Getting started with Messages for Teachers

3.png Audience: Teachers

Messages in Seesaw enable you to communicate with students, families, and colleagues!
✉️ You can start 1:1 messages, group conversations, or whole-group announcements.
💬 You can choose if a message is one-way or two-way.
🔍 You can use the search bar to quickly find recipients.
🎥 You can send multimedia attachments with built-in photos, video, and audio.
🌐 Translate all typed text in one tap.
✓ View engagement with read receipts.

💡 Good to know: Administrators can personalize the Messages experience for your school by determining which administrators, teachers, students, and family members can create messages. Teachers: ask your administrator what settings they have chosen for your school.

Announcements and Conversation Overview

Use announcements for one-way messages, such as:

  • Newsletter and classroom reminders to families for things such as field trips or days off.
  • Provide additional learning resources that can be used at home.
  • Whole class reminders, events and celebrations to students.

Good to Know:

  • Announcement member names are hidden.
  • Family members can reply to Announcements in a private message, if settings are enabled.
  • Co-teachers can be added to conversations

Conversations can be 1:1 or Group Messages. Co-teachers can be added to conversations.

Use conversations for:

  • Discussing student progress with a student and family member/s
  • Connecting groups of students to facilitate discussion or group work
How to Create an Announcement or Conversation
1. Tap the Messages icon in your Seesaw class.
2. Tap the Pencil icon.

3. Select New Announcement or New Conversation.
4. Select an individual or group of individuals to send message to, or select Add Classes to send messages to groups of teachers, students, and/or family members.
  • individual recipients for 1:1 message
  • numerous recipients for a customized group
  • Add Classes for an entire class
5. Teachers & Admins with paid subscriptions can schedule messages for a specific date & time. 
Shortcuts for creating and sending Messages
Message shortcut from Student List in Journal: Teachers can message connected families and students from the student list in the Journal Tab (Web only). If there are no connected family members, Teachers will be prompted to open the "Invite Families" page.

To message families or students, in the Journal Tab, hover over a Student Group or Individual Student. Tap the conversation bubble icon and select Message Family(ies) or Message Student(s).

Share Activity Links from Resource Library or Journal: Teachers can share activity/lesson links with teachers or students from the Journal Tab or Seesaw Library. To share links, tap on the [...] and select either Share Activity with Teachers or Share Student Link

Share Progress from Progress Dashboard (paid subscriptions only): From the Progress Dashboard, Teachers can message connected family members with a text copy of progress information pre-filled. 
If there are no connected family members, Teachers will be prompted to open the "Invite Families" page.

      1. Select a student from the Progress Dashboard
      2. In the modal, tap Message to Family
      3. A New Conversation will open with the message recipients and a progress report summary pre-populated. 
Add multimedia content
Users are able to add multimedia attachments to any message using Seesaw’s Creative Tools. When composing a message, tap the green +Add button to add an attachment.

The Creative Tools view will appear, and you'll be able to upload a file, attach a photo or video, write a note, share a link, or use the Creative Canvas to draw and annotate a picture!

See who has viewed your Message

Conversations

  • All recipients will see each other's names and replies.
  • to see who has viewed a Conversation, tap on Seen By. 
  • Teachers/Admins can view read receipts.
  • Teachers/Admins can see if a Conversation has been translated.
  • Parents do not see when a Teacher/Admin has read their message

Announcements

  • Announcements do not show recipients information about who else is receiving the message.
  • Tap Seen by to view who has viewed an Announcement..
  • Teachers/Admins can view read receipts.
  • Teachers/Admins can see if an Announcement has been translated.
  • Based on school settings, families can reply directly to teachers.
Who are messages visible to?
Messages are visible to recipients in a thread. Additionally, Admins can manage or audit the Seesaw Messages sent between users at their school. This includes the ability to view all conversations and announcements sent at the school, as well as remove any messages an administrator deems unnecessary or inappropriate. 
Learn more about Student Safety in Seesaw Messages.

Check out our Messages Quick Start Guides!
Have more questions? Submit a request