Using Exit Tickets in Math Class

Using exit tickets in math class has really changed my teaching.  Let me tell you why...

1)  I think the biggest, most important thing that exit tickets have provided me is something worthwhile for the students to do the last 5 minutes of class.  Sometimes my lesson doesn't get me all the way to the bell and having an exit ticket ready to go keeps my class busy all the way until the end of the period.

2)  Using an exit ticket (or quick check as I sometimes like to call them) gives me a really quick way to assess how students are doing on a small slice of material.  I don't know about you, but I usually do not have the time to grade daily homework.  I JUST CANNOT. DO. IT!  But, seeing a small stack of one quick problem to grade for each student is something that I can definitely do in just a few minutes.

It is truly eye opening to get a response from each student.  You really thought that everyone understood everything you were talking about, but when you get the quick check you can see that many students have understood the concept, but others are still struggling.  You know who to work with during the next class period.  Not only that, but you have an idea of what specifically they are struggling with.

3)  Exit tickets keep students engaged and responsible.  If students know that they are going to have to show you what they know at the end of the period, they are less likely to tune out.  You never know when something will be said that is on the end of class assessment.

Do you use exit tickets in your classroom?  I'll be back later this week with some more information about how I use them in my calculus classroom and how I hope to incorporate them into my geometry class this year.