First Week Recap & New 4 New Features (3 Are Free!)
Four days into the new school year, it already feels like a marathon. Thirty-two new faces. New personalities. Endless procedures to model.
"It's just a lot of talking, and I’m ready for real routines again!”
But through the chaos, we get to build a brand new classroom community - and this year, we’re doing it with Instructron working alongside us.
What’s New This Week and Already Making a Difference
Timer: No More Juggling Tabs
Teachers asked for a timer that actually fits classroom life - so we built it.
“I use the Instructron Timer every day. Directions and countdown all in one place - no more switching between slides and timers!”
- Write your instructions right on the timer.
- Full screen, custom or preset times, fun celebration at the end.
- Free for everyone – no account required.
Random Selector: Fair, Fun, and Fast
No more “Who’s next?” chaos.
“My students love dramatic mode. The anticipation is real - fireworks for the winner! But there’s a quick mode for normal days, too.”
- Choose “quick,” “dramatic,” or “fair” mode (so everyone gets a turn before repeats).
- Auto-import your class roster if you’re logged in.
Group Generator: Balanced Groups in Seconds
Making seating charts or project teams used to mean sticky notes and headaches. Not anymore.
“I set up my tables in minutes, balanced the genders, and even kept aides with their students with ‘keep together.’ It’s a game changer that only gets smarter as we go.”
- Keep students together or apart as needed.
- Auto-balances by gender, behavior, and learning level.
- Drag-and-drop layout mode (beta).
- Roster aware for members - skip the copy/paste and repetitive data entry.
Student Learning Profiles: Know Them Instantly
We replaced the old “About Me” papers with a five-minute, student-friendly survey:
- Confidence sliders by subject.
- Learning preferences (“Quick quizzes”, “Draw it”, “Little hints”, etc.).
- Interests (sports, art, gaming, more).
- Fun facts - get to know the whole child.
Teachers get instant insights:
“20 kids in my class picked sports or games; I can tailor my lessons right away. Plus, now I have all their strengths and preferences at my fingertips.”
Profile data powers everything: intentional grouping, targeted practice, personal feedback, and more.
One minute overview of Student Learning Profiles
Privacy, Choice, and AI (or Not)
We know not every student or family is ready for AI in the classroom. Soon, teachers can mark any student as “AI Opt-Out.”
- Those students won’t see the coach but still get all the benefits: writing practice, teacher feedback, and more.
- Everything has been built with privacy and transparency at the core - no PII or data leakage.
We’re using the features in our classrooms every single day - and if something’s confusing or missing, it gets fixed before next week. If you try anything out, let us know how we can make it better for you.
What’s Coming
- Even smarter groups - sorted by interest, not just reading/math level.
- AI coach examples that connect to each student’s favorite topics.
- Deeper report card integration, personalized lesson ideas, and more.
- Seamless connection between writing, grouping, teaching, and feedback - no extra systems, no extra stress.
Get Involved!
- Not on Instructron yet? Try it free for 14 days.
- Use code TOPFLOOR20 for 20% off your first year.
- Feedback or feature requests? DM us (@teaminstructron on Instagram), email [email protected], or use the new in-app chat feature!
See you back next week with what’s new from the classroom and the codebase!