Mini-Celebrations+of+Knowledge

**AKA Mini-Quizzes,** **Exit Tickets** **__The Setup:__** So, you're not sold on exit tickets huh? Well, neither was I at first. Oh sure, I tried them a couple of times, but with no real conviction they weren’t helpful. After a particularly challenging day with my 6th period class, I came back the next day and had a serious conversation with them. I frankly discussed how much I wanted them to do well and how I was letting them down by not exacting high standards of performance from them. Part of the changes I made was to have a mini-celebration of knowledge 3-4 times a week. **__The Specifics:__** -Administered in the last 5 minutes, intentionally with little time left in class -Worth 3 quiz points (I had learned previously that my students didn’t take it seriously without the points) -Done on little rectangles of paper that I cut up and handed out -One math problem that was exactly the same as what the day’s lesson/homework was about **__How It Helped Me:__** -Formative assessment -Students knew what they should take away from the day’s lesson -Students knew quickly whether or not they understood the material -You are quickly and easily able to assess what students do and do not understand from the day (way easier than grading homework) Summative assessment -The class scores on quizzes and tests increased noticeable after I implemented mini-celebrations -Classroom management -When students know that they are going to be quizzed on the material that day, they seem to pay more attention -Students will not be able to line up at the door before the bell rings -During the lesson, when I came to the material that was going to be on the mini-quiz, I would say, "this is awfully similar to what you will be quizzed on. Hint hint, wink wink, nudge nudge." This would quickly generate many questions and students would want to do a practice problem or two before moving on. **__The Feedback:__** Unsolicited, some of my students told me how much they appreciated the mini-celebrations of knowledge because they really let the students know what they should be able to do by the time we were done with the day’s lesson.
 * Mini-Celebrations (of Knowledge)**