Screen Sharing Best Practices for Instructors and Trainers in Virtual Classrooms

Screen sharing isn’t just about showing slides-it’s about keeping learners engaged

When you’re teaching online, your screen is your whiteboard, your textbook, and your stage. But too many instructors just click ‘Share Screen’ and then stand there like a statue while students stare at a frozen PowerPoint. That’s not teaching. That’s broadcasting. And it doesn’t work.

Real screen sharing in virtual classrooms means guiding attention, reducing confusion, and making every pixel count. It’s not about what you show-it’s about how you show it.

Start with a clean, clutter-free desktop

Before you hit share, take 30 seconds to clean up. Close every tab, app, and notification you don’t need. That Slack window blinking with messages? Hide it. Your desktop full of random PDFs and downloads? Move them to a folder. Even your wallpaper can distract if it’s busy or flashy.

Students aren’t just looking at your content-they’re watching you. If they see your browser tabs labeled ‘Budget Spreadsheet (FINAL).xlsx’ or ‘Mom’s Birthday Party Pics’, it breaks their focus. Keep your screen professional and simple. Use a neutral desktop background. Organize your files into labeled folders like ‘Course Materials’, ‘Handouts’, and ‘Demo Files’.

Pro tip: Create a dedicated ‘Teaching Mode’ desktop profile on your computer. On Windows, use multiple desktops. On Mac, use Spaces. One for work, one for teaching. Flip between them with a keyboard shortcut. No more last-minute panic before class.

Share only what’s necessary-don’t overshare

Don’t share your entire screen unless you absolutely have to. Most platforms let you share a single window or application. Use that. Share your browser window when showing a website. Share your presentation app when going through slides. Share your code editor when walking through programming examples.

Why? Because when you share your whole screen, you risk exposing:

• Personal emails or calendar alerts
• Unsaved documents you forgot to close
• Background apps like Spotify or Zoom chat
• File names that reveal your internal naming system

One trainer I spoke to shared her whole screen during a marketing class-and accidentally revealed a draft email to her boss titled ‘Need to fire Sarah’. The class saw it. She never lived it down.

Always ask yourself: ‘Could this distract, confuse, or embarrass someone?’ If yes, don’t share it.

Use annotations and pointers to guide eyes

When you’re teaching online, you don’t have a laser pointer. You don’t have the ability to tap on a whiteboard. But you do have annotation tools-and they’re powerful.

Use them. Circle key terms. Highlight formulas. Draw arrows between concepts. Zoom in on small text. Most platforms (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) have built-in annotation tools. Don’t ignore them.

Here’s how to use them effectively:

1. Wait until you’re ready to explain something specific-don’t start drawing too early
2. Use a contrasting color (red or yellow works best)
3. Keep lines simple-no doodles, no cartoons
4. Always explain what you’re marking: ‘See this part here? This is where the error happens’

One instructor teaching Excel to adult learners started using a red circle to highlight the ‘SUM’ function every time she used it. After three sessions, students began mimicking the gesture-literally circling cells on their own screens as they practiced. That’s retention.

Move your screen like a camera operator

Think of your screen like a film set. You’re the director. You control the framing.

Don’t just leave your presentation on screen and talk over it. Zoom in. Pan left. Reveal step-by-step. If you’re showing a website, don’t let students scroll themselves-do it for them. Click the next section. Scroll down slowly. Pause. Let them catch up.

When teaching coding, don’t just paste a block of code and say ‘Here’s the solution.’ Type it out live. One line at a time. Explain each part as you go. Even if you’re ahead of schedule, slow down. The students aren’t reading as fast as you are.

One software trainer I observed used a two-monitor setup. One monitor showed the full code. The other showed only the current line being explained. He shared the second screen. Students said it felt like he was sitting next to them, guiding their eyes.

Test your setup before every session

You wouldn’t walk into a physical classroom without checking the projector. Don’t walk into a virtual one without checking your screen share.

Do this before every class:

• Start a test meeting with a friend or colleague
• Share your screen and ask: ‘Can you read this?’
• Check font sizes-text under 14pt is hard to read on small screens
• Test color contrast-dark text on light background is best
• Try switching between windows to make sure it’s smooth

One instructor skipped this step and shared her screen during a live training. The font was too small. Students couldn’t read the code. Half the class asked her to send the slides afterward. She lost 20 minutes of teaching time fixing it.

Set up a quick checklist: Screen Share Test → Font Size → Color Contrast → Window Switching → Audio Sync. Do it in 5 minutes. Save yourself hours of frustration.

Give students control when it helps

There’s a myth that instructors must control everything. Not true.

Let students share their screens too. Especially during practice sessions. If you’re teaching graphic design, ask a student to share their screen and walk you through their process. If you’re teaching writing, have them share their draft and explain their structure.

This does three things:

• Builds confidence
• Reveals real misunderstandings
• Turns passive learners into active participants

Just set ground rules: ‘Only share what’s relevant. No personal files. No social media.’ Use the ‘Request to Share’ feature so you can approve each time. It keeps things safe and focused.

Use screen sharing to reinforce, not replace, your voice

The biggest mistake? Talking while the screen is static. You’re not a voiceover for a slideshow. You’re a guide.

When you’re sharing your screen, your voice should match what’s on it. Don’t say ‘So here’s the formula’ while you’re still scrolling to the next slide. Wait until it’s visible. Then say it.

Pause after you reveal something new. Let it sink in. Say: ‘Take 5 seconds to look at this. What do you notice?’

One biology instructor teaching cell structures paused for 8 seconds after showing a diagram of mitochondria. She didn’t say a word. Then she asked: ‘What’s the one thing you’d ask if you saw this in a lab?’ The discussion that followed was richer than any lecture she’d given before.

Record and review your sessions

After your first few sessions, watch the recording. Not to see how you looked. To see how your screen looked.

Ask yourself:

• Did I share too much? Too little?
• Was the text readable?
• Did I move the screen smoothly?
• Did I forget to annotate something important?
• Did students seem confused at any point?

One trainer noticed that every time she switched from her slides to her browser, students stopped asking questions. She realized she was switching too fast. She slowed down. Her engagement scores jumped 40% in two weeks.

Record every session. Review one every week. You’ll improve faster than you think.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Sharing your whole desktop - Too risky, too messy
• Not testing fonts - Text that looks fine on your 27-inch monitor is unreadable on a phone
• Using too many colors - Bright green, neon pink, flashing arrows = distraction
• Letting students control your screen - Unless you’re doing a collaborative exercise, keep control
• Ignoring audio sync - If your video lags behind your voice, students tune out
• Sharing copyrighted material without permission - Even if it’s for education, some content is protected

Final tip: Make screen sharing intentional

Every time you share your screen, ask: ‘What do I want them to see? What do I want them to do?’

If you can’t answer that, don’t share.

Screen sharing isn’t a feature. It’s a teaching tool. Use it like one.