluate learning to adapt teaching in the moment or subsequent lessons. 
• Provide opportunities for pupils to reflect on their own learning and understanding. 
• Consolidate skills and knowledge. 
• Identifies next steps for individuals and groups of pupils. 

Ideas for plenaries: 

• Write / draw 5 things you have learned today 
• Exit tickets 
• Think-pair-share 
• Show me white boards 
• Mind map / brainstorm / brain dump 
• Venn diagram 
• True or false 
• Hinge questions 
• Tell me / show me 
• Summarise 
• Label a diagram 
• Timelines 
• Bingo 
• Guess the question 
• Odd one out 

This blog was written by Bretta Townend-Jowitt, Education Consultant and Trainer.