Exit Slips

Exit slips are written student responses to questions teachers pose at the end of a class or lesson. These quick, informal assessments enable teachers to quickly assess students' understanding of the material.

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Why use exit slips?

• They provide teachers with an informal measure of how well students have understood a topic or lesson.
• They help students reflect on what they have learned.
• They allow students to express what or how they are thinking about new information.
• They teach students to think critically.

How to use exit slips

1. At the end of your lesson ask students to respond to a question or prompt.

   Note: There are three categories of exit slips (Fisher & Frey, 2004):

   • Prompts that document learning:
     —Example: Write one thing you learned today.
     —Example: Discuss how today's lesson could be used in the real world.
   
   
   • Prompts that emphasize the process of learning:
     —Example: I didn't understand…
     —Example: Write one question you have about today's lesson.
   
   
   • Prompts to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction:
     —Example: Did you enjoy working in small groups today?
   
   
   • Other exit prompts include:
     —I would like to learn more about…
     —Please explain more about…
     —The thing that surprised me the most today was…
     —I wish…
   
   
2. You may state the prompt orally to your students or project it visually on an overhead or blackboard.
3. You may want to distribute 3 x 5 cards for students to write down their responses.
4. Review the exit slips to determine how you may need to alter your instruction to better meet the needs of all your students.
5. Collect the exit slips as a part of an assessment portfolio for each student.

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