Do  you  sometimes  wonder  if  your  hard  efforts  to  teach  are resulting in student learning?  If so, consider using the Exit Slip strategy  for  determining  how  well  students  have  understood  a topic or lesson.  The Exit Slip strategy takes just a few minutes and requires  students   to   write  responses  to   questions  posed  by teachers at the end of class. Questions can prompt various types of input from students and fall into 3 different categories according to Fischer and Frey (2004):

1. 1.document learning (e.g., Write the 3 most important ideas you learned from today’s lesson; The thing that surprised me today was…);
2. 2. emphasize the process of learning and probe to determine what might be causing confusion (e.g.,  Please explain more about… Today I didn’t understand…);
3. 3. evaluate effectiveness of instruction or method (e.g. Did your small group work well today?  Did practice on the computer program help?  I wish…).

 

With the use of Exit Slips, students take time to reflect on what they have learned and express how they are thinking about new information.  Consequently, Exit Slips offer a quick formative assessment method for teachers.  Exit Slips also incorporate writing across content areas, require students to think critically, and to practice summarizing.  Try these templates for a few more examples of Exit Slips.

Other closure activities for classroom instruction that are useful to wrap up the day’s lesson and review key points are suggested by Haiken (2012) in her article (broken link) (broken link) Following are a few ideas to try.

 

• Pair/Share with a shoulder partner – “Tell the person next to you . . .” Have students verbally summarize main ideas and answer questions posed by the teacher

• Doodle-a-Summary –Fold a blank piece of paper in half and fold again in half. When the paper is opened it will create a four part organizer. Have students sketch or draw 3-4 concepts they learned from the lesson using images and words.

• Gallery Walk  –Post the Doodle organizer that represents student learning (described above) on the classroom walls.  Students walk around and view the different visual representations of understanding. This could also be used as an opening class activity on the following day.

 

References
Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2004). Improving adolescent literacy: Strategies at work. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Haiken, M.L. (2012). Beyond the exit slip: Closure activities for classroom instruction.   The Teaching Factor Blog. Retrieved from http://theteachingfactor.wordpress.com/2012/03/18/beyond-the-exit-slip-closure-activities-for-classroom-instruction.