If you walk into my classroom, one routine you’ll probably see is students either completing or reviewing exit tickets. I use exit tickets almost every day in my classroom. They’re quick, easy, and provide so much valuable information! Exit tickets help me gauge how well students have understood the day’s lesson, identify areas that need more practice, and adjust my teaching based on student needs. Here’s how I make exit tickets an efficient part of our daily routine.
First, what is an exit ticket? Let’s get on the same page – Exit tickets are a quick method of formative assessment to see what a student can do independently. An exit ticket can be a separate set of problems on a piece of paper, a Google Form or Doc, something written on a sticky note, or even a circled problem on a worksheet. Exit tickets can be digital or printed. I prefer printed exit tickets for math activities, so I can analyze student work. I often use digital exit tickets for reading or writing activities, so handwriting isn’t a barrier for my students to show what they know. I try to avoid multiple-choice questions as much as possible, as students can guess and get them correct, giving me inaccurate data.
Setting Up for Success: Organizing Exit Tickets in Advance
To make sure I always have time for exit tickets, I prepare them ahead of time. I keep a bin of hanging file folders, each one labeled by topic, with pre-printed exit tickets ready to go. When I print exit tickets, I make twice as many as I need and place any extras in the corresponding folder. This way, if we have extra time or I want a quick check on how students are grasping the material at the end of a lesson, I can simply grab an exit ticket from the bin and hand it out. Having this organized system means I’m more likely to use exit tickets consistently, which helps me keep a steady pulse on student learning.
Tip: Use labeled hanging file folders with color-coded tabs to make it easy to grab the right topic quickly. This small setup step saves time and keeps materials organized! I use these editable file folder tabs to keep everything organized and easy!
I also have a time in each class period that I give out exit tickets. For example, in 4th hour, I give out an exit ticket at 11:30am, no matter where we are in the day’s lesson. By having a specific time in mind, I’m less likely to forget about it and make sure I pass out my exit tickets with enough time for students to really do their best.
Grading Exit Tickets: Formative Assessments That Don’t Weigh Down Grades
I use a low-weighted formative assessment category (5% of their grade) for exit tickets. This category provides a “snapshot” of students’ day-to-day understanding without significantly affecting their overall grades. I explain to parents that these scores reflect real-time progress and are used to guide instruction, not to penalize students.
Analyzing and Adjusting: Using Exit Ticket Data to Guide Instruction
After reviewing the exit tickets, I do two things:
- Adjust My Lessons: I modify my lesson plans based on how students perform. In my special education math class, I have the flexibility to adjust the pacing based on my students’ needs. If students are struggling with a concept, I add more practice or reteach parts of the lesson. If they’re excelling, we move on to more challenging material or the next topic. This approach ensures that students can learn at their own pace, building confidence and skills without feeling rushed.
- Feedback and Reflection: I return the exit tickets to the students, and we go over the answers together. Students use a thin marker to correct their work during the review, which helps them see their mistakes and understand how to improve. This correction time is also an opportunity for them to ask questions and clarify any misunderstandings. Reviewing exit tickets this way makes feedback immediate and actionable, reinforcing learning in a supportive way. It also makes my students take them more seriously, as they understand the purpose of them on a more concrete level.
Record-Keeping for IEPs and Progress Reports
After the class reviews the exit tickets, I collect them again and file each one in individual student folders (I use the same file folder tabs to set up this system!). I keep all exit tickets, writing samples, and any screener assessments in these folders to use later for progress reports and IEP updates. This record-keeping system helps me track growth over time and provides concrete examples of student progress, which are helpful while writing IEPS, reporting progress, and during parent conferences.
Why Exit Tickets Matter
Exit tickets have become an essential part of my classroom routine because they give me regular insights into student understanding, allowing me to make small but effective adjustments to instruction. This routine not only supports individual learning needs but also provides students with a chance to self-reflect, correct mistakes, and take ownership of their learning.
Exit tickets may be simple, but they can make a big difference in how we meet our students where they are and help them grow.
