Microsoft Teams is a web conferencing and collaboration tool. For a quick tour see: Teams meetings: Interface overview
How to use this checklist
This checklist is designed to be a quick guide to help you get started with Microsoft Teams Meetings for teaching. The checklist includes links to useful resources and tools. Please use this checklist as a starting point to add to, and personalise the list based on your session requirements.
Session preparation
- Equipment required
- Set-up Teams session
- Send instructions to participants
- Familiarise yourself with Teams meeting features
- Prepare your session including materials
Equipment required
- An internet-connected computer with the Microsoft Teams application installed, or a supported, up-to-date browser
- Headphones with microphone to avoid audio feedback
- Webcam (if you wish to be seen by others)
Set up the session
- Create a new Teams meeting through the Blackboard Teams integration or via Outlook/Teams calendar.
- Make the meeting link available for your participants (e.g. check you have provided a visible link on Blackboard).
- Choose your meeting options
- Decide what students joining your session will be able to do. See guide Teams: Controlling who can present in a meeting
Send instructions to participants
- Via a Blackboard announcement or email.
- Include the following:
- Session date and time
- Joining instructions, including participant resources for using Microsoft Teams
- Ask participants to share any accessibility requirements in advance
- Recommend students downloading the Teams app or a supported, up-to-date browser
- Etiquette / set expectations – outline your expectations for online session conduct – if you are doing an active session, make sure they know you want them to participate in the activities so they can prepare their equipment and space accordingly
- What behaviour should they exhibit? Is it a formal or informal session?
- How do you expect them to interact with one another – encourage respectful discussion and constructive challenge
- Send instructions to Guest speakers (if applicable)
- See guide: Invite Guests to a Session
Familiarise yourself with Teams meeting features
- Practice using Teams features in advance
- Create a meeting for yourself, or use the “Meet Now” option to open a session to familiarise yourself with the controls. For example, key controls such as Adjust your video feed, Manage your audio, enable Live Captions and practice Sharing Slides.
- Other functions you might like to try out:
- Raise-hand
- Use annotation tools
- Using breakout groups
- Using Polls
- Using a Whiteboard
- Using Loop components
Prepare your session materials, including:
- Create a detailed session plan including timings and moderator roles
- Plan your welcome slide:
- Welcome your students.
- Remind about start time.
- Let them know if the session will be recorded and how it will be used/stored.
- Invite them to participate in a fun little warm-up activity while they wait
- Prepare resources such as quizzes, graphics, links to videos, etc. Create any poll questions with accompanying slides – Polls in MS Teams
- Prepare etiquette and session instruction information
- Review and accommodate accessibility requirements where possible. See guides – Teams Meetings: Accessibility
- Enlist help (if applicable) – having an assistant to text chat and answer participant questions during the session is recommended
- Book a quiet space with wired internet (preferred) or Wi-Fi connection to hold the session.
On the day of the session
Before the session (up to 30 minutes)
- Join the session at least 20 minutes before the scheduled start time. Tip: mute your microphone until you start the session.
- Clear your screen of applications / private documents not needed for the session (especially important if sharing your screen)
- Load your slides and resources to the session space (via Teams)
- See guide: Teams Meetings: Share Slides
- Settings checks
- Is your microphone, video and audio working? (You will be prompted to check these when you first join the session.)
- Check you have given presenter rights to any co-moderator and/or guest speaker.
- Choose whether you want participants to be able to speak or be seen in the session and adjust meeting options accordingly.
- Check lobby settings to control whether participants can join before you to carry out their checks.
- Welcome message – provide a slide with the session start time and participant instructions to check their settings and equipment.
At the start of the session
- Greet participants as they join the session via text chat or audio
- Remind participants to test their microphone and speakers
- Give a brief overview of the Teams interface and how to use it during the session, including how to use text chat and icons (i.e. raise hand)
- Remind participants the session will be recorded (if applicable) and that the recording may be viewed by people who have not taken part in the session.
- Start recording (if applicable) using Teams recording controls – Teams Meetings: Recording Sessions.
- Guide participants throughout the session and remind them how they can interact and locate features on the Teams interface
- If you wish to designate breakout groups, set up breakout rooms in advance or during the session as needed. See guide: Teams Meetings: Breakout rooms
End of the session
- End the recording (if the meeting is being recorded)
- Get participant feedback (if applicable) – post a slide / poll / or survey link at the end of the session
- Export or save Whiteboard content (saved automatically in Microsoft Whiteboard) if required.
After the session
- Session capture – Remind students that session recordings are available in Blackboard via YuJa (you will need to download the recording from the session chat, and upload the file to YuJa / make it available to your course channel).
- Monitor attendance – Download the attendance report from the meeting details (if needed).
Guide last updated on May 19, 2026