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Ten classroom decisions, one click each

Teachers use email polls for exit tickets, comprehension checks, topic votes, conference scheduling, field-trip dates, PTA decisions, elections, and more — because students and parents answer in one click from the inbox, with no accounts, portals, or apps. Here are the ten that come up most, with the poll type that fits each.

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The list

10 ways teachers run polls by email

1

Exit tickets

"How well do you understand today's topic, 1–5?" The end-of-class classic, answered before backpacks zip. Full guide →

Poll type: rating scale
2

Comprehension checks

"Ready to move on, or should we spend one more day on this?" A mid-unit pace check the whole class answers honestly when it's anonymous.

Poll type: yes / no
3

Topic votes

Let the class pick the presentation theme, debate motion, or essay prompt. Buy-in doubles when they chose it.

Poll type: single choice
4

Conference scheduling

Offer parents 4–6 time slots for parent-teacher conferences; names on so you know who picked what. No sign-up-sheet chaos.

Poll type: date & time
5

Field-trip dates

Email the parent list two or three candidate dates; the deadline auto-closes voting before the permission slips print.

Poll type: date & time
6

PTA & booster decisions

Fundraiser theme, budget priorities, meeting cadence — decided in the email thread everyone's already on, not a fourth reply-all.

Poll type: single or multiple choice
7

Class party planning

"Pick everything you'd eat" for the end-of-term party — multiple choice lets each family tick several options, tallied automatically.

Poll type: multiple choice
8

Club & council elections

Students rank the candidates; points crown a clear winner even in crowded fields — and the class learns preferential voting with real ballots.

Poll type: ranked choice
9

Reading-list votes

Which novel next? Offer three, let the class decide, and post the winner Monday. Hide results until the reveal for maximum suspense.

Poll type: single choice
10

Lesson feedback

"What's one thing that would make this unit better?" Open-ended and anonymous — the feedback students won't raise a hand to say.

Poll type: open-ended

Why email

The unfair advantage: everyone already has an inbox

Survey platforms lose classrooms at the login screen: student accounts to roster, parent portals nobody remembers the password to, links that die in spam. An email poll skips all of it — the question arrives where students and parents already are, the answer is one click, and the tally builds itself in your dashboard (with an email alert when votes land). Anonymous when honesty matters, named when follow-up matters — your call, per poll.

FAQ

Common questions

Do students and parents need accounts to vote?

No — voting is one click from the inbox. No student accounts, no parent portals, no apps. That's why email polls get answered at rates link-out survey tools can't touch.

Is it free for teachers?

Free to install with three starter polls plus one free poll every month — every poll type included. Frequent users land on Standard at $75/year; schools buying centrally face no sales-tax paperwork.

Can polls be anonymous?

Per poll, yes. Anonymous for honest feedback and temperature checks; named for scheduling and anything you need to follow up on.

What's the best type for elections?

Ranked choice — students order candidates and points reveal a clear winner, even with a crowded field.

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How-to

Exit tickets in Gmail

The step-by-step guide.

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Purchasing

Buying for a school

Tax exemption, W-9s, receipts.

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Overview

For education

The full teacher's tour.

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The next class decision takes one email.

Install free in two clicks. Three starter polls included — every poll type, no student accounts ever.

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