How GoGuardian Teacher Helps Save Time and Keep Students Focused

When Emily Taylor, a 5th & 6th-grade math teacher at Tyronza Elementary School in Arkansas, first introduced GoGuardian Teacher to her colleagues, she encountered a familiar hesitation seen in classrooms across the country. Excuses like “I don’t have time to input all of my students” and “But I’m not tech-savvy” were the norm. This didn’t deter her, however. Instead, she devoted the time needed to show her colleagues how simple it really is to prepare.

“All you have to do is just log in. It literally syncs automatically. You click ‘Google Classroom,’ and boom, your students are added. It does everything with one click. I try to remind them it’s no harder than checking your email.”

Just like that, after a few training sessions, nearly all of her fellow teachers were on board. “Now we’re just working on getting all the benefits out of GoGuardian.”

“Set it and forget it”

Taylor calls GoGuardian Teacher her “set it and forget it” tool. During the first week of school, when everyone gets their devices and logs in to Google Classroom, she syncs everything so her students are enrolled.

“Then I look at our schedules and go into the scheduling tool. First period is one block, second period another, and so on. It restricts each class during their time in my room, so I don’t have to remember to turn things on or off. Once it’s scheduled, I don’t put an end date. It’s set for the entire year.”

Her advice for those still skeptical is simple: “For new teachers, I say: Just set it up day one. The amount of time it’ll save you down the road is more than worth it.”

Motivating students and managing time

GoGuardian Teacher helps her manage her classroom efficiently while motivating students to stay on task. She sets her scenes, starting with the most restricted, which is usually the four websites she uses with her classes daily, Monday through Thursday. On Friday, she uses the group feature: If students have submitted their work, they move to a second group with an unrestricted scene, so they get music privileges. Everyone else stays in the restricted scene. “It motivates students to work during the week so they can earn that privilege on Friday. I’ve had zero issues doing it that way.”

Even with limited computer time, the approach keeps her students engaged and focused. “Our classes are only 55 minutes, and half the time we’re not even on computers. We’re in our books anyway, so it’s not super important to have restrictions lifted. By Friday, we’ll have finished our tests, and if students are done, they can enjoy that free time.”

Fewer distractions, more learning

Since implementing GoGuardian Teacher, Taylor has seen a dramatic change in student behavior.

“With GoGuardian Teacher on, I have no students playing games like Spacebar Clicker when they’re supposed to be working. They can only access approved websites. I have zero distractions because temptation is real, especially for kids. It’s easy to open another tab, but not if you have a tab limit.”

She also loves how the platform supports differentiated learning. “The student groups feature is great because fast finishers can move on instead of becoming disruptive. It benefits everyone.”

Less work for teachers, more focus for students

For teachers who worry that GoGuardian Teacher adds extra work, Taylor says the opposite is true. “There’s more work in walking around trying to watch 25 screens in person. It’s so much easier to glance at my one screen and see them all. If you walk around, students see you coming and switch tabs. GoGuardian Teacher is the complete opposite of more work. You take five minutes to set up your classes and scenes, and that’s it.” The time she saves on management allows her to spend more of the class engaging with students one-on-one and building relationships instead of constantly watching over devices.

Rather than making the classroom less personal, she believes GoGuardian Teacher strengthens her connection with students. “My students know I have high expectations. This is a learning environment. Once we complete our work, it’s time for fun. The expectations are clear, and there are no distractions.”

Building good habits

Over time, she’s seen her students develop more responsibility and self-control. “They can’t access distractions, so they learn not to even try. By the end of the year, they’re just in the habit of working.”

Even when she’s not in the classroom, her students stay productive. She once took a mental health day and checked GoGuardian Teacher from home. When her students were done with their work and couldn’t access games, they opened Google Docs and were just typing to themselves. “I thought, ‘You’re bored, but at least you’re writing!’ That’s amazing.”

Peace of mind for teachers and caregivers

Not only does GoGuardian Teacher save time, but it also provides reassurance. “It removes the element of babysitting. As a parent, I like that my own child’s classroom uses it. Not every kid is raised the same, and some might access inappropriate things. Having that double layer of protection is great. My child has access to a computer all day, but not the entire web.”

It even helps in communication with caregivers. “It also protects me. If a caregiver says, ‘My child did this during your class,’ I can say, ‘No, they couldn’t have. I use scheduling in GoGuardian Teacher.’ It takes pressure off instead of adding more.”

A classroom that works

Taylor is affectionately called the “GoGuardian Queen” at her school, and her enthusiasm has inspired her colleagues to adopt the tool, too. For her, GoGuardian Teacher helps her manage her classroom, but also empowers both educators and students. 

“It definitely takes a load off me. Many of my students are underprivileged and don’t have computers at home. They only get to play games at school, so this helps them focus on work during the week and earn that free time on Friday. It’s a great motivator for Room 12.”

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