Share the Google Classroom Calendar With Parents

If you use Google Classroom you probably have parents who want to be able to see what assignments their child is or has been working on. And if you don't know any other way, the response is typically to have them check after their child has logged in. Maybe they do this with their child physically logging in or maybe they login themselves with their child's login credentials. The first solution is inconvenient for the parent since the child must be present for the parent to see assignments and posts. The second solution allows parents to work on and complete assignments acting as their child, which we do not want.

There is another solution, however, that can allow parents access to assignment details without having to login in at all; share the Google Classroom calendar. When you create a class in Google Classroom a calendar corresponding to that class is created in your Google calendars. Like any of your Google calendars, the calendar associated with any of your classes in Google Classroom can be shared publicly simply by sharing its' URL. This link can be emailed to parents, sent out via communication apps like Remind, or embedded in a classroom website using tools like Google Sites. When visiting the classroom calendar, parents will see what assignments are due and when, as well as being able to see the assignment details. Assignment events are automatically created when the assignment is created in Google Classroom so no additional effort is required on behalf of the teacher to keep calendars up-to-date. Here's how to do it.

Step 1: Opening the Calendar

You can open the calendar for a specific class in Google Classroom by going to the class "About" page. Once there, you will see something like this:

When you open the calendar you're going to want to make sure that you choose the option "Open in Google Calendar." Clicking on "Open in Google Calendar" should open a new tab with your Google calendars even if you already have then open in another tab. 

Step 2: Find the Class Calendar 

This list is typically located on the left side of the screen when in Google Calendar. 

Step 3: Make the Calendar Public

In order for people outside your school organization to be able to view the calendar it must be made public. To make the calendar public, open up the calendar menu by clicking on the little triangle next to the calendar name and select "Share this Calendar" from the menu that pops up.

When you click on "Share this Calendar" it will take you to a page where you will see these options:

Make sure that the option to "Make this calendar public" is checked. Click save to save the setting.

Step 4: Get the Calendar's URL

Open the calendar menu again and click on "Calendar settings."

This will open up the Calendar Details page. Scroll to the bottom of the page and look for these settings:

Click on the blue HTML link. This will open up a pop-up window with the public URL for the calendar. 

Copy the calendar's URL so you can paste in into an email, online syllabus, or other electronic communication. I also suggest including a recommendation to the recipients that the URL be bookmarked for quick access later.

It's just that easy.