Choosing a lesson topic when the bell is about to ring

The last five minutes of class can feel a bit scattered. You’ve got a few kids packing up, a couple asking about tomorrow, and the rest just waiting for the bell. I was flipping through a stack of old flashcards, the edges worn soft, and it hit me.

The quiet hum of a class winding down

It’s that specific energy, you know? Not quite finished, but not really starting anything new either. I used to just announce the next topic, but it never felt quite right. Some faces would light up, others would just nod.I wanted something that felt more like we were deciding together. Not a vote, exactly, but a nudge. A way to honor the different curiosities in the room without making a big production out of it.

Letting the wheel do the talking

So I wrote down a handful of potential topics on the board, all things we could reasonably dive into. A few were from the curriculum map, a couple were tangents from earlier questions. I told them I’d spin a digital wheel at the start of tomorrow’s class.The reaction was quieter than I expected, but good. A few ‘oohs,’ some genuine smiles. It wasn’t about the drama of the spin. It was about the fairness of it. The wheel wasn’t my choice, it wasn’t the loudest kid’s choice—it was just the choice.It made the transition feel less like my decree and more like our shared next step. The bell rang, and they filed out, but the question of what the wheel would land on was already hanging in the air.