The hardest part of an exit ticket is writing the question at the end of a long day. These stems work in any subject. Fill in the blank with today's topic and you're done.
Check understanding
Explain ___ in your own words.
What is the most important idea from today, and why?
Give an example of ___.
What is the difference between ___ and ___?
How would you explain ___ to a younger student?
What mistake might someone make with ___?
Solve this one problem and show your work.
Which answer is correct, and how do you know?
Apply it
Where would you use ___ outside this class?
How does today connect to what we learned last week?
What would happen if ___ changed?
Create one question that could be on the test.
Use today's vocabulary word in a sentence about your life.
Draw a quick diagram that shows ___.
Think deeper
Do you agree with ___? Give one reason.
What evidence supports ___?
What is one question you still have?
What surprised you today?
What would you change about ___, and why?
Rank these three ideas from most to least important.
Reflect on learning
Rate your understanding from 1 to 4 and explain.
What part of today was hardest for you?
What helped you learn today?
What do you need more practice with?
What would you tell a classmate who was absent today?
What's one thing you'll remember tomorrow?
Quick formats
3-2-1: three things learned, two interesting facts, one question
Headline: write a news headline for today's lesson
Tweet: summarize today in 25 words or fewer
One word: describe today in one word and explain it
Muddiest point: what's still unclear?
Traffic light: green, yellow, or red, and why
Look ahead
What do you think we'll learn next?
What do you want to know more about?
How could you use this on the next assignment?
What goal do you have for tomorrow?
What will you do differently next time?
What is one step you'll take before the test?
Who could you ask for help with this?
What question should I start class with tomorrow?
Make them part of a routine
Stems work best when students see them often. Rotate through a few each week and keep the format consistent. For a new prompt every school day, Daily Exit Tickets has board mode with a timer and printable slips. The learning targets guide on Elevate the Norm shows how to match each exit ticket to the day's goal.
Keep going
Need something ready to use tomorrow? The Teacher Emergency Toolkit has grab-and-go packs for de-escalation, work refusal, behavior documentation, and sub plans.