TILLING THE SOIL

It is very important for parents and guardians to access Canvas via their own Observer accounts, rather than doing so via a student's login.

Before a parent or guardian can create their own Canvas account to act as an Observer, they must first have access to a unique Pairing Code that allows them to be paired to the student they are observing. With this Pairing Code, the parent or guardian will be able to simultaneously create their own Canvas account and pair with their student.

Once a parent or guardian is paired with one student, they can log into their Canvas Observer account to pair to additional students.

This entire process is one that can be completed by the parents without teacher intervention. However, we encourage you to be aware of the information below so you can share it with your students' parents or guardians and, if necessary, assist in the process.

PLANTING AND PRUNING

To help encourage the parents and guardians of your students to create and pair Observer accounts, please share the PSD Canvas Family Support Site with them. This site includes all of the steps parents need to take to create Observer accounts in Canvas, as well as how to pair with additional students.

While the expectation is that the parents will attain the necessary pairing codes from their children, we do recognize that there may be times that a student can't, or won't, create this pairing code for their parent.

If necessary, as the teacher, you can also generate Pairing Codes for each student, or for the entire class. Each Pairing Code can only be used once and is only valid for 7 days. However, you can generate unlimited Pairing Codes for each student, as needed. Watch the video below to understand this process.

In generating pairing codes for students, it is important to be mindful of a few key points:

Each pairing code is only valid for one use or 7 days, whichever comes first.
You can generate an unlimited number of pairing codes for each student. This is useful for multi-parent households, or if the 7-day window has lapsed.

DIGGING DEEPER

Need more information? Check out these Canvas Guides!

How do I link a student to an observer in a course?
How do I generate a pairing code for an observer as an instructor?