20 Top Tips for Google Classroom

I wanted to write something helpful about kickstarting the new school year, so I thought, what is the number one tool most teachers are using and what tips and tools can I share to work more productively?

After polling in our Facebook Group, it became quite quickly obvious that Google Classroom is the big winner.

So here we go. My top 20 tips that I think will help you the most when using Google Classroom in the new school year.

1. Use ready-made content from education sites which are integrated with Google Classroom. Seneca Learning has for instance a great range of content ready-made for Google Classroom assignments. 🧠

   Get access to questions for Google Classroom

2. Change your settings so that your stream just shows the information more relevant to you! A useful example is de-selecting assignments from showing on the stream. 📝
3. Watch out for students turning in blank assignments! They will still show as complete even if they are empty, so keep an eye on this. 👀
4. Join other teachers using Google Classroom in the official Help Community and discuss any struggles or best practices.

5. Watch Youtube instructional videos before getting started or trying a new feature. This channel is particularly helpful! 💻

   Here's a tutorial to get free online questions from Seneca linked to Google Classroom

6. Use the scheduling feature! Save time & load up all your assignments in one afternoon! ⏰
7. Use the Google Classroom support forum whenever you run into a question. 👩‍🏫
8. Know the difference between the “Stream” tab and the “Classwork” tab and use Topics in the Classwork tab to keep things organized. 📒
9. When assigning documents, ALWAYS choose the tab “make a copy for each student.” If this is not selected, all students will edit the same document. ✏️
10. Book tip: 50 things you can do with Google Classroom📚
11. A great way to give them guidance without having to continuously check in via chat or videoconference are checklists. You can add this to Google Classroom as a “Topic”. ✅
12. Explore other free technology training and teacher resources from Google in the teacher center.
13. Subscribe to the EDU in 90 Youtube playlist to keep informed on important topics for educators, administrators and school leaders.
14. Save time and treat all students as if they are virtual students. Asking all of your students to work through scheduled Google Classroom assignments will remove any inconsistency! 📝
15. Share your screen with ALL students when teaching. This ensures students at home and in-class all receive the same teaching. ✅
16. Make sure your students in the classroom have access to a Chromebook (or equivalent tech), so they can complete online tasks. 🖥
17. Record your main classroom lessons, so that all students can catch up if required. 📹
18. Focus on competency-based-learning and asynchronous online learning if possible. This great article provides more detail on this. 🧠
19. Use the tools and tips provided by Google for teachers and families helping students to keep learning remotely.
20. Book tip: Stepping Up to Google Classroom: 50 Steps for Beginners to Get Started📚

I hope you've found these tips helpful. If you're interested in free content for Google Classroom than I'm happy to share with you the links to free online questions.