Pear Deck Quick Start Guide
Start the 2026–27 school year with interactive lessons that make student thinking visible.
Use this guide to set up Pear Deck, teach a short lesson, and turn student responses into a useful next step. Start with a presentation you already use in Google Slides or PowerPoint for the web.
Before You Begin
Your school account
Use the school Google or Microsoft account associated with your Pear Deck access. Confirm your 2026–27 subscription before planning around paid features.
Your slides and devices
Have an editable presentation, the Pear Deck add-on or add-in, and an internet-connected device for each participating student. Build your lesson on a computer.
Your learning target
Choose one thing students should understand or demonstrate. Decide what a successful response will show before adding interactive questions.
School-year readiness: District staff manage application approval, installation policies, and school licenses. Teachers confirm access, choose the student sign-in setting permitted by their district, and test the lesson before class.
Set Up for the School Year
Complete these checks once, then revisit them when accounts, devices, or licenses change.
Confirm your account and access
Sign in at Pear Deck Home with your school account. Use Google for Google Slides or Microsoft for PowerPoint for the web. Check that your school affiliation and available features are correct; last year’s trial or license may not reflect this year’s access.
Open Pear Deck in your presentation
Google Slides
- Open an editable Google Slides presentation.
- If needed, choose Extensions → Add-ons → Get add-ons and find Pear Deck.
- Once installed, open the Pear Deck add-on from Extensions to display its sidebar.
PowerPoint for the web
- Sign in with your school Microsoft account.
- From Pear Deck Home, use Get Add-in to follow the installation path.
- Open your presentation in PowerPoint for the web and launch the Pear Deck add-in.
Use the web version for this workflow. Pear Deck’s lesson setup guide
If installation is blocked or the add-on is missing, ask your district technology team to approve or deploy it. Menu placement can vary with account and interface updates.
Choose how students will join
Review the Require Student Logins setting in your Pear Deck account before launching. When login is required, students authenticate with Google or Microsoft. They do not need to create a separate Pear Deck teacher account.
For evidence tied to individual learners, use your district’s approved identified sign-in workflow. Anonymous participation can support a classwide check, but it cannot reliably document which learner demonstrated a skill.
Anonymous on the projector is different from anonymous sign-in. Responses can be displayed without names while remaining connected to signed-in students in the teacher’s authorized view. Avoid asking students to type personal information into responses.
Run a two-minute access check
Launch a test session and use an approved test student account or a colleague’s student view. Confirm that the participant can join, read the slide, submit an answer, and use any needed accessibility support. Check that you can find that answer again.
Test on the devices and network students will actually use. If you need named response review, verify it with your account’s available tools before the first graded activity.
Teach Your First Lesson
Aim for a short, successful first session: everyone joins, everyone responds, and the evidence informs your next teaching move.
Build a three-question lesson
Start with a warm-up, a question that reveals reasoning, and an exit ticket. Keep directions on the slide itself, use readable text and strong contrast, and explain what students should submit.
| Moment / response type | Student prompt | Evidence to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up · Multiple choice | Which fraction equals ½: ¼, ²⁄₄, or ¾? | Selects ²⁄₄. Use the response pattern to choose your opening example. |
| Explain · Text | Why do ½ and ²⁄₄ represent the same amount? | Explains that two fourths cover the same amount as one half of the same-sized whole. |
| Exit ticket · Number, then discussion | How many eighths equal ½? Enter the number of eighths. | Enters 4; follow up orally or with a text slide to check the reasoning. |
These are sample teacher-designed prompts. Adapt the language, content, and expected evidence to the grade level and learning target.
Add an interactive response to each question
Select a slide, then choose a response type in the Pear Deck sidebar. Text, multiple choice, and number are useful starting points. Use the template library if you prefer a ready-made structure.
Drawing and Draggable responses require Premium. If available, a drawing prompt could ask students to shade two equal-sized fraction models and label why they are equivalent. Otherwise, ask for a text explanation or use paper models alongside the lesson.
Launch a Pear Deck session
In the Pear Deck sidebar, choose Start Lesson in Google Slides or Present Lesson in PowerPoint for the web. Launching a regular slideshow alone does not open the interactive session.
Instructor-Paced
You move the class through the slides together. Choose this for your first lesson, guided discussion, or a shared check for understanding.
Student-Paced
Students navigate independently. Choose this for practice, an absent student, or a follow-up activity. Students still need an internet connection.
Share the session link, or have students visit joinpd.com and enter the code shown in your session. Confirm that everyone has joined the intended session before you begin.
Read the responses and respond instructionally
Give students time to think before displaying answers. Use the Projector View for the class; keep the private Teacher Dashboard (Premium) off the projected screen. Preview responses before sharing them, especially open text or drawings.
Ask students to compare explanations, identify what makes an answer convincing, or revise a misconception. A response count shows participation; the content of the response shows what students understand.
A useful teaching move: If several students choose the correct fraction but cannot explain the equal-sized whole, model that idea and ask a new question before moving on.
Name and end the session
Give each class session a recognizable name, such as Period 2 · Sept. 14 · Equivalent Fractions. End the session when students should stop responding. Responses are saved automatically; return to the session to review them.
Review, Respond, and Troubleshoot
Use the responses to plan feedback and follow-up, then address access problems separately from learning needs.
Find the evidence after class
Return to Pear Deck Home and open the relevant session. Check the class, date, and lesson name before interpreting results.
| Tool | How to use it | Access consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Session response review | Revisit student answers to spot common strengths and misconceptions. | Available review views depend on your account; named Teacher Dashboard review requires Premium. |
| Teacher Dashboard and Teacher Feedback | Review identified responses and give individual feedback. | Premium; identifying students also depends on their sign-in setting. |
| Reflect & Review | After ending the session, share the review link so students can revisit their slides, responses, and teacher feedback. | Premium; supports Google Slides and PowerPoint for the web. |
| Spreadsheet export | Export session responses for a teacher’s evidence record or analysis. | Google accounts only. Follow district rules for storing student information. |
Compare current Pear Deck features · How Reflect & Review works
Choose a next step for each learning need
Compare the actual answers with your success criteria. For the fractions example:
- Ready to extend: Correct answer and a clear explanation using the same-sized whole. Offer a new equivalent-fraction challenge.
- Needs a prompt: Correct answer with incomplete reasoning. Ask the student to explain using a model.
- Needs reteaching: Compares unequal wholes or shows a persistent misconception. Use concrete models, then collect a fresh response.
Treat a blank answer as a reason to check access or understanding. Confirm individual learning with another brief explanation or demonstration when needed.
Set up revision or independent follow-up
Share a Student-Paced session when students need to complete or revise work independently. Specify which slides to complete and when you will review them.
Reflect & Review is for looking back: students cannot edit responses in an ended session. Reopen the session in Instructor-Paced or Student-Paced mode when you want new or revised answers, then end it again when finished.
Resolve the most common first-week problems
| What you notice | What to check first |
|---|---|
| Pear Deck is missing from the slide editor. | Confirm the school account and presentation platform. Open the installed add-on/add-in; ask district IT about installation restrictions. |
| A student cannot join. | Check the current session link or code, whether the session is open, the required Google/Microsoft sign-in, and the network connection. |
| Students see slides but cannot answer. | Confirm you launched a Pear Deck session and added an interactive response to that slide. Check whether responses are locked or the session has ended. |
| Student names are missing. | Check whether the session used anonymous sign-in and whether you are viewing the public projector or an authorized named review tool. Changing the setting later does not identify earlier anonymous work. |
| A Premium feature is unavailable. | Check the signed-in teacher account and current school license. Ask the school’s license contact to verify access. |
| An answer looks missing or unexpected. | Confirm the correct class session and slide. Ask the student to check their connection and submission; verify understanding before treating this as a learning gap. |
First-Week Readiness Check
Ready for students
- School account and current access confirmed.
- Student joining tested on classroom devices.
- Directions and response options are accessible to your learners.
Ready to act on the evidence
- Each question has a clear success criterion.
- You know where to find responses after class.
- A feedback, reteaching, or extension activity is ready.
Keep Your First Lesson Simple
One learning target. Three purposeful questions. One clear next step.
Open Pear Deck · Official getting-started guide · Device and technical requirements
2026–27 edition. Official documentation reviewed September 10, 2026. This guide covers Pear Deck interactive slides. Interface labels and plan entitlements can change; confirm the options in your school account. Instructional examples and readiness checks are provided by SDLA.