Experienced teachers know that a good classroom is more about a back-and-forth, give-and-take model rather than just “teacher talks, students listen.” Students are most successful when teachers are constantly assessing their progress and adjusting instruction. Exit tickets are one terrific way to get immediate feedback on the lesson at hand. They work in every classroom at every level, and in virtual classrooms too. Here are some of our favorite ways to put them into practice.
1. Ask “What Stuck With You Today?”
Find out what made the most impact with one simple question. Sticky notes are fantastic for exit tickets; just have each student post theirs to the board on their way out the door.
Learn more: Teach From the Heart
2. Pose a Lunch Question
In elementary classrooms, there’s no need to wait until the end of the day. Try using exit tickets before lunch or recess. Kids too young to write? Have them tell you their answer on their way out the door.
Learn more: Fresh & Fun First Grade
3. Have them “Tweet” it
This cute “Twitter” board is sure to appeal to young social media fans. Laminate the cards so they can be reused each day.
Learn more: Texas Teaching Fanatic
4. Gauge understanding with emojis
Here’s another way to help today’s kids connect and share their progress. Have them circle an emoji on this free printable and explain why it reflects their understanding.
Learn more: UKEDResources
5. Record a Flipgrid video
Flipgrid is a totally free online tool for schools, where kids record video answers to a question posted by their teacher. This is such a cool exit ticket idea for virtual classrooms, though it works in face-to-face classrooms too.
Learn more: Flipgrid
6. Collect exit tickets on a traffic light
Have students post their tickets on a traffic light to indicate whether they’re doing fine or struggling a bit. That way, you can focus on those who need more help first.
Learn more: Timeouts and Tootsie Rolls
7. Give them a prompt
Sometimes exit tickets are very specific, but other times you just want to know what their general reaction was to the class that day. We like this simple option that offers a few prompts to get them started.
Learn more: Classroom Freebies
8. Use the “Post It, Prove It” method
Here’s an example of a more specific exit question. Try to ask questions that have more than one right answer, so students don’t just copy each other’s responses.
Learn more: Smith Curriculum & Consulting
9. Let them teach others
Kids often surprise us by looking at things in entirely different ways, but still getting the correct answers. Their thoughts on a subject may give you ideas for helping other students who need a bit more instruction.
Learn more: Ciera Harris Teaching
10. Take a poll
Online polls make terrific exit tickets. Poll Everywhere is free to use, and kids can text their answers. Fun!
Learn more: Smore
11. Encourage self-reflection
Valuable as they are to teachers, exit tickets are also important for helping students self-assess. This version lets them reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement.
Learn more: Primarily Speaking
12. Tell two facts and a fib
We love this interactive ticket idea! Kids write down two facts about today’s subject, and one fib. Trade with another student to see if they can guess the incorrect fact before turning them in.
Learn more: The Owl Teacher
13. Try them in any class
Oui, oui, les “billets de sortie” work in French class, or Chemistry, or Art History … every teacher should try them.
Learn more: For French Immersion
14. Keep an Exit Ticket Journal
Give exit tickets a bit more substance by having students keep them in a journal. This gives them a nice record of learning and can help when it comes time to review for tests or write a paper.
Learn more: The Secondary English Coffee Shop
15. Post exit tickets on Padlet
Think of Padlet as an online bulletin board. Teachers post a question or topic, and kids add their answers. See our review of Padlet here, then give it a try.
Learn more: Padlet
16. Print exit tickets on sticky notes
Did you know you can easily print on sticky notes? This game changer means you can easily customize exit tickets for any topic.
Learn more: The Stellar Teacher Company
17. Write a 3, 2, 1 list
The 3, 2, 1 method allows kids to self-assess, but it also lets them indicate a deeper level of interest in the topic at hand.
Learn more: School Specialty
18. Make it a mini-assessment
You’ll have to prep these in advance, but an assessment exit ticket is sort of like a no-stress quiz. Kids simply do their best, without worrying about grades, and you get a better feel for their progress.
Learn more: Young Teacher Love
19. Fill up a shopping cart
Here’s a chance to really see what their takeaways were from a lesson. This will let you see if your learning objectives are coming through as they should.
Learn more: The Owl Teacher
20. Collect answers on Google Forms
Teaching online, or looking to save paper? Collect your tickets using Google Forms instead. This is especially useful if you’re already using Google Classroom.
Learn more: Jenna Copper
21. Take time to analyze exit tickets
Make sure your exit tickets are worth the effort. Spend a little time at the end of each class or day looking over student responses, and make notes about any needs they indicate.
Learn more: Teaching With Jennifer Findley
Exit tickets are just one type of formative assessment. Check out 15 Ways to Know When Your Students Aren’t Getting It: A Guide to Formative Assessment.
Plus, 12 Super Creative Curriculum Review Ideas and Games.
