Groups & Seating

In the side panel, click the Groups sub-tab (next to Lineup). This is the student-facing view - designed to be projected so students can see their assigned groups.

• 1 Group controls - Choose the group size (2-5 students), whether that number is a minimum or maximum, and how you want groups displayed.
• 2 Make Groups / Pop Out - Click Make Groups to generate new groups instantly. Pop Out opens them in a separate window you can project independently.
• 3 Group cards - Each card shows one group. Students are distributed based on your grouping factors and pairing rules (configured in the dashboard).

The side panel generates groups, but the Grouping tab in the dashboard is where you set the rules that make those groups smart. Open your dashboard and click the Grouping tab.

At the top you'll see a mode toggle. By default, PrepPanel uses grouping factors - a 1-4 category system you assign yourself. If you've been tracking mastery on the Mastery tab, you can switch to mastery levels to group students by their logged performance on a specific objective.

• 1 Mode toggle - Choose between manual grouping factors (1-4) or automatic mastery levels pulled from the Mastery tab.
• 2 Student rules table - Each row lets you set a grouping factor and an optional pairing rule for one student. The table shows every student on your roster.
• 3 Save Changes - Your rules sync back to the side panel immediately. The next time you click Make Groups, they'll be honored.

The grouping factor column assigns each student a category from 1 to 4. These are generic distribution categories - when PrepPanel generates groups, it spreads them so each group gets a balanced mix. Specifically, 1s and 4s are distributed away from each other as much as possible, and every group gets as even a spread of categories as it can.

• 1 - PrepPanel works hard to avoid placing two category-1 students in the same group.
• 2 - Distributed evenly across groups.
• 3 - The default for all students. Students default to category 3 until you assign them.
• 4 - PrepPanel tries to spread category-4 students across groups so no single group is loaded with them.

Most teachers use these categories for ability level, but you can use them for anything you want to balance across groups - personality types, language proficiency, leadership style, whatever makes sense for your classroom. The system doesn't care what the numbers mean to you; it just makes sure each group gets a mix.

The Pairing rule column lets you constrain which students end up in the same group. There are two options:

• Always with - These two students will always be placed in the same group. Use this for productive partnerships, ELL buddy pairs, or students who support each other well.
• Never with - These two students will never be placed in the same group. Use this when two students are disruptive together or when you want to separate social clusters.

Each student can have one pairing rule. When you select "Always with" or "Never with," a second dropdown appears where you choose the partner student. The rule is saved for both students - you only need to set it on one of them.

Head back to the side panel's Groups sub-tab and click Make Groups. PrepPanel runs through your rules and builds groups in seconds. Here's what it does behind the scenes:

1. Identifies all present students (absent students are automatically excluded)
2. Seats "Always with" pairs into the same group first
3. Fills remaining groups while respecting "Never with" constraints
4. Distributes students by category to create balanced, mixed groups
5. Rebalances if any group ended up category-skewed

You can view the output two ways:

• Cards - Each group appears as a visual card, ideal for projecting to the class
• List - A compact text list showing group numbers and student names, useful for quick reference

Click Pop Out Groups to open the groups in their own window. This is especially useful when you want to project the groups to your class while keeping the side panel on a different view.

Switch to the Seating tab in the dashboard. This is a full drag-and-drop seating chart editor where you design your physical classroom layout.

The editor has two main areas: a canvas where you place seats and room objects, and a controls panel on the side with tools for managing table groups, seating rules, layouts, and more.

• 1 Students sidebar - Shows unassigned students (available to drag onto seats) and assigned students (with a colored tag showing their table group). Drag students between lists or onto the canvas to assign/unassign.
• 2 Header - Shows the class name, total seat count, and a print button for generating a printable seating chart (useful for substitutes).
• 3 Seating canvas - Your classroom layout. Drag seats and room objects (teacher desk, door, display, whiteboard) to match your physical room. Seats near each other are automatically clustered into table groups. Empty seats show a "+" and accept drag-and-drop.
• 4 Orientation indicators - Toggle which edge is the "Front" and which is the "Back" of your room. This powers the "seat near the front" and "seat near the back" rules during auto-assign.
• 5 Control cards - A grid of collapsible cards below the canvas. "Add items" places seats and objects. "Seat actions" runs auto-assign. "Layout settings" controls snap-to-grid and zoom. "Table groups" lists your groups with color swatches. Additional cards for saved layouts and seating rules expand on click.

Start by adding the elements that make up your classroom:

• Student seats - Click "+ Seat" for each desk in your room. Each seat is a square that can hold one student. Drag to position, resize if needed.
• Teacher desk - Place this where your desk actually sits. It's used by the "seat near teacher's desk" rule during auto-assign.
• Door - Mark the classroom door's location. Used by the "seat near the door" rule for students with mobility needs or 504 plans.
• Display - Mark where your projector screen or smartboard is. Used by the "seat near the display" rule for students who need a clear line of sight.
• Other object - A generic labeled object for anything else - a bookshelf, supply station, or anything you want to mark on the chart. You can rename its label.

Every item on the canvas can be dragged to a new position and resized by pulling the corner handle. Select multiple items by holding Shift or by drawing a selection rectangle (click on empty canvas and drag).

Above and below the canvas, you'll see Front and Back buttons. These tell PrepPanel which edge of the canvas is the front of your classroom and which is the back.

This matters for two seating rules:

• "Seat near the front" - Places the student as close as possible to the front edge
• "Seat near the back" - Places the student near the back edge

By default, the bottom of the canvas is the front and the top is the back. Click the buttons to swap if your room is oriented differently.

Expand the Seating rules card in the controls panel. This table lets you assign one seat-specific preference per student. These are separate from the "Always with" and "Never with" pairing rules (which are already honored automatically).

The available preferences are:

• Seat near teacher's desk - Requires a teacher desk on the canvas
• Seat near the front - Uses the room orientation you set
• Seat near the back - Uses the room orientation you set
• Seat near the door - Requires a door object on the canvas
• Seat near the display - Requires a display object on the canvas

• 1 Per-student preferences - Each dropdown lets you pick one location-based preference. Students without a preference are placed freely based on category distribution.

Click Auto-assign and PrepPanel fills every seat intelligently. Here's what happens:

1. Absent students are excluded automatically
2. Students with seating preferences (near front, near door, etc.) are placed first in seats that satisfy those preferences
3. "Always with" pairs are placed in the same table group
4. "Never with" pairs are placed in different table groups
5. Remaining students are distributed to create balanced table groups with a mix of categories
6. If mastery mode is active, reteach students are clustered toward the front of the room

After auto-assign runs, a status banner appears at the top of the seating chart summarizing what happened - how many rules were satisfied, any conflicts that couldn't be resolved, and the grouping mode that was used.

PrepPanel lets you save multiple seating layouts per class and switch between them. This is perfect for teachers who rearrange desks for different activities - keep a "pods" layout for group work and a "rows" layout for assessments.

• 1 Layout manager - Save the current layout with a name, load a previously saved layout from the dropdown, overwrite an existing one, or delete layouts you no longer need.

To save your current layout:

1. Type a descriptive name (e.g., "Workshop Pods" or "Assessment Rows")
2. Click "Save as new"
3. The layout is now available in the dropdown anytime you need it

To load a saved layout, select it from the dropdown. The canvas updates immediately with the saved seat positions, room objects, and table groups. Student assignments are preserved if the rosters match.

As you make changes on the seating canvas, PrepPanel tracks unsaved edits. You'll see an "Unsaved changes" indicator. Click "Save seating" to persist your layout and assignments.

You can also print your seating chart using the print button in the seating tab header - useful for substitutes or posting on your classroom door.