Get started with Classroom for teachers

This article is for teachers. Students, go here.

If you’re new to Classroom, this article will show you around and help you complete some common tasks. 

Get started

To get started as a teacher, complete these steps:

1. Sign in to Classroom.
2. Choose an option:
   • Create a class
   • Join a class as a co-teacher
   • Accept a provisioned class
3. Invite students to your class.
   You can do this step later.

After you sign in and have a class, you’re ready to complete common tasks or explore Classroom.

Complete common tasks

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Communicate with your class

Invite people to your class

• Invite students to your class
• Add a co-teacher to a class

Post announcements or send emails

• Post announcements to your students
• Email students, co-teachers, or guardians
• Set up guardian email summaries

Use Google Meet with Classroom

• Start a video meeting for education

Create classwork or post materials

Before you create assignments, you might want to set up your grading system.

Do the basics

• Add materials to the Classwork page
• Create an assignment
• Create a quiz assignment
• Create a question

Do more

• Create a rubric for an assignment
• Turn on originality reports
• Tips for using Forms with Classroom

Grade and return work

Do the basics

• Set up grading
• Give feedback on assignments
• Grade and return an assignment
• Grade and return question answers

Do more

• Grade with a rubric
• View an originality report
• Grade quizzes with Google Forms

Manage your accounts, classes, settings, and notifications

Manage accounts

• About Classroom user accounts
• Sign in to multiple accounts at once
• Limits when using Classroom

Manage settings and notifications

• Manage class details and settings
• Turn notifications on or off

Manage classes

• Use the calendars as a teacher
• Archive or delete a class
• Copy a class

Explore Classroom

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Explore the Home page

On the Home page, you can view and enter all your classes. Think of it as your Classroom Home page.

To open the Home page:

1. Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign In.

   Sign in with your Google Account. For example, [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Learn more.

Overview of the Home page

Each class you create gets a class card. To enter a class, click the class name on the card

Tips:

• To return to the Home page from within a class, at the top left, click Menu Home .
• To minimize the menu to a collapsed version, at the top left, click Menu .

On the Home page, you can also:

• Open other apps, such as Gmail, with the Apps Launcher .
  For instructions, go to Email your students.
• Switch accounts in your Profile .
  For instructions, go to Switch to a different account. Learn more.

Common tasks on the Home page

• Create a class
• Join or leave a class as a co-teacher
• Reorder your class cards
• Use the calendars as a teacher
• Turn notifications on or off

Explore the Stream page

On the Stream page, you can post announcements to your class, and you can control student permissions to post or comment. Think of the Stream page as your class message board.

To open the Stream page for a class:

1. Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign In.

   Sign in with your Google Account. For example, [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Learn more.

2. On a class card, click the class name.
   You’re now in the class, on the Stream page.

Overview of the Stream page

Along with posting announcements, you can also:

• View your video meeting link.
• View your class code.
• Open class Settings .

In class Settings, you manage your class details, invite codes, video meeting link, and grading system. The class Settings are an important part of your Classroom experience.

Common tasks on the Stream page

• Post announcements to your students
• Set student permissions to post and comment
• Manage class details and settings
• Start a video meeting
• Set up grading

Explore the Classwork page

On the Classwork page, you can create and post classwork and materials for your students. You can organize your posts under topics you create.

To open the Classwork page for a class:

1. Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign In.

   Sign in with your Google Account. For example, [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Learn more.

2. On a class card, click the class name.
3. At the top, click Classwork.

Overview of the Classwork page

Classwork includes assignments, questions, and quiz assignments. After you publish a post, students can click it to begin their work. On each post, teachers can see student work status, such as Turned in or Missing.

On the Classwork page, you can also:

• Open your Google Drive folder.
• Open your Google Calendar.
• Start a video meeting.

Common tasks on the Classwork page

• Add topics to the Classwork page
• Create an assignment
• Create a quiz assignment
• Create a question
• Add materials
• Grade and return an assignment

Explore the People page

On the People page, you can see everyone in the class, send emails, and invite people to join the class. Think of the People page as your class roster.

To open the People page for a class:

1. Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign In.

   Sign in with your Google Account. For example, [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Learn more.

2. On a class card, click the class name.
3. At the top, click People.

Overview of the People page

Under Teachers, you see all the teachers in the class. Under Students, you see all the students in the class. If you send email invites, you see Invited next to people's names until they join the class.

On the People page, you can also:

• Email students, guardians, or co-teachers.
  Note: Guardians can't access Classroom. However, you can send guardians automated updates called guardian summaries.
• Mute students, so they can't post or comment.
• Remove people from the class.

Common tasks on the People page

• Invite co-teachers to your class
• Invite students to your class

Explore the Grades page

On the Grades page, you can view, enter, and return grades. Only teachers have the Grades page. The Grades page is also known as your gradebook.

To open the Grades page for a class:

1. Go to classroom.google.com and click Sign In.

   Sign in with your Google Account. For example, [e-mail] or [e-mail]. Learn more.

2. Choose an option:
   • On a class card, click Open gradebook .
   • On a class card, click the class name at the top, click Grades.

Overview of the Grades page

Along with viewing, entering, and returning grades, you can also open student submissions from the Grades page.

When you enter grades in other areas of Classroom, such as the grading tool, the grades automatically update to the Grades page.

Common tasks for the Grades page

• View or update your gradebook
• Grade and return an assignment
• Grade and return question answers
• Give feedback on assignments
• Download grades
• Set up grading

Related resources

• Teacher Center: First day of Classroom 
  A collection of tips and videos to help you get started with Classroom
• Classroom Help Community
  A place to ask questions and get answers from other Classroom users
• Teach from home
  A resource hub to help you teach from home

Related articles

• Use a screen reader with Classroom
• About Classroom user accounts
• Limits when using Classroom