Exit tickets are a snapshot for the teacher to gain quick understanding of exactly where each student is at when it comes to mastery of a skill. Exit tickets are a great tool to use to determine the pathway of instruction. They can also be used to help group students into flexible groups.
Exit Tickets Explained
Exit tickets are a quick way to check for understanding. They are a 2-3 minute quick check that focuses on one skill at a time. Typically, there are anywhere from 2-6 problems on a well designed exit ticket.
Checking for Understanding
Students are given an exit ticket at the end of a lesson. Students know that the exit ticket is not graded for their report card. This brings down the level of test anxiety and provides a true glimpse into exactly where the student is at with their understanding of the skill.
Gathering Data
Once students finish their exit ticket, the teacher takes a quick look at each one. The tickets get placed into three piles.
- Group 1: skill mastered-ready for an independent activity
- Group 2: some understanding-needs a little extra reteaching
- Group 3: no understanding-needs a small group intervention
Differentiating Instruction
Group 1 Students
The day after giving an exit ticket to the class is typically for the differentiated instruction. The students from pile 1 are going to complete a math center independently.
Group 2 Students
Group 2 students are going to get a brief reteaching on the skill and then can go into the math centers but the math centers will be done with a partner.
Group 3 Students
Group 3 students will receive a small group intervention with the teacher. This may involve some manipulative to help reteach the concept in a different way. This group should only be anywhere from 1-5 students.
Designing Exit Tickets
A good exit ticket is going to have very specific components. It will list the skill that is being assessed. It will focus on one targeted skill. The skill will be aligned to your math standards. The exit ticket will offer at least two opportunities or problems to complete. There will also be a place for the student to self reflect on how they feel about the skill. This allows the teacher to understand how confident the student is feeling about the concept. Finally, a good exit ticket will have several versions of the exit ticket for each skill taught throughout the year to allow for multiple opportunities to demonstrate understanding.
Don’t want to create these from scratch? We offer these exit tickets with every single component explained above in three grade levels.
The Benefits
There are many benefits to using exit tickets in your classroom. First, they are quick and easy to use. Next, students who have mastered the skill don’t have to continue to receive instruction, rather can use their understanding to reinforce the skill through a hands-on and engaging activity. Also, they provide reassurance to the teacher that they are delivering precise and targeted instruction to those who need it. Last, students are getting the instruction that is best for them. Less students are going to “fall through the cracks” with math exit tickets guiding your instruction and lesson planning.
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