I really second the part on ballooning. When I get the "feeling" that a student is getting close to his first solo, I tell him that I will make a control input on short final, just to make sure he's making the correct inputs in case of a sudden gust or whatnot. I also usually ask the student on climbout/crosswind where the preceding aircraft in the circuit is. Sometimes, if traffic is dense, I also tell him to fly back and forth to the holding outside of the traffic pattern. It is good to see the student being able to make an approach from another direction than normal.
And if the third landing is up to standard, I tell him to taxi in to let me off. The important part is not to make a big deal out of with but rather see it as a natural part of the syllabus.
This might seem a little complicated at first, but the reality at big FTO's is that you might be sending someone off that you have spent very little time flying with. Reading through previous instructor comments is of course important, but I rather see some of the vital things myself.