A Quick Guide on Ways to Use Exit Tickets in the Classroom

I discovered using exit tickets in the classroom many years ago and I've used them in different formats over the years.  There are many ways to use exit tickets and ways that they can be helpful as an educational tool.

Below are some exit tickets ideas to help make them a valuable part of your classroom instruction.

Assess Understanding

Exit tickets can be used to assess understanding of material. Give students a few questions related to the material covered in class, have them answer on the exit ticket, and then use the responses to gain insight into how well the material was understood.  You can then use this information to reteach, include in a spiral review, or pull small groups.

Reflect on Learning

Exit tickets can also be used to give students a chance to reflect on their learning. Prompt them with questions like “What was the most important thing you learned today?” or “What was the most difficult concept to understand?”  Reflection helps students with the motivation to learn and to enjoy the process of learning.

Encourage Student Engagement

Use exit tickets to encourage student engagement. Ask students to explain how they would use the material they learned in class in a real-world situation. This is a great way to bring speaking and listening into your lessons. Having them share it with a partner first also helps to lower that effective filter before students need to write their answers down on their exit tickets.

Encourage Collaboration

Exit tickets can be used to encourage collaboration. Ask students to discuss the material with a partner, then have each student write a summary of their partner’s response on the exit ticket. This is another great opportunity for speaking and listening. If the student is writing their partner's response, they really need to focus on what their partner is saying.

Get Immediate Data

Use digital exit tickets for immediate data. Google forms are perfect for this since they are self-grading and will give you quick information.  This is great for pulling groups immediately.  I've started using Google Forms math exit tickets to pull my small groups immediately after a math lesson.  Each exit ticket has 3 problems, giving me enough information to know if students understand the material.

Easy and No Prep

Exit tickets can be easy and no prep.  Just hand out index cards and write a problem on the board.  You'll get your information with no copying or prep needed.

Do you use exit tickets in your classroom?  Comment below and let me know how you use exit tickets.

~Jill