Use of Exit Cards

Exit cards are an essential part of student learning which I feel are not being incorporated enough.

Exit cards are written student answers at the end of a class or lesson to questions the teachers ask. Such rapid, informal evaluations enable teachers to rapidly assess the comprehension of the material by students. Teachers should use these because they provide teachers with an informal measure of how well students have understood a topic or lesson. They also help students reflect on what they have learned, check their understanding, see what they know and do not know, and what they need to study more or improve on. They also allow students to express what or how they are thinking about new information and to think critically.

As a math teacher it is important to understand that when teaching a unit, all concepts build upon each other and are very closely related. If a student does not understand something, it should not be ignored because they will easily and quickly fall behind. This will lead you to talking to them about why they got a certain grade after they receive a bad mark on their unit test. At this point it is too late because the unit is over and it is time for the next unit. That is why it is best to provide these exit cards everyday to ensure students are understanding the concepts daily. It can be a simple exit card such as one that asks how you feel about the concept (bad, ok, good, great), or it could be a series of questions (true/false, matching, multiple choice, short answer).

They are very easy to create and only take a few minutes to complete at the end of class so implementing this is a great idea to enhance student learning. Below are examples of exit cards I have created and used.

1. The area is the amount outside. T / F
2. With a perimeter of 30cm you could have an area of 56 ㎠   T / F
3. With a perimeter of 30cm you could have an area of 54 ㎠   T / F
4. There are a maximum of 4 possible dimensions of length and width for a rectangle with a perimeter of 12cm  T / F