Live Monitoring for Admins
Admins can silently observe any active session in their school. This feature is essential for teacher evaluation, quality assurance, and providing real‑time support without disrupting the class.
1. What Is Live Monitoring?
Live monitoring allows an administrator to join a running session as a silent observer. The teacher and students do not see the admin in the participant list, and the admin’s microphone and camera are disabled by default. This provides an unobtrusive way to review teaching quality, student engagement, and technical issues.
2. Availability
| Plan | Live Monitoring |
|---|---|
| Free | ❌ Not available |
| Teacher Plan | ❌ Not available |
| School Plan | ✅ Included |
| Enterprise | ✅ Included |
Live monitoring is only available on the School Plan and higher.
3. How to Access Live Monitoring
Step 1: Log in as Admin
Use your admin credentials to log in to the dashboard.
Step 2: Go to Live Monitoring
In the sidebar, click Monitoring or Live Sessions (depending on your menu configuration).
Step 3: View Active Sessions
The page shows a list of all currently running sessions across your school:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Teacher | Name of the teacher conducting the session. |
| Room | Room name or ID. |
| Started | Time the session began. |
| Duration | How long the session has been running. |
| Participants | Number of students currently in the session. |
| Actions | Observe button to join silently. |
Step 4: Click Observe
Click Observe next to the session you want to monitor. A new tab opens, and you join the session as a silent observer.
4. What You See as an Observer
- Full classroom view – You see the teacher’s webcam, screen share, whiteboard, and chat (if enabled).
- Participant list – You see all participants (teacher and students). Your own name does not appear in the list.
- Chat messages – You can read public chat messages. You cannot send messages (unless you choose to, but that would reveal your presence – see section 6).
- Audio/Video – Your microphone and camera are disabled. You cannot be heard or seen.
The teacher and students have no indication that an admin is observing.
5. Using Monitoring for Teacher Evaluation
Live monitoring is a powerful tool for instructional leadership.
Best Practices
- Schedule announced observations – Inform teachers in advance that you will be observing. This builds trust.
- Use a rubric – Have a standard evaluation form (e.g., clarity, engagement, use of tools, pacing).
- Take notes – Use a separate document to record observations (timestamps, strengths, areas for improvement).
- Provide feedback after the session – Share specific examples from the session (e.g., “At 15 minutes, you used the whiteboard effectively to explain fractions.”).
What to Look For
| Aspect | Questions to Ask |
|---|---|
| Clarity | Is the teacher speaking clearly? Are instructions easy to follow? |
| Engagement | Are students asking questions? Is the teacher calling on students? |
| Use of tools | Is the teacher using the whiteboard, screen sharing, polls effectively? |
| Class management | How does the teacher handle disruptions or off‑topic questions? |
| Technical issues | Are there audio/video problems? Does the teacher resolve them quickly? |
6. Intervening If Necessary
In rare cases, you may need to assist the teacher (e.g., technical issue, disruptive student). You have two options:
Option A: Send a Private Message
- While observing, you can send a private chat message to the teacher.
- The teacher will see the message from “Admin”. Students do not see it.
- Example: “Your microphone is muted – please unmute.”
Option B: Join as a Moderator (Visible)
- If you need to take action (e.g., remove a student), exit the observer session.
- Join the session as a moderator using the room’s moderator link (requires password).
- You will appear in the participant list as a moderator. Students will see your name.
Note: Observers cannot moderate. If you need to intervene, you must rejoin as a moderator.
7. Recording Observations
EazyClassroom does not automatically record your observation session. However:
- The original class recording is still being recorded (as always). You can review it later.
- You can take screenshots or use external screen recording software (with teacher consent and in compliance with privacy laws).
8. Privacy & Legal Considerations
- Inform teachers – Your school’s policy should state that classes may be monitored for quality assurance.
- Student privacy – In many jurisdictions, monitoring is allowed for educational purposes. Check local laws.
- Consent – For younger students, parental consent may be required. Your school is responsible for compliance.
EazyClassroom does not notify participants when an admin is observing. This is by design to ensure authentic teaching and learning.
9. Frequently Asked Questions
Can teachers see that I am monitoring?
No. The teacher’s participant list does not show the admin observer.
Can I monitor multiple sessions at once?
You can only observe one session at a time. To monitor another, close the observer tab and select a different session.
Will monitoring affect the recording?
No. The original session recording continues unaffected. Your presence as an observer is not recorded.
Can I speak to the teacher during the session?
Not directly as an observer. Use private chat (students cannot see) or join as a moderator if you need to speak.
What if the teacher ends the session while I am observing?
The observer tab will show that the session has ended. You can close the tab.
Can I monitor a session on mobile?
Yes, the observer interface works on mobile browsers, but the small screen may limit visibility. Use a desktop for best experience.
Can parents monitor classes?
No. Live monitoring is only for admins.
How do I know if a session is being monitored by another admin?
Admins cannot see each other’s monitoring activity. Multiple admins could theoretically monitor the same session without knowing.
10. Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Observe button is greyed out | Your plan may not include live monitoring. Upgrade to School Plan. |
| Observer tab does not load | Check your internet connection. Try refreshing the page. |
| Teacher appears to have frozen | The teacher may have lost connection. Wait a moment – they may reconnect. |
| Cannot send private message | Private chat is only available from the observer interface if the teacher has chat enabled. If disabled, you cannot message. |
| Session not listed in Monitoring | The session may not be running (ended or not started). Refresh the page. |
11. Example Use Cases
Use Case 1: New Teacher Evaluation
- School hires a new math teacher.
- Admin observes three sessions over two weeks.
- Takes notes on clarity, student engagement, and use of the whiteboard.
- Meets with the teacher after each observation to provide feedback.
Use Case 2: Technical Support
- A teacher reports that students cannot hear them.
- Admin joins as observer and confirms the microphone is muted.
- Sends a private chat: “Your mic is off. Click the microphone icon to unmute.”
- Teacher fixes the issue. Students never knew the admin was watching.
Use Case 3: Quality Assurance for Remote School
- An online school wants to ensure all teachers follow the curriculum.
- Admin randomly monitors sessions throughout the day.
- Uses a checklist to rate each teacher.
- Aggregates data to identify professional development needs.
12. Best Practices for Administrators
- Announce monitoring periods – Build trust by telling teachers when you will be observing.
- Use monitoring for support, not surveillance – Frame observations as opportunities for growth, not punishment.
- Provide written feedback – Share specific, actionable comments after the session.
- Respect privacy – Do not share screenshots or recordings of observations outside the administrative team.
- Limit observation duration – Observing a full hour may be intrusive. 10–15 minutes is often enough to assess.
13. Related Features
- Recordings – Review past sessions without live monitoring.
- AI analytics – Get automated scores for teacher professionalism and engagement.
- Reports – Generate attendance and participation reports for evaluation.
14. Future Enhancements
- Observation rubrics – Built‑in checklists to standardise evaluations.
- Time‑stamped notes – Take notes within the observer interface with automatic timestamps.
- Observer chat – Admins can discuss observations in real time (private channel).
Need help with live monitoring? Contact support@eazyclassroom.net.