Exit Tickets.  I seriously love them.  They have seriously shaped the style and format of my classroom over the last two years.  Rather than write paragraphs about my infatuation with Exit Tickets, below are four advantages that I have discovered through using Exit Tickets.

Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}
In my heart, I believe that part of making all of ^^^^ happen, is properly sorting Exit Tickets and quickly addressing the needs of my students.  Last year and earlier this school year, I did all of the Exit Ticket sorting in my classroom myself.  In my efforts to create a more student-led classroom, I am working to shift this responsibility to my students.  
Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}
I found this amazing anchor chart and this bulletin board on Pinterest, and it inspired me to create my own system for my classroom.  
Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}
Hanging on my wall are four “folders” that I made using black construction paper.  Two of the four folders will likely be the same all year long.  They read “Got it!” and “No Clue!”  After students complete their Exit Ticket each day, they place their Exit Ticket in the folder in which they feel their Exit Ticket best fits.  
The other two folders change depending on the skill that we are working on.  The posters included say:
  *Silly Mistake (inspired from the anchor chart above)
  *Math Mistake (inspired from the anchor chart above)
  *Mistake #1
  *Mistake #2
Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}
While working on rounding earlier this year, I knew the two mistakes that most students typically make when rounding.  They either incorrectly identify the place value, or they do not follow the standard “4 or less, 5 and above” rule of rounding.  In my opinion, you also address those mistakes in very different ways.  By sorting the students by their mistake, I was able to quickly tailor my instruction and activities to target each of these errors.  
Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}
However, when we moved on to multiplication of larger numbers a few weeks later, the mistakes are much different.  They could be making silly mistakes, such as being sloppy or carrying a number, but forgetting to add it.  While other students are making math mistakes.  In fifth grade, these are typically the students who have yet to master their math facts.  😉
Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}
I use paper clips to allow me to change out these signs on a weekly or daily basis.  These are also laminated so I can write on them with a dry erase marker and my students can easily tell where their Exit Ticket belongs.
Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}
My teaching partner and I typically do the same things and collaborate on small group lessons.  I easily made her a set of these to match her classroom by simply changing the color of the paper! 🙂

Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}
I’d love to share these printables with you!  Click the picture above to grab this freebie, and put them to use in your classroom! 🙂

Exit tickets can help shape the style and format of your classroom quickly. Utilizing this simple tool allows for up to date information on student understanding,lowering student stress, encourages your student to reflect on their work, and helps you create small effective groups.Using exit tickets helps differeniate your centers based on students needs. Be sure to grab the freebie to help you get started. {Exit Tickets, Sorting Students for Small Groups, Differentiating, upper elementary}

Need the Exit Tickets too?  I have them for every skill I cover in fifth, as well as MANY others! 🙂