Note: This feature is coming to MS Teams in a better, default, and more streamlined manner. Expect these updates in September/October 2020 - for now this work-around should work for you and your students.
Create a team in Microsoft Teams. This team could be used by all of your classes as breakout rooms or you could make breakout groups for each of your individual sections (ES specials, MS and HS teachers.)
So your team name could be Breakout Groups or it could be Biology Period 3, as examples.
Create channels within your Microsoft Team. Name the channels Breakout Group 1, Breakout Group B, or Breakout Group Blue, etc. > Make a channel for each breakout group.
Select the team you want to add channels to
Click on the three dots next to the Team Name
Select "add channel" (if you want breakout groups to be private, select private, open to anyone in team, select public)
OPTIONAL for PRIVATE Breakout Groups - add names of students for access to specific breakout channels.
Instruct students to go to their breakout channel. Student or teacher can start a meeting by clicking the camera/MEET NOW icon. Students can also have text-based conversation in this breakout area. Teachers can also post guiding documents to tabs across the top of a channel by clicking the files and/or + icon.
Once the first student clicks MEET NOW - all others will see a JOIN button to join in on the live conversation.
