A Helpdesk Deck for the First Week Back

Returning to a familiar classroom does not mean every routine is still familiar. A short helpdesk deck gives students something concrete to rehearse: an unclear instruction, the wrong activity and an early finish.

Plan about ten minutes for students to choose a response, explain why and discuss the cases. Replace the finish routine below with the one you actually use.

Set up the helpdesk

Make one path: a Start signpost, three case Slides and a Finish signpost. Set the entry path at Start. These are the established building blocks of a deck.

Put each case and its choices on a Slide, then add a Text app for the response. Enable Allow answer changes if you want students to revise after discussion. Text accepts a free-form response without marking it correct or incorrect, so the explanation matters. The Text App guide explains this distinction.

Use this exact Start instruction:

This is a practice deck about getting unstuck. Open each Helpdesk case in order. In Text, type A, B or C and one sentence explaining your choice. If a case is hard to read or use, ask for help straight away. After Case 3, read Finish.

Tell the class: “These situations are examples. We are practising how to explain the problem, so someone can help.”

Case 1: The instruction leaves something out

Copy to the Slide:

Your task says: “Sort the words. Then explain your choice.” The words are pencil, pen, book and sign. You can read every word, but you cannot see which groups to use. What should you do?

A. Guess the groups and submit anything.

B. Reread the task, then ask: “Which groups should I sort the words into?”

C. Copy someone else's groups without finding out what the task means.

Discuss B. The direction really is incomplete. Rereading will confirm the missing detail; it cannot supply it. A useful help request names that detail. This is also a reminder for the teacher to repair the instruction, rather than asking students to keep trying.

Show the repair:

Sort these words into things you can write with and things you can read: pencil, pen, book, sign. Then explain where you put one word.

The groups are pencil and pen / book and sign. A suitable explanation is: “I put sign with things you can read because it has words that give information.” Ask students what changed between the two directions.

Case 2: You opened the wrong activity

Copy to the Slide:

Today's instruction says to open Word Practice. The activity in front of you is called Number Practice. What should you do?

A. Complete Number Practice because it is already open.

B. Keep opening activities until something looks familiar.

C. Compare the two titles. If you do not know how to reach Word Practice, ask: “I am in Number Practice. How do I get to Word Practice?”

Discuss C. Students have identified a mismatch, not proved that the website is broken. The two titles give the teacher enough information to help. Demonstrate the route students should use in your own lesson; do not assume they can move backwards through every path.

Ask: “What would you need to know before opening another activity?” Look for the assigned title and the route instruction, rather than a guess based on the picture.

Case 3: You finish before the class

Copy to the Slide:

You have answered every question. The Finish message says: “Keep this deck open. Choose one of your answers and be ready to explain your reason in our discussion.” What should you do?

A. Choose an answer you can explain, then wait with the deck open.

B. Restart the whole deck immediately.

C. Close the deck because answering the questions is the only instruction that matters.

Discuss A. Finishing the questions and following the finish instruction are two separate actions. Ask a student to restate the instruction in their own words. If your class uses an extension task or quiet reading instead, put that specific action in both this case and the real Finish signpost.

Use the Finish message quoted in Case 3 for this practice deck too.

Download the one-page help sheet (PDF)

Watch the next lesson, not just the answers

The key is B, C, A, but selecting those letters is only rehearsal. During the next ordinary lesson, make a small tally of whether students:

• name the word or missing detail when asking about an instruction;
• check the activity title before continuing along the wrong route;
• follow the stated finish routine after completing the work.

Note where a reminder is still needed. Several questions about the same missing detail call for a clearer direction. Several wrong starts call for a clearer activity name or entry instruction. Students who finish and drift need a visible, specific finish message.

Keep help available throughout. “Show me the sticking point” is a sentence starter, not a test students must pass before they can ask for support.