Teachers and classes

Set sight-reading homework in a couple of minutes, and know before the next lesson who did it and how it went. Your pupils practise on their own devices; you see the results in one place.

Being a teacher on SightReader

Anyone can use the class tools. On your Account page, open Account details, choose I am a teacher under How do you learn?, and press Save. Teaching then appears on the Me tab, with classes, join codes, the roster and assignments.

Verification adds two things: Pro free for good, and email invitations. Apply at /teaching/apply. Every application is read by hand, and we reply either way, usually within a day or two. Free Pro is for your own account, so you can open anything you set; it doesn’t give Pro to your pupils.

Creating a class

On the Teaching page, type a name and press Create class. A class is a name, a join code and a list of pupils. Many teachers make one per group or per teaching day; one class for all your pupils works just as well.

On the class page you can Rename it, or Archive last year’s group: its join code stops working and its assignments stop showing for pupils, but everything is kept, ready to unarchive.

Getting pupils in

• The join code is six characters, quick to read out at the end of a lesson. Pupils type it on the Join a class page. There is a join link to copy as well, for a group chat or an email.
• Email invitations, for verified teachers: paste addresses separated by commas or one per line, and press Send invites. Each pupil gets an email with a join button, whether or not they have an account yet, in the language you pick. The list shows who has joined, and any invitation that Didn’t arrive.
• A whole class at once: under Import a roster, paste or upload the list your school’s system exports, check who it found, and invite everyone.

The roster

Each pupil shows their grade and practice streak. Tap a name for more: when they last practised, sessions this week, average accuracy over 30 days, recent pieces, and where they’re stuck. Only you see this. Pupils in the same class never see each other’s names or numbers.

On the class page, Reports gives a printable summary for any dates you choose, and Export downloads the roster or assignment completion as a spreadsheet.

Setting assignments

1. On the class page, press New Assignment.
2. Give it a title, then add pieces: search the Library, or pick an exercise you saved under My exercises.
3. Add a due date and a Note for pupils if you like. Use the note: “Hands separately first, and don’t stop for mistakes” tells a pupil what you want from the week.
4. Under Who is this for?, keep Everyone in the class or Choose pupils.
5. Tick Require Pitch & Rhythm if a piece should only count when played in time: then it needs two stars or more with the metronome on.
6. Press Create Assignment.

Due dates are a guide, and nothing locks when one passes. You can edit an assignment at any time.

Who’s done it

Each assignment carries a summary line counting the pupils who are done, in progress and not started. Press Show progress for each pupil, the quietest first, with one mark per piece:

• A tick: passed, at two stars or better.
• A dot: played, not passed yet.
• An empty circle: not opened.

Played and passed prompt different conversations, which is why they look different. A pass made with the microphone is labelled as one, since it is a more forgiving way to play.

Feedback

Under each pupil, Mark as seen or Leave a note. Your pupil sees it on their assignments page, and gets an email the next day if you wrote something.

The weekly class summary

Every Monday you get an email: who practised, who didn’t, and how each assignment is going. To stop it, open Preferences, go to Notifications and switch off Weekly class summary.

For pupils

Joining a class: open Join a class on the Me tab, type the code your teacher gave you and press Join class. Invited by email? Use the button in the email instead. Before you join, the page shows what your teacher will see: what you’ve played, your accuracy and your streak, and nothing else. You can be in more than one class, and leave any time from Preferences, under Goals and classes.

Your assignments: Assignments on the Me tab lists everything you’ve been set, who set it, when it’s due and any note. Each piece ticks off once you earn two stars on it. Your next assignment also leads Home.

Running a school pilot? Get in touch about codes for a whole class.