School administrators can have two levels of accounts: School Admin Mode and Teacher Mode. Here we'll cover the differences between the two accounts and how to toggle between them.
Screenshots below may look slightly different as TalkingPoints is constantly evolving! Don't worry, we periodically make sure our guides are up-to-date so that you have the latest how-to's.
What is the difference between school admin and teacher modes?
School Admin Mode
If you have school messaging, messages sent from this account will appear to families as being from the school.
If you have school messaging, all administrators will receive a notification about a family member's reply to a message sent from this account (think of it as a group account between you and your fellow school administrators).
A bird's eye view into the messaging at your school, additional permissions for editing class, staff, and student data, and will provide you with analytics.
This mode is perfect for sending school-wide announcements when you want any admins at your school to be able to respond + want the sender to be your school's name (i.e. snow days, upcoming events, and info for your school community).
Teacher Mode
When sending a message, messages will appear to families as being from you (your teacher's signature).
Messages and responses will still be visible from the school admin accounts, but administrators will not receive notifications about new messages.
This mode is perfect for sending 1:1 or small group messages when you're sharing more individualized information and wants the sender to be you. Only you will have access to respond to this message.
How do I know which account I'm in?
You are in your school administrator account if your background is blue, and you see "TalkingPoints for Schools" in the upper left-hand corner.
You are in your teacher account if your background is white, and you see "TalkingPoints" in the upper left-hand corner.
How do I toggle between my school and teacher accounts?
School-to-Teacher Mode
Step 1: Expand the toggle under your name in the bottom left corner.
Step 2: A menu of options will appear. Select 'Teacher Mode.'
Teacher to School Admin Mode
Step 1: Select 'Go to school mode' in the bottom left corner.
If you do not have teacher mode available, follow the instructions here to add to your permission levels.
Mobile App
On mobile, we have a separate app for teachers and admins. Download the admin app here.