Khan Academy for Teachers: Step-by-Step Setup & Tracking
Khan Academy offers one of the most comprehensive free learning platforms available, but many educators struggle to move beyond basic awareness to actual classroom implementation. If you’ve been searching for Khan Academy for teachers resources, you’re likely ready to stop watching from the sidelines and start using this tool to support your students.
Here at The Cautiously Optimistic Teacher, we’re all about finding practical strategies and tools that actually work in real classrooms. Khan Academy fits that bill, it’s free, it differentiates automatically, and it gives you real data on student progress without adding hours to your workload. The platform handles the practice and feedback loop while you focus on what matters most: teaching.
This guide walks you through everything from creating your teacher account to setting up classes, assigning content, and reading those progress reports that make parent conferences so much easier. Whether you’re brand new to the platform or finally ready to use it with intention, you’ll have a clear path forward by the end.
What Khan Academy offers teachers and what you need
Khan Academy gives you access to thousands of practice exercises, instructional videos, and mastery-based learning paths across math, science, humanities, and test prep. The platform handles differentiation automatically, students work at their own pace while you get real-time data on who’s struggling and who’s ready to move forward. You can assign specific skills, entire units, or let students explore independently while the system tracks everything.
Core teaching tools you’ll actually use
Your teacher dashboard shows student progress at a glance, including time spent, skills mastered, and where each learner is stuck. You can assign content to your whole class or to individual students, set mastery goals for specific skills, and create custom assignments that combine videos, articles, and practice problems. The platform also generates printable progress reports that make parent conferences and RTI documentation straightforward.
Khan Academy’s mastery system automatically adjusts difficulty based on student performance, so you’re not manually creating three versions of every assignment.
What you need to get started
You need a valid email address and about ten minutes to set up your first class. Students can join using a class code, and they’ll need their own email addresses or you can create accounts for younger learners who don’t have email yet. The platform works on any device with internet access, including Chromebooks, tablets, and smartphones, though computers provide the best experience for longer practice sessions. No special software, subscriptions, or IT permissions required, khan academy for teachers is completely free and doesn’t require approval from your district’s technology department.
Step 1. Create your teacher account and log in
Head to khanacademy.org and click "Teachers, start here" in the top navigation bar. The platform takes you directly to the teacher signup page where you create a separate account from student accounts. This distinction matters because your teacher account unlocks the dashboard, class management tools, and progress reports that students don’t see on their end.
Navigate to the teacher signup page
Click the "Sign up" button and select "I’m a teacher" when prompted. You’ll enter your email address, create a password, and confirm your account through an email verification link. The whole process takes about two minutes. Once verified, you’re automatically logged into your teacher dashboard where you’ll see options to create your first class. The khan academy for teachers interface looks different from the student view, it centers on class management rather than personal learning paths.
Your teacher account gives you access to assignment tools and analytics that regular student accounts don’t include.
Set your teaching preferences
Khan Academy asks for your grade level and subjects during setup so it can show relevant content first. You can skip these questions and change them later, but filling them out now saves time when you’re browsing the content library. The platform remembers your preferences across sessions, so you won’t see elementary math if you teach high school science.
Step 2. Set up a class and add students
Click "Create class" from your teacher dashboard and name your class something students will recognize, like "Period 3 Algebra" or "Smith 8th Grade Math." You’ll select your grade level and subject area, which helps Khan Academy recommend appropriate content later. The platform generates a unique class code immediately after you finish setup, this code is how students join without you manually entering their information.
Create your first class
The class creation screen asks for basic information: class name, subject, grade level, and optionally a class description. Fill out what makes sense for your situation, khan academy for teachers doesn’t require every field to function. You can create multiple classes for different periods or subjects, and each class gets its own unique code and roster. The platform lets you edit class details anytime through the settings menu if you need to make changes later.
Give students the class code
Share your six-character class code with students either by writing it on the board or sending it through your learning management system. Students go to khanacademy.org, create their own accounts or log in, then click "Join a class" and enter your code. They appear on your roster within seconds, no email invitations or approval process needed.
Students can join multiple classes using different codes, so they won’t lose access to other teachers’ assignments when they join yours.
Step 3. Assign lessons, practice, quizzes, and goals
Click "Assignments" in your class dashboard and select "Add assignment" to access Khan Academy’s entire content library. You can assign specific skills like "solving two-step equations," full courses like "8th grade math," or individual videos and articles. The platform lets you set due dates and choose whether students need to reach a mastery level or just complete a certain number of problems. Assignments appear immediately on student dashboards with clear instructions about what needs completion.
Choose content from the library
Browse by subject and grade level or use the search bar to find specific topics. Click any skill to preview the practice problems and instructional videos students will see. You can assign multiple items at once by selecting checkboxes next to each piece of content, then clicking "Assign" at the bottom of the screen. Khan Academy tracks each assignment separately on your dashboard, so you’ll see which students completed the quadratic formula practice versus the video on parabolas.
Set mastery goals and deadlines
Toggle "Require mastery" if you want students to demonstrate proficiency rather than just completing a set number of problems. Select your due date and add optional instructions that appear above the assignment for students. The khan academy for teachers platform sends reminder notifications as deadlines approach, keeping students on track without you sending individual messages.
Mastery-based assignments automatically adjust difficulty based on student responses, so faster learners get challenged while struggling students receive more scaffolding.
Step 4. Track mastery, spot gaps, and plan groups
Click "Activity overview" in your class menu to see every student’s progress at once. The dashboard shows mastery levels for each assigned skill using a color-coded system: blue for mastery, green for proficient, yellow for familiar, and gray for attempted. You can sort by student name, skill, or completion percentage to identify who needs intervention. This real-time data updates as students work.
Read the mastery overview and activity reports
The mastery overview displays each student’s performance in a grid format. Click any student’s name to see their individual progress, including time spent per skill, number of attempts, and specific problems answered incorrectly. Khan academy for teachers provides detailed breakdowns showing whether a student struggles with procedural fluency or conceptual understanding.
The activity report shows you exactly which problems students missed, so you can address specific misconceptions instead of reteaching entire units.
Identify struggling students and skill gaps
Filter your class by mastery level to group students who need the same support. Select students performing below proficient on a particular skill and create a small group assignment targeting that gap. You can also use the data to prepare differentiated lessons or intervention sessions based on actual student need rather than guesswork.
Next steps for your first week
Your first week with Khan Academy should focus on getting students comfortable with the platform rather than diving into complex assignments. Assign one or two low-stakes practice sets so students learn to navigate their dashboard, submit work, and understand the mastery system. Check your activity overview daily to see who’s logging in and who needs technical support or motivation.
Spend time exploring the content library yourself so you understand what students see when they practice. Watch a few instructional videos, try some practice problems, and note which skills align with your current curriculum. This hands-on experience helps you answer student questions confidently and design better assignments later.
Once you’ve established your routine with khan academy for teachers, you’ll want more strategies for keeping students engaged and managing your workload efficiently. The Cautiously Optimistic Teacher offers practical resources for educators looking to balance innovation with sustainability in their classrooms, from differentiation tools to time-saving workflows that actually work.
