Google Meet - Breakout Rooms & Host Control

The Breakout Room feature of Google Meet has certainly led to some great learning opportunities for our students. However, they have also led to frustration when the Breakout Room feature doesn't function as expected. This post will review the best practices for starting and joining a Google Meet so that you can gain Host Control and with it the ability to manage Breakout Rooms.

If you have a specific Google Meet or Breakout Room issue you would like to explore potential answers here is a great resource from Google which includes a variety of Google Meet related topics.

Google Meet Links on Google Classroom

Google has conveniently built-in a Google Meet link to every Google Classroom. The link is accessible in the banner of each Google Classroom. Teachers have can control whether or not the link is displayed and even reset the link. This is helpful if students are getting a message that they cannot access the Google Meet or if a staff member is unable to gain Host Control. See the video below for how to reset and hide the link.

Editing a Google Classroom's Google Meet Link.webm

Accessing a Google Meet through Google Classroom

To join a Google Meet through Google Classroom both students and teachers will need to click on the Google Meet link in the banner. Since students are not permitted to create Google Meets they won't be able to join until a teacher joins to start the Google Meet.

Staff members, please note that the Teacher or Paraprofessional that clicks on the Google Meet link in Google Classroom first, becomes the organizer and gets Host Control for the meeting and is able to do things like mute attendees and manage Breakout Rooms. This can happen well in advance of the Google Meet. If a Paraprofessional clicks on the link at 8:45am for a 9:00am Google Meet and the Teacher clicks on the link at 8:55am for that same 9:00am Google Meet, the Paraprofessional will have Host Controls. This is the same if a Curriculum Specialist uses the link just before this time period. Host Control will continue to be assigned to that staff member until the link is reset.

Joining a Google Meet through the Google Classroom Link.webm

Google Meet Tips

Starting a Google Meet & Host Control:

There can only be one organizer of a Google Meet that gets Host Controls.
If using a Google Meet link from Google Classroom, the first teacher that clicks the link becomes the organizer and has Host Controls. This is true even if the teacher doesn't join the Google Meet.
That person will remain the host for future Google Meets initiated through the Google Meet link in Google Classroom until the link is reset through the Google Classroom settings for that classroom. (shown in the 1st video on this page)
The best way to insure that you are the Host of a Google Meet when using the Google Meet link in Google Classroom is to go to the Google Classroom settings for that Classroom and reset the Google Meet link immediately before you click it.
Also communicate with your colleagues about what time you will generally do this so they can wait to click it until after the person who needs Host Control does so.

What to do if a student is accidentally ejected from a Google Meet:

If you removed a participant from a video meeting, you can re-invite them. In Meet, during a video meeting:
- At the top, click People
- Click Add people enter the participant’s WPS Google Account (including @wrenthamschools.org)
- Click Send email. After you send the email, the participant can join the meeting through the original link.

*Note that students below grade 5 don't have email, but these steps are still the same for getting the student back into the Google Meet*

Please let me know if you have questions or would like a more detailed demonstration on what I am talking about here.

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