Classroom name picker

A classroom name picker lets the class see a fair, random turn. Open the student picker, paste the roster, and turn on Don’t repeat winners.

Open the student picker

Random student picker · Classroom hub

Why a visible random pick beats calling on volunteers

Volunteers are often the same few students. A wheel on the board shows that the next name is random. You are not picking favorites.

Say it out loud: the wheel picks, not me. That sentence lowers the heat. Quiet students get a turn. Talkative students still add on after the pick. Use this when the job is a normal check for understanding, not a high-stakes grade.

A hat on a desk is random too, but only you see the draw. A wheel on the board is the same math with a public show. That is why a classroom name picker works for cold call. Students can complain about luck. They should not have to guess whether you skipped them on purpose.

Set up in 30 seconds

Open the random student picker, paste one name per line, and press Spin or Space. That is the whole setup.

Replace the sample names first. Import a CSV or a sheet if the roster is long. Save the wheel as Period 2 if you will use it tomorrow. A printable sheet with the link can sit by the projector.

The student picker starts with Don’t repeat winners ready for class. You can still turn it off. Open it from the classroom hub if you want the teacher tools in one place. On a phone, the same three steps work: paste, spin, read. Space still spins if a keyboard is attached.

Don’t repeat names, then start a new round

Don’t repeat winners removes a name after it is picked. When the list is empty, start a new round so everyone can go again.

This is how you call on every student once. Absent students should come off the list before you begin. History shows who already spoke if someone asks.

If a student arrives late, add them and keep going. If you finish the roster with time left, start a new round. Do not reshuffle by hand. The tool already knows who is left. That is the point of an elimination wheel in class.

Lesson patterns that work

Use one spin for a cold call. Use the random order generator for a reading or speaking line. Use the team picker for groups. Use a short review game by spinning a name, then a question.

Jobs of the week can be a saved wheel with Don’t repeat on. Warm-ups can be a tiny list of prompts. Keep high-stakes tests off the wheel. A random picker is for turns, not for scores that need a rubric.

Reading order is often better on the random order generator, because you need the whole line at once. Groups belong on the team picker. Review games can stay on the student picker: spin a name, ask a question, spin again. Keep the stakes small so a “bad luck” spin is still safe.

What to say to the class

Tell them the wheel picks, not you. Then spin where they can see it. Read the name. Move on.

If a student is stuck, allow a helper after the pick. If the name is wrong, edit the list in the open. Do not hide a redraw. The trust comes from the room watching the same wheel.

A simple script: “The wheel picks, not me. If your name lands, you can pass once to a helper, then I come back.” Change the pass rule if you want. Post it. Then spin. Students copy what you do more than what you say.

Open the student picker, paste the roster, and spin where the class can see. That is the whole classroom name picker. The hub has projector tips and the printable. The team picker and random order generator sit next to it if the job is groups or a speaking line.

Download the printable PDF

Mistakes to avoid

• Duplicate names on the roster, which can make one student more likely.
• Leaving absent students on the list, then spinning an empty desk.
• Using the wheel for a high-stakes grade instead of a fair turn.