A Versatile Exit Ticket

Happy Thursday!

We're in the last week of school here in Massachusetts and thriving in the typical end-of-year chaos of school-wide events, grade-level activities, and sudden last-minute concerns about grades. In my last email, I shared an example of how two student teachers used a visible thinking routine in a lesson on advocacy, which caused me to think about advocacy in a new way.

(I'm still planning on sharing an activity using the triple Venn diagram I discussed in that email at some point)

Today, I want to share how I used a different visible thinking routine at the end of a seventh-grade unit on decision-making and vaping.

This ticket to leave could be used for any health content area or skill. You could expand the activity as written below and use it at the end of your health class to focus on all of the content and skill areas you covered throughout your class. By using this, you'll be able to get a sense of how student perspectives have shifted as a result of your class.

Shifting Perspectives About Vaping

Out of all the topics I teach, vaping is the one that students come in thinking they know the most about. There are many misconceptions about vaping, its effects on the body, and the consequences of repeated use. Teenagers who spend time on social media are often exposed to those myths. On the other end, students know vaguely why vaping is bad for their health but can't give specific reasons other than saying, "It's bad."

This year, I wanted to get a sense of how their thinking had changed about vaping after our unit was over. I used the visible thinking routine "I Used to Think...Now I Think" to do this. This activity is well-known among visible thinking routines and can be used after an individual lesson or at the end of a unit.

Below, you'll see some examples of student responses from Google Classroom. The responses varied in depth and reflection, but I gained insight into what students picked up from the unit. In the screenshots, I've blacked out the names and profile pictures from Google Classroom but I left spelling and grammar as they were submitted. I also threw in some examples from my students from the second trimester of the school year. These students are seventh graders.

One thing I didn't do this year is to ask students to explain their thinking in more detail. I was only looking for responses, but next year, I think I'll have students elaborate more.

As health educators, we won't be able to follow students around for the rest of their lives to see if they're using advocacy, decision-making, or goal-setting skills. However, we can get a general sense of how our health class has caused a shift in thinking and perspective, which will hopefully result in positive behavior change. With this information, we can adjust the functional health content we teach based on student responses or shift what we thought worked well if there are still misconceptions to address.

Onto Summer!

So, onto summer! I'll still send an occasional email this summer. For me, the key is to balance taking a step away from all things teaching-related while still continuing to grow as an educator at a slower pace. I have some exciting things to work on and some writing to do that I'm looking forward to sharing with you once the school year begins. I have some presenting to do this summer, too: I'll see you soon, Wisconsin!

In the meantime, I'll be spending time with my family, relaxing outside, and finding ways to improve my ability to stay in the moment, which is always a work in progress. I hope you enjoy your summer!

Thanks again for reading!

Jeff B.

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