Exit tickets are one of the easiest ways to obtain information and understanding from students. They are typically a small piece of paper or an index card on which students respond to a prompt from the teacher. Teachers may also use Google or other online applications to acquire information from students, e.g. Google Docs or Google Forms.
They have become prevalent in classrooms so teachers can gather information from students, and they also use these for a variety of reasons. They are effective in upper elementary, middle, secondary, and higher education classrooms.
What is an Exit Ticket?
Exit tickets are successful methods of assessment and are proven to be effective tools in the classroom. They are quick, easy, and informative ways to allow students to feel secure and often more comfortable about sharing their thoughts. Exit slips help teachers understand what students learn and if they are having trouble. Teachers can adjust instruction to better meet students’ level of understanding or to challenge them.
Exit tickets also eliminate the stigma of answering these questions in class and remove the fear of failure. Students may feel more at ease sharing their true feelings about whether or not they understand specific concepts and if they need additional information. They are not graded, and they serve to inform teachers of how well the concepts are understood.
Teachers should model the exit tickets and let students know how to fill them out. An example of an exit ticket would be a rating of how well the students understood the lesson from class, and the students provide feedback. Another example would be for students to write their specific concerns or ideas on the exit ticket in more of an open forum. They can use this as an opportunity to ask questions from the teacher.
Exit Ticket Ideas to Use in Your Classroom
There is a multitude of ways to use exit tickets in the classroom. Among these are self-reflection, providing data, showing progress, enhancing student-led discussions, and increasing student motivation. Teachers design exit slips to serve as immediate and authentic feedback from students. The results are enlightening and are positive for student growth. They also allow teachers to create meaningful discussions when teaching.
Self-reflection — One of the most popular ways to use exit tickets is for self-reflection. This is vital for students because it empowers them to think critically about what they know. They can also analyze their actions in class and answer whether or not they were truly engaged. This will also reveal to the teacher where students are in the learning process. Self-reflection has many benefits including deeper awareness of their knowledge and understanding, enriched decision-making skills, and reflecting on what they learn.
Provide data and show progress — Exit tickets inform the teacher of learners’ needs and provide a basis for interaction in class. Research suggests that exit slips are an effective way to help answer students’ questions, motivate them to take ownership of their learning, and provide the teacher with an accurate depiction of where they are in understanding the material. An idea would be for students to turn in exit tickets as they are concluding the day in a pocket chart, and the teacher keeps the exit tickets for visual representations of progress. They can be designed with many purposes in mind, and serve as data in the learning process.
Enhance student-led discussions and increase motivation — Exit tickets increase learner autonomy and build on their interests, strengths, and weaknesses. Incorporating these shows students’ opinions are valued. They provide input and meaningful feedback for future teachings. Active engagement is key for retention, and students’ ideas can enhance this process. Teachers also find out how they learn best. Do they learn best working with a group, individually, or with a partner? It is easier to find out what is working and what is not.
Exit tickets enhance expectations, enlighten instruction, and support learning in the classroom. Teachers allude they are one of the most effective tools they use in their classrooms. Teachers use these in a myriad of ways in the classroom, and the benefits are endless. The open communication and student feedback are effective in engagement, empowerment, and retention.
