In the concluding paragraph of an essay, is the thesis supposed to be restated at the beginning of the paragraph or at the end?

Here are some good sites on writing a conclusion.

http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Conclusions.html

http://www.writeexpress.com/writing-a-conclusion-for-an-essay.html

I always give my students this formula. Because these(conclusion of Paragraph #1 and Paragraph #2 and Paragraph #3)
are true then the Thesis statement is True. Then as a last sentence a zinger... Give the relevance to life.
When writing, do not copy the last sentences exactly, but summarize the point.
The Relevance can either be earth shaking or it can be humorous or it can be a quote. It is important to make it memorable.

Thank you.

In the concluding paragraph of an essay, the thesis can be restated either at the beginning or at the end, depending on the specific instructions or writing conventions you are following. There is no hard and fast rule dictating the placement of the thesis restatement in the concluding paragraph.

However, it is generally recommended to restate the thesis in a manner that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. Placing it at the end of the concluding paragraph can have a stronger impact as it allows the thesis to serve as a final thought, summarizing the main argument or claim of the essay. Restating the thesis at the end reinforces the main idea before the essay comes to a close, leaving the reader with a clear understanding of your central argument.

On the other hand, some writers choose to restate the thesis at the beginning of the concluding paragraph to remind the reader of the main argument before presenting a brief summary of the supporting evidence and the overall significance of the essay.

Ultimately, the placement of the thesis restatement in the concluding paragraph is a stylistic choice. Consider the purpose of your essay, the tone you want to set, and the guidelines or preferences of your instructor or writing style guide when deciding where to place the thesis restatement.