This document discusses two teaching strategies: 3-2-1 and exit cards. The 3-2-1 strategy has students write down 3 things they learned, 2 questions they still have, and 1 thing they enjoyed after a lesson or reading. This helps the teacher check understanding and gauge interest. Exit cards require students to answer brief questions on paper before leaving class. This provides immediate feedback to teachers on student understanding and questions. Both strategies enhance metacognition and can be modified in various subject-specific ways.

1. TEACHING STRATEGIES
3-2-1
Rationale
This activity helps structure students’ responses to an activity, a reading or a film. It
provides an easy way for teachers to check for understanding and to gauge students’
interest in a topic. Sharing 3-2-1 responses can also be an effective way to prompt a class
discussion or to review material from the previous lesson.
Procedure
Step one: Answering 3-2-1 prompt
After students engage with a text or a lesson, ask them to answer the following questions
in their journal or on a separate piece of paper:
1. Three things that they have learned from this lesson/from this text.
2. Two questions that they still have.
3. One aspect of class/the text that they enjoyed.
Step two: Responding to these prompts
Use students’ responses to guide teaching decisions. 3-2-1 responses can help you
identify areas of the curriculum that you may need to review again or concepts or
activities that hold special interest for students.
Variations
1. Content-specific 3-2-1: You can modify the elements of the 3-2-1 tofocus on
particular content questions. For example, if the class has just been studying the
International Criminal Court, a teacher might have students write down 3 differences
between the ICC and tribunals such as Nuremberg, 2 similarities between the ICC and
tribunals, and 1 question you still have.
2. Identifying main ideas 3-2-1: You could also use the 3-2-1 structuretohelp
students identify main ideas from supporting information. For example, you
could ask students to record 3 of the most important ideas from the lesson or
text, 2 supporting details for each of these ideas and 1 question they have about
each of these ideas.
Exit Cards

2. Rationale
Exit cards require students to answer particular questions on a piece of paper that is
turned in before they leave the class. These cards provide teachers with immediate
information that can be used to assess students’ understanding, monitor students’
questions or gather feedback on teaching. For students, exit cards serve as a content
review at the end of a daily lesson and enhance their meta-cognitive skills.
Procedure
Step one: Preparation
Students should have a pen/pencil and paper. Instructors can prepare half-slips of
paper with typed questions or write questions on the whiteboard for students to answer.
Step two: Students respond to prompt
Often teachers have students complete exit cards during the final 5 minutes of the class
period. Since exit cards must be turned in before students leave class, it is best if the
prompts are specific and brief. Often they refer directly tothe content that was studied,
but they can also be general in nature such as:
1. List three things you learned in class today.
2. What questions, ideas and feelings have been raised by this lesson?
3. What was your favorite moment of class? Why? What was your least favorite part
of class? Why?
4. Evaluate your participation in class today. What did you do well? What would you
like to do differently next time?
Exit cards can be structured using the 3-2-1 style as well. Depending on the purpose for
having students complete exit cards, teachers may have students complete them
anonymously.
Step three: Accountability
Students may leave class when they turn in an exit card to the teacher.
Variations
1. Sharing the results of exit cards: Often it is appropriate to share your
findings from the exit cards with students at the beginning of the next lesson. For
example, you could mention that many students asked similar questions so you will
make sure to address these questions in subsequent lessons. Sometimes teachers type
up the results of the exit cards (without names) and have students respond to these

3. comments as a warm-up during the next lesson. Letting students know that you have
read their ideas and have used them to inform your teaching decisions helps build a
classroom culture of respect and trust.