Annotations & Comments
Annotations in lesson content.
Teacher Annotations
Annotations are special blocks that are visible only to teachers and hidden from students. They are used for:
- Teaching notes (how to present an activity, timing guidance)
- Teacher-only answer keys, expected difficulties, and follow-up questions
- Reminders and preparation notes
- Contextual instructions for substitute teachers
Adding an Annotation
- Type
/annotationor select "Annotation" from the Insert menu - An annotation block appears with the refreshed annotation style — a tinted background with an inline label so it is easy to distinguish from regular paragraphs
- Write your notes inside the block
- Click the arrow icon next to the "Annotation" label to fold (collapse) the annotation, keeping your editor workspace clean when you have long notes
How Annotations Appear
- Teachers see annotations in the editor with a clear visual indicator
- Students never see annotations -- they are completely hidden in student view
Example annotation content:
Go through each rule. Ask the student to explain in their own words.
Don't correct grammar here -- focus on building confidence.
Expected time: 5 minutes.The AI lesson builder automatically generates annotations for teacher-led lessons with teaching tips, pacing guidance, likely student errors, scaffolding ideas, and suggested questions. You can edit or remove these as needed.
Threaded Text-Selection Comments
In addition to block-level annotations, teachers can attach threaded comments directly to specific words or phrases in the lesson body:
Adding a Comment
- Highlight the text you want to discuss.
- Press
Cmd+Option+M(macOS) orCtrl+Alt+M(Windows/Linux), or click the Comment button in the floating text toolbar. - Type your note in the comment popover and submit.
Threaded Collaboration
- Replies: Other teachers can reply to the comment to discuss wording, exercise adjustments, or lesson timing.
- Resolution: Click Resolve to close the thread once the change is complete.
- Visibility: Text-selection comments are strictly teacher-only; students never see them.
Live Lesson Laser Pointer & Persistent Sticky Notes
During live lessons, teachers have access to real-time visual guidance and quick-note tools in the top-right live tools strip (positioned directly below the Translate tool):
Shared Laser Pointer
Click Use pointer to activate the shared laser:
- Sky-Blue Laser Trail & Click Ripple: Streams a smooth sky-blue laser dot, trail, and click ripple across all student screens in real time, making it easy to spotlight specific phrases, vocabulary, or image details.
- Scroll-Free Guidance: Pointing guides student attention without forcibly scrolling their viewport, ensuring reading flow is not disrupted.
- Pointer Visibility Indicator: A small info indicator (
ⓘ) displays pointer visibility status, notifying you if any student's layout is still synchronizing or if their view is positioned elsewhere. - To deactivate the laser, click Stop pointer.
Persistent Sticky Notes
Click Add sticky note to place a sticky note directly on the lesson page:
- Draggable & Customizable: Drag the note anywhere on the lesson surface and choose from pastel color accents.
- Persistent Across Reloads: Unlike temporary laser marks, sticky notes are saved with the lesson document and persist across page reloads and future sessions.
- Student Visibility: Students see the sticky note rendered in read-only mode with a clear Teacher note badge, making it ideal for live assignment reminders, vocabulary definitions, or homework prompts.
Not the same as PDF notes
A teacher annotation and a PDF note are different features with similar names. An annotation block is teacher-only — students never receive it, so it is where an answer key belongs. A PDF note is a shared marker on a page of a PDF block: students can create their own, and everyone in the lesson sees them all. Do not put an answer key in a PDF note.
See PDF Documents for the shared kind.
Annotations vs. Answer Comments
Use the right comment type for the audience:
| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Teacher-only guidance, answer keys, timing notes, substitute teacher instructions | Annotation block |
| Threaded discussion on a specific text selection with other teachers | Text-selection comment (Cmd+Option+M / Ctrl+Alt+M) |
| A short explanation students may see after answering an inline blank or dropdown | Answer comment on the answer widget |
| Draggable persistent notes placed on the lesson page visible to students | Persistent sticky note (from the top-right live tools strip) |
Answer comments are attached directly to inline answers and appear in the answer results panel after success or after the reveal limit. They are useful for feedback like "Use the past simple after yesterday." They are not a replacement for teacher-only planning notes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I export comments?
Comments are tied to the editor and cannot be exported separately at this time. However, you can copy annotation content into separate documents if needed.
What happens to comments when I regenerate content with AI?
If the text that a comment is attached to is replaced during regeneration, the comment may be orphaned. Review comments after significant content changes.
Can I add comments to exercises and widgets?
For teacher-only feedback on standalone widgets, add an annotation block before or after the widget. For inline fill-in-the-blank and dropdown answers, add an answer comment when the explanation should become visible to students after the answer is revealed.