First, let us consider the ways in which students can join your class in Teams:

Using Conestoga College Credentials

This is the recommended approach for them to join your class.  In this case, students will sign in with their official College Microsoft account and will have full access to all Teams features and integrated apps.

Using a Personal Microsoft Account

Students who join with a non-Conestoga Microsoft account (a personal Microsoft account) will appear as Guests in your Teams class list. While they can access the meeting, their functionality may be limited.

Joining Without a Microsoft Account

The final option is that students who access the class meeting without signing into any Microsoft account will be labelled as Unverified. This method offers the most restricted experience.

Students joining as Guests or Unverified users may encounter limitations such as inability to use the integrated Teams apps, restricted participation in breakout rooms and reduced collaboration features with peers.

Accessing the class meeting through a web browser versus the Teams app also comes with limitations. If students join through the browser option, they will experience limited features with integrated apps and may not be able to engage in the breakout rooms.

To ensure a smooth start in Week 1, it’s best to remind students to log in using their college credentials before joining the class and to download the Teams app on their selected device. You can reinforce this by including a note in your initial welcome announcement on eConestoga. During class, if students enter the class meeting as Guests or Unverified users, kindly prompt them to log out and rejoin using their official college account.

Establishing clear expectations for communication in your Teams classroom is essential, especially during Week 1. Considerations for communication can include using the main class chat, sharing reactions, raising hands to speak, and staying muted when not speaking.

You also may want to give thought to your expectations with communication on Teams outside of class. You may want to remind students that the appropriate avenue to communicate outside of class is via email, and that the Teams chat should be for only class time. For further guidance, refer to the resource Student Use of Teams Chat for Communications with Faculty.

Consider dedicating time in your first class to outline these expectations and model key features, such as how to send a private message in Teams. You might also dedicate five minutes for students to actively practice using these communication features, such as raising and lowering their hand, using the chat and sharing an emotion. Clearly defining these norms will help foster student engagement, encourage participation, and create a respectful learning environment.

The start of the semester is an ideal time to set the tone for participation and community in your Teams class. Early on, encourage students to contribute actively by sharing their thoughts in the chat, engaging with Teams apps or polls, and turning on their camera in the main room or breakout rooms when they feel comfortable.

You can also build a sense of connection with low-stakes, fun activities. For example, try a quick icebreaker where students post an emoji, GIF, or image in the chat that reflects how they are feeling at the start of the semester. Be sure to model this engagement by sharing your own emotion in the chat. Here are some other icebreaker ideas.

A helpful resource, Cameras On and Off in Virtual Classes, shares strategies for encouraging camera use while respecting students’ comfort levels.

Students will notice that Teams breakout rooms function in many ways like the Zoom breakout rooms they may have used previously. Their first time using a Teams room is an ideal moment to review breakout room etiquette and expectations, while also highlighting key differences in this new learning space. For example, each room includes its own chat, which you can monitor and use to share learning materials. Students can also reach out to you for support by sending a message in the main room chat within the Teams app.

See Student Expectations for Online Engagement, guidelines created by the Student Rights and Responsibilities Office, to reinforce etiquette expectations.

If you choose to record your Teams class and make it available to students, the first class is an ideal time to explain how this will work. Let your students know where they can access the recordings in eConestoga if they miss a class and clarify what they can expect in a recorded session, such as whether chat, breakout rooms, or student voices will be captured.

For further guidance, the resource, Informed Student Participation in Class Recordings provides helpful considerations and best practices for recordings in your course.

Is recording a requirement? The short answer is no, but see the college webpage for details, Privacy and Consent for Synchronous Classrooms.)