Exit Tickets in the Classroom

Exit tickets in the classroom are one of the easiest formative assessments for reading that can be adapted and used over and over again. I LOVE exit tickets because, once I have a template made, I can create several to use throughout an entire unit in just a few minutes.

Before using exit tickets in the classroom, it’s important to get organized so that you have a place to put data as you analyze the tickets! Student data can be overwhelming, so create a system before using assessment for formative purposes. Sign up below to download this FREE guide as you learn how to create a system for organization that makes formative assessment a breeze.

Why Use Exit Tickets?

You may be wondering what an exit ticket is or why you should use it in your classroom. The most important thing to know is that exit tickets are a quick way to grasp how much your students are understanding. When you use them daily, it’s very easy to see how students are doing, create intervention or enrichment plans, and keep track of progress for yourself and for parents. Wouldn’t it be great to REALLY know how your students are doing? Exit tickets are the answer! Given all the benefits of using exit tickets in the classroom, this little bit of extra effort will always be worth your time. And the best part is that you can reuse them year to year!

How to Create Reusable Templates for Exit Slips in the Classroom

Creating a few templates is the easiest way to plan, implement, and assess exit tickets in the classroom. Here are the steps that I have found make using exit tickets a breeze.

Create Templates

Think about your grade level and the students in your classroom. Decide how students will be using exit tickets. Will they be working independently, in a small group, or whole group? This is important to consider–especially when working with younger students–as you decide how much text to put on the templates.

The second thing to consider is the type of format you want. Examples may include emojis, multiple choice, short answer, or matching. Keep templates simple with straightforward directions and a basic, general format so that they are easy to edit later. Here are a few examples.

Decide Assessment Objective

What do you want to learn about your students? What are you hoping they understand? The answers to these questions often mirror the learning objectives from your lesson. Taking a second to think this through makes planning easy and intentional, as all parts of your lesson work to accomplish the same thing.

Once you decide on the assessment objective, think about which type of exit ticket makes the most sense for gathering that information.

Create Rubric

Make a copy of the template you plan to use. Create a rubric right on the exit tickets so that students and parents know the expectation. I love to have my scoring method written right on the ticket so these can be sent home. It gives direct, efficient feedback to both students and parents.

Edit the Template

Once you have created a rubric, edit the template further with directions, questions, or other ways you plan to assess student knowledge. See these examples below.

How to Use Exit Tickets in the Classroom

Now that the exit ticket has been created, it can be implemented in your classroom. Decide how you will assess. Will it be completed in the whole group, small group, or individually? The point of an “exit” ticket is to get it completed as soon as students are exiting the door or finishing that subject, allowing them to take the ticket with them to practice the information you just taught.

Finally, assess and document progress. Exit tickets should help you inform future instruction, so use it as a formative assessment. These do not have to be looked at as “grades.” I take a number on much of my student work more as a more concrete way to document progress. My actual grades are taken for bigger quizzes or more formal assignments, but this is up to teacher discretion.

Use these 4 steps to create and use exit tickets in your classroom! The more you do it, the faster it will become part of your regular teaching practice. If you are looking for more exit tickets and formative assessments for reading or book club reading formative assessments, these are filled with ideas that you can use tomorrow.

Don’t forget to download your FREE guide to organizing the assessment system in your classroom so you can start teaching more responsively!