ABSTRACT

Students are usually only too happy to pick up their kit at the end of a lesson and rapidly move on to the next event. Teachers quite often experience a sense of relief as the lesson draws to a close so that they can recover and prepare for the next session – this is particularly true if the class has been difficult to manage. Plenary evaluation is a skill that has to be developed, and students will need to learn how to participate in a responsible way. Teachers should ensure that the evaluation takes place on a variety of levels, particularly when attempting to gain a clear picture of their own behaviour management skills. Plenary evaluations do not need to be time-consuming. The last five minutes of any lesson can be usefully spent in finishing off activities, putting away equipment and discussing, both formally and informally, how students feel about the lesson.