Characteristics of plenaries
- draw together the whole group;
- summarise and take stock of learning so far;
- consolidate and extend the learning;
- direct pupils to the next phase of learning;
- occur at strategic moments in the teaching sequence;
- often occur at the end of lessons but can occur at other points in the lesson;
- highlight not only what pupils learn, but how they learn;
- help determine the next steps in learning.
Purposes of plenaries
Plenaries are vital elements of lessons because they fulfil a wide range of purposes. In particular plenaries can also help teachers as they seek to assess students learning and whilst reinforcing subject knowledge.
Other uses of plenaries include:
> Highlighting and changing misconceptions which have developed;
> Highlighting progress made and revises personal or group targets;
> Developing assessment for learning;
> Help to develop pupils’ perception of themselves as learners.
Twelve keys to successful plenaries
- Plan the plenary as a distinct element of the lesson but specifically designed to help deliver the lessons key objectives.
- Choose the type of plenary which best fits the lesson’s purposes.
- Ensure that pupils feel confident and expect that they will all contribute to the session.
- Provide opportunities for pupils to review and clarify their learning.
- Allow and encourage reflection on what has been learned and how.
- Use varied strategies rather than a repeated routine.
- Extend pupils’ feedback by probing and extending questioning. This is to avoid low level reiteration.
- Synthesise in order to be explicit about big concepts and to aid transferability.
- View the plenary as a key means of delivering progression – make sure the plenary draws out the progress made in the current lesson and extends thinking further, particularly over a series of plenaries.
- Develop pupils’ strategies to organise and remember what they have learned.
- Build up a ‘meta-language’; a language to help pupils talk about their thinking and learning in a way which helps them with future challenges.
- Make sure the place of the plenary is secure (ensure time allocated is not swamped by other activity).
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Classroom Management