I always save the best food on my plate for my last bite. I coached speech and debate for many years and always told my students to try to speak last in their final round so the judge remembered them. At a concert, the most popular act always goes last. What seems like just good practice (or that fantastic last bite of mashed potatoes) is a scientific phenomenon called the primacy/recency effect , and we should be using it in our classrooms. I've already explored the vital importance of the first few minutes of class , where many educators thrive. However, research by James Stronge in the book Qualities of Effective Teachers illuminates the equal importance of recency. What are we doing in the last few minutes of class that is extending student learning? Stronge's cited research explains that "lesson closures are undervalued and frequently not planned." According to the primacy/recency effect, however, those last five to ten minutes are indispensable to reinforce t...