Triangle-Square-Circle Exit Ticket: 2 Best Uses + Printables

The Triangle-Square-Circle exit ticket strategy complements a lesson well.

Whether teachers want to know what students “took away” from the lesson or need students to reflect on a previous lesson, Triangle-Square-Circle is ideal for assessing learners’ progress.

What is Triangle-Square-Circle Exit Ticket?

The Triangle-Square-Circle graphic organizer is an informal assessment that serves as a closing activity or lesson review.

Using visual representations, this exit ticket encourages students to summarize key points, synthesize information, and ask clarifying questions.

How to Use Triangle-Square-Circle Exit Ticket

Triangle-Square-Circle exit ticket

1. Triangle – 3 Key Ideas

A triangle has 3 points. So students provide three important points that they “took away” from the lesson.

General Prompt: 3 significant ideas that I took away from the lesson…

More examples…

  • Math: List 3 types of quadrilaterals.
  • Social Studies: Name 3 reasons why recycling is important.

2. Square – What’s Squared Away in My Mind?

What concepts or ideas from the lesson are clear for students?

Which ideas, actions, or concepts explored during the learning activity do they understand fairly well?

General Prompt: What concepts from the lesson are squared away in my mind?

More examples…

  • Reading: Which text features are you most comfortable using when reading non-fiction?

3. Circle – Lingering Questions

Students may have further questions about the lesson and/or need further instruction to deepen their understanding.

The circle represents the questions students still have circling in their heads after the completion of the lesson.

The “circle” component of the Triangle-Square-Circle exit ticket serves as a compass for teachers because student responses guide the planning of future lessons.

General Prompt: What one or two questions are still circling in my head?

Triangle-Square-Circle exit ticket

Variation of Triangle-Square-Circle Exit Ticket

Instead of triangles, squares, and circles, consider using other shapes.

Examples…

  • Star – What idea shines bright (stands out most) from the lesson?
  • Heart – Which part of the activity or lesson was my favorite?
  • Semi-Circle – What ideas do I not yet fully understand? How can the teacher further support me so that I have a fuller understanding?

Final Thoughts

The Triangle-Square-Circle exit ticket is a quick tool useful for assessing how well students are progressing with targeted learning objectives.

Now students have a way to show teachers what they know (and don’t know) using a simple yet effective instructional strategy.

If you liked this article, you might be interested in more exit ticket ideas for classrooms.