Using Exit Tickets to Check Understanding in ESL Classes

🎯 Introduction

Teachers often leave class unsure whether students truly understood the lesson. Exit tickets offer a quick, low-pressure way to check comprehension before students leave. This post explores how TEFL teachers can use exit tickets to gather meaningful feedback and adjust instruction efficiently.

📄 Why It Matters / Why It Works

Exit tickets provide immediate insight into student learning. They reveal misconceptions, highlight gaps, and guide lesson planning. Because they are short and informal, students feel less anxious than with traditional assessments. Over time, exit tickets create a feedback loop that improves teaching accuracy and student outcomes.

📚 Practical Teaching Strategies / Steps / Activities

1. One-Sentence Summary Exit

Ask students to write one sentence explaining what they learned.This tests comprehension and ability to synthesize information clearly.

2. Target Question Check

Write one focused question tied to the lesson objective.Example: “When do we use the present perfect?”Students answer before leaving.This helps identify specific areas that need review.

3. Error Spotting Exit Ticket

Give students a sentence with a mistake related to the lesson.They correct it before exiting.This checks both understanding and accuracy.

4. Confidence Scale Reflection

Students rate their understanding from 1 to 5 and write one question they still have.This helps teachers gauge confidence levels and emotional readiness.

5. Choose-the-Next-Step Ticket

Give two review options for the next class and let students vote.Example: “More practice” or “new topic.”This builds learner autonomy while informing lesson planning.

💡 Pro Tip

Sort exit tickets immediately into three piles: understood, partially understood, and confused. This speeds up lesson adjustment.

📌 Final Thought

Exit tickets turn the end of class into a powerful learning checkpoint. GoTEFL supports teachers with smart assessment strategies, and TEIK places educators in classrooms where real-time feedback drives better teaching decisions.