How to Use Securly Classroom – Teacher's Guide

Category: Classroom Technology / Teacher Resources
Audience: Teachers and Classroom Staff
Difficulty: Beginner
Applies to: School-managed Chromebooks, Windows computers, and Mac computers

Overview: What Is Securly Classroom?

Securly Classroom is a classroom management tool that allows teachers to monitor student device activity, reduce distractions, and help students stay focused during lessons.

Instead of walking around the classroom to check every student's computer, teachers can use Securly Classroom to see what students are working on and assist them directly from their own computer.

With Securly Classroom, you can:

• View student screens during class.

• See which websites students have open.

• Close distracting browser tabs.

• Block websites during a lesson.

• Open websites on student devices.

• Lock student screens to get their attention.

• Restrict students to specific educational websites.

• Send messages and announcements.

• Share your screen with students.

• Review student browsing activity during class.

Important: Securly Classroom must be properly configured by the school's IT team. Some features may be unavailable depending on your school's settings, assigned permissions, or the type of device students are using.

1. Logging In to Securly Classroom

You do not need to install special software on your teacher computer. Securly Classroom is accessible through a web browser.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or another supported web browser.

Step 2: Navigate to:

https://deviceconsole.securly.com

Step 3: Select the sign-in method used by your school. Common options include:

• Sign in with Google

• Sign in with Microsoft

• Sign in with Clever

• Sign in with ClassLink

Step 4: Enter your school account credentials if prompted.

Step 5: After signing in, you should see the Securly Device Console.

Tip: Bookmark this website so you can quickly access Securly Classroom each day.

If you cannot sign in, verify that you are using your school account rather than a personal Google or Microsoft account.

2. Starting Your Classroom Session

Before you can monitor students or use classroom controls, you must start a class session.

A class session is the period during which Securly Classroom connects to your students' devices and makes classroom management tools available.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Sign in to Securly Classroom.

2. From the navigation menu, click Classes.

3. Locate the class you want to monitor. Your assigned classes should appear as individual cards.

4. Click Start Class or the play/start icon on the appropriate class card.

5. Review the student list. Make sure the students you want to monitor are selected.

6. Review the session settings, including the class duration and any optional access restrictions.

7. Click Start Now to begin the class.

Once the session begins, Securly Classroom will start connecting to student devices.

Student screens or activity information should begin appearing as their devices establish a connection.

Important: Set the session duration to match your class period whenever possible. This helps prevent classroom restrictions from continuing after students leave your class.

What if my class is missing?

If your class does not appear, verify that you are signed in with the correct teacher account.

If other classes are visible but one is missing, or the student list is incorrect, submit a support ticket. Class rosters may be synchronized from the school's student information system.

3. Monitoring Student Screens

Once your class is running, you can monitor student activity.

Depending on your school's configuration, Securly Classroom offers several different viewing options.

Thumbnail View

This view displays a small image of each student's screen.

Use this view when you want to quickly determine whether students are working on their assignments.

1. Start your class session.

2. Locate the View selector near the top of the page.

3. Choose Thumbnail.

4. Review the displayed student screens.

5. Click an individual student's thumbnail to open a larger, more detailed view.

Student thumbnails generally refresh every few seconds. They are not continuous, real-time video streams.

Tab View

Tab View displays the websites that students currently have open.

This is especially useful when students have several browser tabs open and you want to identify distracting websites.

1. During an active class, locate the View selector.

2. Choose Tab.

3. Find the student you want to review.

4. Look through their list of open websites.

You may see the names of websites and the page titles the student has opened.

Thumbnail + Tab View

This combines screen previews with browser tab information.

For many teachers, this is the most useful everyday view because it shows both the student's current screen and their open websites.

Select Thumbnail + Tab from the View menu.

Note: On Chromebooks, monitoring primarily covers activity within the managed Chrome browser. Windows and Mac devices with the appropriate Classroom agent can provide additional desktop and application visibility.

4. Understanding Student Status Messages

Occasionally, you may see a status message instead of a student's screen.

Here is what the most common messages mean.

Student Is Not Online

Securly Classroom is not currently receiving information from the student's device.

Possible reasons include the device being turned off, asleep, disconnected from the internet, or not communicating with Securly Classroom.

Waiting on Device / Browser Not Opened

The device may be connected, but Classroom is not receiving a usable browser or screen update.

For Chromebooks, this can happen when a browser has not fully opened or the student is on a blank or unsupported browser page.

Student Excluded From Class

The student was not selected for the session or has been excluded by a configured classroom rule.

What should you do?

First, confirm that the student's device is powered on, connected to the internet, and signed in with the correct school account.

For Chromebooks, have the student open Chrome and navigate to a regular website.

Allow a short period for Securly Classroom to reconnect. After a device restarts or wakes from sleep, it can take up to two minutes to begin responding.

See the troubleshooting section for additional steps.

5. Using Classroom Management Tools

Securly Classroom includes tools that help you direct student activity during lessons.

Most tools are available from the toolbar at the top of an active class session.

Selecting Students

Before using a tool, decide whether it should affect one student or the entire class.

• To affect one student, select the checkbox on that student's card.

• To affect several students, select each student's checkbox.

• To affect the whole class, leave individual student selections cleared and use the class-wide action when prompted.

Always verify your selection before applying restrictions or sending messages.

A. Screen Lock – Get Everyone's Attention

Purpose: Temporarily freeze student screens and display a message.

This is useful when you need students to stop working and pay attention to instructions.

How to use Screen Lock:

1. Start your class.

2. Select the students you want to lock, or leave all students unselected to apply the lock class-wide.

3. Click Screen Lock.

4. Enter a message if the option is provided, such as "Please look at the front of the classroom."

5. Choose an automatic release time if desired.

6. Confirm the Screen Lock.

Students will see the lock message and will temporarily be unable to continue their normal device activity.

To unlock students:

Click Unlock or Release, select the affected students if necessary, and release the restriction.

Example: You are about to explain an assignment. Instead of repeatedly asking students to close their computers, activate Screen Lock for two minutes.

B. Push URL – Open a Website for Students

Purpose: Automatically open a website on student devices.

This eliminates the need to write long website addresses on the board or ask students to type them manually.

How to use Push URL:

1. Start a class session.

2. Select the students who need the website, or leave all students unselected for the entire class.

3. Click Push URL.

4. Enter the complete website address, such as https://www.khanacademy.org.

5. Select the appropriate available options.

6. Click the button to push or open the website.

Securly Classroom will send the page to the selected student devices.

Example: Students need to access an online assignment. Use Push URL so the entire class can open the same webpage immediately.

Tip: Use Push URL when you simply want students to open a webpage. It does not necessarily prevent them from visiting other websites afterward.

C. Site Lock – Keep Students on Approved Websites

Purpose: Restrict students to one website or a selected collection of websites.

This is useful during tests, independent assignments, or focused learning activities.

How to use Site Lock:

1. Start your class.

2. Select the students who should be restricted.

3. Click Site Lock.

4. Enter the website address or select a previously saved website or collection.

5. Review the available options, including whether to close other tabs or allow access to other pages on the same website.

6. Click Lock.

Students will be restricted to the permitted website or websites until the Site Lock is released.

To remove Site Lock: Use the Unlock or Release option for the affected students.

Example: Students are completing an online reading assessment. Apply Site Lock so they can access the approved reading website without switching to unrelated websites.

Important: Some educational websites use additional domains for videos, authentication, or assignments. If a website does not work correctly with Site Lock, it may require additional permitted resources. Contact IT if you need assistance.

D. Close Tabs – Remove Distractions

Purpose: Close a website that a student should not be using during class.

How to close a tab:

1. Open your active class.

2. Switch to Tab View or locate the student's browser tab information.

3. Find the distracting website.

4. Select the website or its action menu.

5. Click Close.

The tab will close on the student's device.

Example: A student is watching unrelated videos instead of completing an assignment. You can close the unrelated browser tab.

Important: Closing a tab does not permanently block that website. A student may be able to reopen it unless an additional restriction is applied.

E. Block Websites – Prevent Repeated Distractions

Purpose: Prevent access to distracting websites during the current class session.

While reviewing a student's tabs, select the unwanted website and click Block if the option is available.

This can close the unwanted page and add the site to the class session's active restrictions.

For more extensive restrictions, use an Access Plan.

Access Plans are reusable sets of rules that specify which websites or supported applications students may or may not use.

There are two common types:

• Block Only: Allow normal activity except for selected websites or applications.

• Allow Only: Permit only the specified websites or applications.

To create one, open the Access Plans menu, choose Add access plan, name the plan, configure the sites to block or allow, and save it.

You can then select an access plan before starting class or adjust it during an active session.

Tip: Use Block Only for everyday lessons and Allow Only when students need a tightly controlled set of resources.

F. Announce – Send a Message to Students

Purpose: Display an announcement on student devices.

This is useful for reminders, instructions, and important classroom messages.

How to send an announcement:

1. Start your class.

2. Select the intended students, or use the whole-class option.

3. Click Announce.

4. Type your message.

5. Send the announcement.

Students will receive a message they must acknowledge.

Example messages:

• "You have five minutes remaining to complete the assignment."

• "Please save your work before the end of class."

• "Make sure you submit your assignment before leaving."

G. Chat – Communicate With Individual Students

Purpose: Send private messages to individual students without interrupting the lesson.

How to use Chat:

1. Start your class.

2. Find the student you want to contact.

3. Open the student's action menu, usually represented by three dots, or click the Chat icon if displayed.

4. Select Chat.

5. Type your message and send it.

Students can respond if the relevant chat features are enabled.

Example: You notice a student having difficulty accessing an assignment. Send them a private message asking whether they need assistance.

Note: Chat permissions are controlled by the school's settings and may also be adjustable in your class session options.

H. Share Screen – Show Your Screen to Students

Purpose: Display your computer screen, application window, or browser tab on student devices.

This is useful for demonstrations, presenting lessons, and helping students follow instructions.

How to share your screen:

1. Start your class session.

2. Select the students who should receive your screen share, or share with the entire class.

3. Click Share Screen.

4. Review the available options.

5. Choose whether to share your entire screen, a particular application, or a browser tab.

6. Approve the browser's screen-sharing permission when prompted.

7. Click Share.

When you are finished, click Stop Sharing.

Tip: Close personal or confidential information before sharing your entire desktop. Whenever practical, share only the specific browser tab or application students need to see.

6. Reviewing Student History

Securly Classroom can provide a record of websites students accessed during classroom sessions.

This is useful when you need to review activity after the fact or determine whether a student was working on the assigned material.

How to review activity:

1. Open an active classroom session or the available class history.

2. Locate the student.

3. Open the student's action menu.

4. Select History, if available.

5. Review the recorded browsing activity.

You can also access class session history from the Classes area, depending on your permissions.

Important: Browsing history reflects activity captured by Securly Classroom. It is not necessarily a complete record of everything a student did on the device.

Student activity records should only be accessed for authorized educational and school-related purposes.

7. Ending Your Class Session

Always end your class session when your lesson is finished.

This is important because an active class can continue applying monitoring and website restrictions until the session ends or expires.

How to end your class:

1. Return to the active class session.

2. Locate the session controls or class timer.

3. Select the option to End Class or end the session.

4. Confirm when prompted.

If you configured an automatic end time, the session should end when that time is reached.

Once the class session ends, temporary Screen Lock and Site Lock restrictions are released.

Best practice: Confirm that your class session has ended before students move to their next class.

8. Common Problems and Solutions

Problem: I cannot see any of my classes.

Try the following:

1. Verify that you are signed in with your correct school account.

2. Refresh the browser.

3. Open the Classes section.

4. Verify that you are viewing the appropriate class list.

If classes still do not appear, submit a support ticket. Your teacher permissions or class roster may need to be corrected.

Problem: A student appears offline even though their computer is on.

Try the following:

1. Confirm the student's device is connected to the internet.

2. Confirm they are signed in with their assigned school account.

3. If using a Chromebook, ask the student to open Chrome and navigate to a regular website.

4. Allow up to two minutes for the device to reconnect after restarting or waking.

5. If the problem continues, have the student completely restart their device.

If the student remains offline, contact IT.

Problem: I can see the student's tabs, but not their screen.

First, make sure you are using Thumbnail View or Thumbnail + Tab View.

If the thumbnail remains blank, the student device may not be responding to screen capture requests, or screen viewing may be restricted by your school's configuration.

For Chromebooks, opening a website or using Push URL may help restore the connection.

If the issue persists, submit a support ticket.

Problem: A student is missing from my class roster.

Verify that you selected the correct class and that the student was not excluded when starting the session.

If the student is enrolled in your class but does not appear in the roster, contact IT to check their class assignment.

Problem: I accidentally locked a student's screen.

Return to your active class, select the affected student, and use Unlock or Release.

If you cannot release the restriction, contact IT.

Problem: Students cannot access a website after I use Site Lock.

The website may depend on other domains or resources that are not included in the permitted list.

Release the Site Lock to restore access, then try the website normally.

If you need to use that website regularly with Site Lock, ask IT to help configure the necessary allowed resources.

Problem: A website is blocked even though I allowed it in Securly Classroom.

Classroom restrictions do not necessarily override the school's primary web filtering system.

If the website is blocked by school policy, request assistance from IT. Do not attempt to bypass the school's filtering restrictions.

9. Best Practices for Teachers

For the best experience with Securly Classroom:

1. Start your class when students arrive. Verify that the correct roster is selected.

2. Use Thumbnail + Tab View for routine monitoring. This provides a useful overview of classroom activity.

3. Use Push URL to distribute assignments. It saves time and reduces errors when students enter website addresses.

4. Use Screen Lock sparingly. It is most effective when you need everyone's immediate attention.

5. Use Site Lock for focused activities. Check that your required websites function correctly before using it for an important assignment or test.

6. Verify which students you have selected. Ensure that actions such as Screen Lock and Site Lock affect only the intended students.

7. End your class on time. This prevents unnecessary restrictions from carrying into another class period.

8. Use student monitoring responsibly. Securly Classroom is a teaching and classroom management tool, not a replacement for direct supervision or student interaction.

10. Quick Reference Guide

What you want to do	Feature to use
See what students are doing	Thumbnail View
See which websites are open	Tab View
View a student's screen more closely	Click their thumbnail
Get everyone's attention	Screen Lock
Open an assignment on student devices	Push URL
Keep students on one website	Site Lock
Close a distracting website	Close Tab
Prevent access to distracting websites	Block or Access Plan
Send an important reminder	Announce
Message one student	Chat
Demonstrate something on your computer	Share Screen
Review previous activity	History
Remove temporary restrictions	Unlock / Release
Stop monitoring when class is finished	End Class

11. Getting Additional Help

If you are experiencing difficulties with Securly Classroom, please submit a support ticket through Miller Technology Professionals.

Support Portal:
https://millertechpro.com/support/

When submitting a ticket, include:

• Your school and classroom or class name.

• The student's name, if the issue affects a particular student.

• The type of device being used (Chromebook, Windows, or Mac).

• A description of the issue and any error messages.

• The troubleshooting steps you have already attempted.

Screenshots of error messages can also be helpful. Avoid including confidential student information unless it is necessary and submitted through an approved support channel.

Additional Training Resources

Securly provides official training material for teachers who want to learn more.

Securly Classroom – Getting Started:
https://support.securly.com/hc/en-us/articles/8828762202263-Classroom-How-do-I-get-started-using-Securly-Classroom

Securly Classroom – Teacher Tutorials:
https://support.securly.com/hc/en-us/sections/33320767438999-How-to-for-Teachers

Securly Classroom – Video Training:
https://support.securly.com/hc/en-us/articles/21223911558039-Classroom-Discover-Securly-Classroom-Video-Guides-for-Teachers

Final Reminder: Securly Classroom is designed to support teaching, minimize distractions, and help students stay engaged. You do not need to master every feature immediately. Begin by starting a class, viewing student screens, and learning how to use Screen Lock and Push URL. As you become more comfortable, explore additional tools such as Site Lock, Access Plans, Chat, and screen sharing.