Wrapping Up the Semester With Intention

November 12, 2026

I have long been a proponent of building intentionality around the first day of class to set the class culture, explain the why of the course, set the tone for engagement and interaction with others, and lay out the roadmap of what will take place during the semester. However, I have been increasingly pondering how to wrap up the course at the end of the semester with the same intentionality and thought.

This pondering was initially prompted by a reading of David Gooblar’s 2021 book, The Missing Course: Everything they never taught you about college teaching, as he discussed how the end of the semester can provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their learning process. He offered a self-assessment tool students could complete (p. 71) reflecting on what they learned, how they learned, and how they might change their approach to learning.

As I explored this deeper, I discovered a helpful resource from a fellow sport psychology teacher, Tami Eggleston. Eggleston and her colleague Gabie Smith wrote about the importance of closing out the semester after learning from survey findings that students wanted to have a greater sense of closure. They discussed how instructors can help students find closure by summarizing the big ideas from the course, demonstrating what they have achieved in the semester, considering what they will take away from the course, and providing an opportunity to mark the end of their class experience.

There are many ways that instructors can intentionally close out the semester. But here are a few questions to consider before delving into the specifics:

• Do I want my students to look back on what they learned or consider how they will use their learning moving forward (or both)?

  • Example of looking back: Have students synthesize the big ideas from the course using a concept map.

  • Example of moving forward: Have students reflect on what they have learned and how they will apply the skills or knowledge in other courses they will take, in their future career, or in other areas of their life.

• Do I want students to engage in individual reflections or group reflections (or both)? Or do I prefer to synthesize their learning?

• Do I want to create the questions and content to close out the semester, do I want the students to do so, or do I want it to be co-created?

• Do I want students to leave with a tangible artifact to take with them (e.g., a written reflection, letter to self)?

• How will I honor the learning community that has been created and provide opportunities to say goodbye?

• What type of closure fits for me as the instructor, the size of the class, the class community, and the time available?

Personally, I am exploring a variety of strategies as I wrap up the year related to reviewing what has been learned, asking students to identify what they remember from the key areas discussed in class and the takeaways they hope to apply in their own practice, and thanking them for their engagement throughout the semester with a mini-celebration activity to close out the class. If you are interested in learning a variety of very specific ways to close out your class or have ideas you want to share with others, please go to this shared document. The purpose of the shared document is to provide you with additional resources to consider in closing out the semester with intention, as well as providing a space for others to share resources. Feel free to add to the conversation!