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Overview
Kira’s course editor now has two modes: Edit mode for preparing your content and Teach mode for running your class. This update also adds new content access controls and student exceptions, so you can pace your whole class while letting individual students move ahead.
What’s new:
Edit mode: a dedicated space to create, revise, and publish your content.
Teach mode: a dedicated space to see submission counts, set content access, and launch live sessions for each class.
Content access controls: restrict what content students can access and close submissions on resources you’ve already covered.
Student exceptions: let specific students go further than the rest of the class.
Your existing courses and content carry over, and unscheduled lessons still aren’t available to students by default.
Edit mode and Teach mode
Use the Edit / Teach toggle at the top of the course, lesson, and activity editors to switch between modes.
Mode | Use it to | What you see |
Edit 
| Add and customize content, restructure your course, tag standards, use Ask Kira, change the theme, preview, publish, assign, share, duplicate, export, or save a local copy | Your draft, including changes you haven’t published yet |
Teach  | See submission counts, set content access, and start a live session or present | The latest published version your students see, with a read-only outline |
Which modes you’ll see
Educators who can create content get both Edit mode and Teach mode.
Educators who can assign content but don’t have authoring permissions open directly into Teach mode. The toggle is turned off for them.
Org admins get the same controls as educators if they can create or assign content.
Running your class in Teach mode
Teach mode is organized by class. Everything you do there applies only to the class you select.
Switch to Teach using the toggle at the top of the editor.
Select the class you’re teaching from the dropdown. Each option shows the class name and number of students.
See submission counts, set content access, or start a live session for that class.
What you can do in Teach mode
See submission counts: The Grade button shows a count of submissions and opens Grading Studio.
Set content access: Click Configure to choose what your class can access and add student exceptions.
Start a live session or present: Live sessions now start from Teach mode, for the class you’ve selected. See Live Classroom: Teach in sync with Kira to learn more.
Setting content access
Content access is set separately for each class. In Teach mode, click Configure to set it. You can also set it while assigning content.
Choose how far your students can go:
Open the whole lesson or course. Students can work through everything you’ve assigned at their own pace.
Restrict access past a point. Students can access everything up to a step or resource you choose, and nothing beyond it. Move that point forward as your class progresses.
Close submissions on earlier resources. Students can still open earlier resources and see their work, but can’t submit or change answers.
During student-paced Live Classroom sessions: when you switch a session to student-paced, all content unlocks for students. Your content access settings apply again outside the session.
Restricting content students could already access
If you move the restriction point earlier, you’ll first see a warning showing how many students and resources will be affected. Student work is always saved and comes back when the content reopens.
Student exceptions
Student exceptions let specific students go further than the rest of the class, without opening content for everyone. You can apply one rule to several students at once.
Choose how students with an exception unlock more content:
As they finish: Each next resource opens when the student completes the one before it.
At a passing score: The next resource opens when the student reaches a score you set. Ungraded work counts as zero until you grade it, and items marked “not graded” don’t count toward the score.
Through a specific resource: Everything up to a resource you choose opens for the student.
Things to know about exceptions
Exceptions only let students go further. They can’t keep a student behind the rest of the class.
Exceptions don’t change due dates or release dates.
Exceptions apply to whole resources, not individual steps within a resource.
Student preview shows the class view, so it won’t reflect an individual student’s exception.
What students see
Students see which content is open and which is restricted past the class point. On earlier resources where submissions are closed, students can still open the resource and see their work, but can’t submit or change answers.
Access appears the same way everywhere: in the course, on the student’s dashboard, and in completion tracking. Students with an exception can access more than the rest of the class. Students can’t change any access settings themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t I see my latest changes in Teach mode?
Teach mode shows only the published version of your course. Publish your changes from Edit mode, and they’ll appear in Teach mode.Why can’t I switch to Edit mode?
You can assign content but don’t have authoring permissions, so you’ll open directly into Teach mode. Contact your admin if you need authoring access.Where do I find grading?
In Teach mode, click Grade to see submission counts and open Grading Studio.How do I start a live session?
Switch to Teach mode, select your class, then start a live session or present. See Live Classroom: Teach in sync with Kira to learn more.Can I use an exception to keep one student behind the class?
No. Exceptions only let students go further than the class.Why doesn’t student preview show a student’s exception?
Student preview always shows the class view. It doesn’t reflect individual exceptions.What happens to student work if I restrict content again?
Student work is saved and comes back when the content reopens.Do exceptions change due dates?
No. Exceptions control which content a student can open, not when it’s due.