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Teacher Onboarding Checklist

Everything you need to get started with Flint and bring AI into your classroom.

Updated September 11, 2026

Welcome to Flint! This guide will walk you through the essential setup steps and help you create your first AI-powered activity. Whether you're new to AI in education or just new to Flint, we'll get you up and running in no time.


📋 What You'll Accomplish

By the end of this checklist, you'll have:

  • ✅ Logged into your school's Flint workspace
  • ✅ Set up your class (or confirmed they're synced from your LMS/SIS)
  • ✅ Understood the power of classes and configured them
  • ✅ Created and shared your first AI activity
  • ✅ Explored Flint chats for your own teaching tasks

🎓 Learning Flint

There are many ways to learn how to use Flint. Here's your learning pathway:

Start Here: Overview Video

Watch this walkthrough from Jacob Edington, Head of Customer Success, to see advanced techniques and get inspired:

Additional Learning Resources

Step 1: Log Into Flint 🔐

Access Flint by visiting app.flintk12.com and signing in with your school email address. You'll be brought to your homepage where you can start new chats and activities.

NOTE: If you see {your name}'s Workspace in the top left corner, this means you are not affiliated with your schools paid account. Click on {your name}'s Workspace and then switch to your schools workspace - as seen below.

Switching to your school's workspace

Step 2: Understand the Basics 🧠

Before diving in, it's helpful to understand how Flint is organized:

  • Workspace: Your school's Flint environment containing all teachers, students, and content.
  • Terms: Academic time periods like semesters or quarters (usually managed by admins). Your previous term activities will always be available.
  • Classes: Classes, clubs, or other organizations you create or are assigned to
  • Activities: AI-powered learning experiences you design for students (assignments, practice, tutoring, etc.)
  • Sessions: Individual student interactions with an activity
  • Chats: Your personal conversations with Sparky (Flint's AI) for teacher tasks

Learn more: Classes, activities, and sessions in Flint

Step 3: Set Up Your Classes 👥

Classes are one of the most powerful tools in Flint. They centralize your class, reduce repetitive prompting, and provide insights into student progress.

Why Classes Matter

  • Class Context: Set once in Class Settings—Sparky remembers it for every activity in that class. Reduces time typing context repeatedly.
  • Gradebook: Centralized view of all student grades across activities. Filter by student or activity, download as CSV.
  • Class Analytics: Comprehensive analysis of all activities. Ask Sparky custom questions like "Give me strengths and growth areas for parent-teacher conferences."
  • Moderation Settings: Customize which categories trigger email alerts. Add colleagues as moderators to receive notifications.
  • Subclasses: Create nested classes for differentiation. Example: A subclass for English language learners with specialized learning goals.
  • Centralized Hub: Single location where students access all class activities and track progress throughout the term.
Option A: Classes Already Synced (LMS/SIS Integration)

If your school admin has set up an LMS or SIS integration, your class rosters may already be in Flint. Check the sidebar on your homepage under "Classes" to see if your classes appear.

If you see your classes: Skip to Step 4!

Option B: Create Classes Manually

Creating a class

If you don't see your classes, you'll need to create them:

  1. Click the "+ Add" button next to "Classes" in the sidebar
  2. Click "Create in school" (or select a parent class if creating a subclass)
  3. Add your class's name and description
  4. Go to "Class settings" and add Class Context (up to 1,000 characters). Include: grade level, subject, learning objectives, student demographics, special considerations. Example: "10th grade IB World History, 5 English language learners who need strong visuals"
  5. Configure Moderation Settings to customize which categories trigger email alerts and add colleagues as moderators
  6. Click "Create"
  7. Share the class by copying the link or adding student emails directly

Learn more: Making a new class in Flint | Inputting class context | How To: Customize Moderation Categories

Setting up Classes

Classes: Class Context

Class context settings

What is it?

The Class Context feature helps educators provide context for their class, allowing Flint to better understand and meet student needs. Once set, this information automatically applies to all activities within the class, ensuring consistency across your content.

Why is it important?

It provides context for how Flint should respond to and prompt students within activity sessions in the class.

How to do it -

  1. If you're creating a new class, scroll down to see the "Class Context" field
  2. If you're updating an already existing class - navigate into the class
  3. Click on the class settings
  4. Insert your class context
  5. Click update

Classes: Setting Moderations

Class moderation settings

What is it?

Gives teachers the ability to determine which moderation categories should be flagged. All categories are automatically checked off; however, teachers can update them at their own discretion.

Why's it important?

Moderation settings are important to flag any inappropriate situations or any instances of self-harm.

How to do it-

  1. Navigate to your class settings
  2. Scroll down beneath the class context
  3. Ensure the moderation categories you want included are checked off
Step 4: Create Your First Activity ✨

Now for the fun part! Activities are customized AI experiences for your students—think tutoring, practice, assessments, or creative projects.

Two Ways to Create Activities:

Option A: Explore the Library, Duplicate, and Customize (Recommended for First-Timers)

This approach helps you understand what's possible and avoid reinventing the wheel:

  1. Browse the Public Library or your school's library for activities in your subject area
  2. Experience the activity as a student to understand the student experience and identify what you like and don't like
  3. Click the three dots and select "Duplicate" to make a copy you can edit
  4. Customize the activity by telling Sparky what you want to change. Example: "Turn this Spanish restaurant roleplay into a French café conversation"
  5. Preview your changes and iterate until it's perfect
  6. Click "Create" when ready

Benefits: See what's possible, learn from others' designs, avoid common mistakes, understand different activity capabilities

Option B: Create a Custom Activity from Scratch

  1. Click "Create custom activity" on your homepage
  2. Tell Sparky what you want to create (be specific!)
  3. Upload any materials (PDFs, links, rubrics, etc.) to guide the AI
  4. Preview the activity using the automated or manual preview
  5. Ask Sparky to make revisions as needed
  6. Click "Create" when ready

Tips for Great Activities:

  • Be specific: Clear learning objectives lead to better AI responses
  • Upload materials: Especially important for obscure topics, specific viewpoints, or current events
  • Test thoroughly: Use the preview feature to see how students will experience it
  • Iterate: Your first activity won't be perfect—that's okay! Revise based on student feedback

🎉 You're Ready to Go!

Congratulations! You've completed the essential setup. Now it's time to take your Flint skills to the next level.


Additional Resources

🚀 Advanced Techniques to Transform Your Flint Usage

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Need Help?

Click the support chat icon in the bottom-right corner of Flint to reach our team anytime. We're here to help!