Breakout rooms are one of the most powerful features for online teaching. They enable small group work, peer discussion, and personalized attention — all the things that make education effective.
But poorly managed breakout rooms waste time and frustrate everyone. Here's how to use them well.
Before the Session: Plan Your Breakouts
Decide on groupings in advance. Random assignment works for quick discussion activities, but for extended work, pre-planned groups are usually better. Consider skill levels, learning goals, and group dynamics.
Prepare clear instructions. What exactly should students do in their breakout rooms? Write it down. Vague instructions like "discuss the topic" lead to wasted time and off-topic conversations.
Set realistic time limits. Most breakout activities work best in 5-15 minute blocks. Too short and groups barely get started; too long and conversation drifts.
Plan what happens after. How will groups share their work? Will you debrief together? Having a clear "what next" keeps the session structured.
Starting Breakout Rooms
Give instructions before splitting. Explain the task, the time limit, and what's expected while everyone can still hear you. Repeating instructions to each room individually wastes time.
Confirm understanding. Ask if there are questions. Better to clarify now than have confused groups sitting idle.
Make the time visible. If your platform supports it, show a countdown timer. Students pace themselves better when they can see time remaining.
During Breakout Rooms: Monitoring
This is where effective breakout management differs most from the basics. As we discuss in our article on monitoring multiple breakout rooms, your visibility into what's happening varies dramatically by platform.
If you can see/hear multiple rooms: Maintain background awareness. Listen for groups that sound stuck, confused, or off-topic. Note which groups are progressing well and which need attention.
If you're limited to one room at a time: Develop a rotation pattern. Don't spend all your time with one group. Quick check-ins (30-60 seconds) across all groups are often better than extended time with just one.
Join appropriately. Sometimes you need to participate visibly — answering questions, redirecting discussions. Other times, quiet observation is better. With proper monitoring tools, you can observe without being seen, then join visibly when needed.
Common Problems and Solutions
Problem: Groups finish at different times.
Solution: Have a "finished early" activity ready. It could be an extension question, a reflection task, or simply permission to help other groups (if your platform allows moving between rooms).
Problem: One group is stuck.
Solution: Join them, ask clarifying questions to understand the block, provide a hint or reframe the task, then leave them to continue. Don't solve it for them.
Problem: Off-topic conversation.
Solution: Some social chat is fine — it builds rapport. But if a group has clearly abandoned the task, join visibly and redirect. A simple "How's the discussion going?" often works.
Problem: Uneven participation.
Solution: If you notice one person dominating (or one person silent), join briefly and facilitate. "Let's hear what [quiet student] thinks" can rebalance things.
Problem: You can't tell what's happening.
Solution: This is a platform limitation. If you can't see or hear breakout rooms without joining them, you're working with limited information. Consider whether your platform is the right choice for breakout-heavy teaching.
Ending Breakout Rooms
Give warning before closing. "Two minutes remaining" — whether spoken or sent as a message — lets groups wrap up their thoughts rather than being cut off mid-sentence.
Close rooms decisively. When time is up, bring everyone back. Lingering groups slow down the whole session.
Debrief effectively. Don't just move on. Have groups share key points, ask what worked and what was difficult, connect breakout discussions to the broader lesson.
Platform Considerations
Not all platforms handle breakout rooms equally. Key questions:
- Can you see multiple rooms at once?
- Can you hear multiple rooms?
- Can you join rooms without disrupting them?
- Can you move students between rooms easily?
- Can you send messages to all rooms at once?
If breakout rooms are central to your teaching, these features matter. Platforms designed for education — like Simpleclass — typically handle them better than general-purpose video tools.
Getting Better at Breakouts
Like any teaching skill, managing breakout rooms improves with practice. Pay attention to what works, adjust what doesn't, and don't be afraid to ask students for feedback.
The payoff is significant: well-run breakout activities transform passive viewing into active learning. That's worth the effort to get right.