Instant Lessons
Start an unscheduled live lesson, choose content quickly, and invite students without building a full schedule first.
Who this is for
Teachers who need to teach right now: a trial lesson, replacement class, quick consultation, or ad-hoc practice session.
What this page answers
- When should I use an instant lesson versus a scheduled class?
- How do I pick lesson content across course units?
- How do provisional guest accounts work?
- How do Instant Lessons differ from Library Guest Rooms?
When to use an instant lesson
Use Instant lesson when the teaching need is immediate:
- A trial student joins unexpectedly
- A scheduled lesson needs a quick replacement room
- You want to teach from an existing lesson without creating a new calendar event first
- You need a blank lesson space for conversation or diagnosis
Instant lessons still create trackable lesson and session records. Use normal class scheduling when the cohort follows a multi-week program, needs structured homework releases, or should appear on the recurring calendar.
1. Start from Today or the Sidebar
Open your Today dashboard:
- The quick-action tile is always titled Instant lesson.
- If an instant lesson is already in progress, the tile displays the subtitle "Return to active lesson" so you can jump back into the running room with one click.
- You can also click the dedicated Instant Lesson button located directly in the left navigation sidebar.
2. Choosing Lesson Content
When selecting content for an instant lesson:
- Direct Lesson Selection: You can pick any published lesson directly from your library without needing to filter by course first.
- Collapsible Course Units: Lessons belonging to courses are organized neatly under their collapsible Course Units, making it easy to find specific modules.
- Blank Scratchpad: Choose New blank lesson to open a clean workspace. Standalone blank lessons are stored in Unsorted lessons in your materials library.
- Templates: Start from a reusable lesson template or a school starter.
3. Instant Lessons vs. Library Guest Rooms
It is important to distinguish between your personal instant room and guest rooms:
| Room Type | How It Is Created | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Instant Lesson | Started via the Instant lesson tile on Today or sidebar button. | Functions as the teacher's personal live scratchpad room. Only one instant lesson runs at a time per teacher. |
| Library Guest Room | Generated by clicking Assign to a guest by link on any lesson in your materials. | Creates an independent guest room with 30-day access that never overwrites or blocks the teacher's active Instant Lesson room. |
4. Inviting Students & Provisional Guest Entry
You can launch an instant lesson immediately and invite participants on the fly:
- Invite Enrolled Students: Select students already in your school roster.
- Share Direct Link: Copy the room join link and send it via any chat or email.
Provisional Guest Accounts (No Upfront Sign-Up)
For trial students or external guests:
- Name Entry Alone: An outside visitor clicking the join link enters their name (e.g. "Alex") and enters the classroom immediately without creating an account or password upfront.
- Provisional Account: The platform creates a free provisional profile so the guest can participate in exercises, video calls, and whiteboard activities.
- Account Claiming: After the session, the guest can claim their account with an email and password to preserve their completed work and teacher feedback.
- Session-Only Chat Privacy: Guests joining an instant or guest room only see chat messages sent during their active session, keeping past teacher notes private.
5. Setting Duration and Teaching
Add a session title and select an estimated duration. The session length informs the platform and gives students a realistic timeframe.
Click Start live lesson to enter the classroom. The room operates with all standard classroom tools: audio/video calling, interactive widgets, translation, whiteboard annotations, and student observations.
What is Tracked
Instant lessons provide immediate access without sacrificing academic records:
- Attendance and time spent are logged
- Completed exercises and teacher notes are saved
- Homework or follow-up tasks can be assigned upon concluding the session
- If an instant room is opened but no student or guest ever joins, closing it leaves an empty room record that does not block scheduling or trigger calendar conflict warnings
Related pages
- Running Live Sessions for live classroom tools and stage controls
- Ways to Start a Lesson for an overview of all teaching entry points
- Classes for recurring cohort management
- Homework Management for follow-up assignments