Random tools for the classroom
Cold-call fairly, build groups in seconds and turn review time into a game. Everything runs on a projector, smartboard or Chromebook, with no sign-up.
- Pick the next student without repeats until everyone has had a turn
- Split 30 students into groups or reshuffle seats in one click
- Big, readable results for the back row of the classroom
- Mia
- Leo
- Sam
- Ava
- Kai
- Zoe
- Noah
- Lily
- Omar
- Ivy
- Ben
- Nora
- Eli
- Rosa
- Theo
- June
- Max
- Ella
- Finn
- Aria
- Jay
- Luna
- Owen
- Maya
Try it with my class list
Names stay in this browser tab only. Nothing is saved or uploaded, and the list disappears when you close the page.
- Cold callingPick who answers next so the same five hands don’t do all the talking.
- Groups and partnersRandom teams for labs and projects, without the playground-style picking.
- Presentation orderShuffle the list once so nobody can argue about going first.
- Review gamesBingo, brackets and dice turn a test-prep lesson into something students ask for.
Pick a moment in your lesson
Different tools for different parts of the period. Every one opens in a new page, ready to project.
The first five minutes: wake brains up and get every student talking once.
Name picker wheel
Paste your roster and cold-call fairly. Remove each name after they answer.
Open toolRandom word generator
Spelling warm-ups, vocabulary review and one-word story starters.
Open toolRandom letter generator
Name an animal, a country and a verb that start with the letter on the board.
Open toolRandom sentence generator
A ready-made opening line for quick writes and journal prompts.
Open toolTeacher tips
Remove after picking. Use Remove and spin again on the name picker so every student is called once before anyone repeats.
Ask first, then pick. Pose the question, give everyone a few seconds to think, and only then spin. The whole class has to prepare an answer.
Project it. Put the wheel on the board or press F11 for full screen. When the class sees the spin, nobody claims you chose on purpose.
Let students spin. Hand the click to a student helper. It builds buy-in and cuts the that’s not fair complaints.
Keep a lifeline. Allow one pass or ask a friend per lesson so a picked student who freezes still has a way back in.
Set up a fair cold-call in under a minute
Paste your class list
Copy the names from your roster or spreadsheet into the name picker, one per line. First names are enough.
Put it on the board
Open the wheel on the projector or smartboard so the whole room can watch the spin.
Pick, then remove
After a student answers, remove their name. When the wheel is empty, everyone has had a turn and you start again.
Why teachers use these tools
Cold calling without the panic
Cold calling simply means calling on a student who has not raised a hand. Done well, it keeps the whole class thinking instead of waiting for the usual volunteers. Done badly, it feels like a trap. The difference is mostly in the routine around the pick.
A random picker helps because it takes you out of the decision. Students stop wondering whether you are targeting them, and quieter students get the same number of turns as confident ones.
- Ask the question before you spin, so everyone prepares an answer, not just the student who gets picked.
- Give think time. A short pause of three to five seconds produces fuller answers than an instant call.
- Pair it with a quick partner talk first, so the picked student can share what their pair discussed.
- Make it normal, not a punishment. Use it every lesson, for easy questions as well as hard ones.
- Offer a pass with a promise: the student can pass now and you will come back to them in a few minutes.
With or without repeats? The numbers for a class of 30
If you spin a name wheel and leave every name on it, some students will be called several times while others are never called at all. That is what fair randomness looks like, but it is rarely what a teacher wants. Removing each name after it is picked guarantees an even spread.
| Picks made | Leave names on: chance a given student is never called | Remove after picking: chance a given student is never called |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | about 71% | 67% |
| 30 | about 36%, roughly 11 of 30 students | 0%, everyone called once |
| 60 | about 13%, roughly 4 of 30 students | 0%, everyone called twice |
Leaving names on is still useful when you want every student to stay alert all lesson, because anyone could be picked again. Many teachers remove names for discussion and keep them on for quick-fire review.
Which random tool for which classroom job
| Classroom job | Tool | Teacher tip |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers next | Name picker wheel | Remove each name after the answer |
| Lab groups or project teams | Random team generator | Set the number of groups, not the group size, for uneven classes |
| New seats for a new unit | Seating chart generator | Put the new plan on the board before students walk in |
| Presentation order | List randomizer | Shuffle once in front of the class and post the order |
| Vocabulary or number review | Bingo caller | Match each number to a question on your review sheet |
| Which homework problem to go over | Random number generator | Set the range to the problem numbers |
| Class jobs for the week | Chore wheel | Spin on Monday and leave the result on the board |
Frequently asked questions
How do I randomly pick students for cold calling?
Open the name picker, paste your class list one name per line and project it. Ask your question, give think time, then spin. After the student answers, remove their name so everyone gets a turn before anyone is called twice.
Can I stop the same student from being picked twice?
Yes. Use Remove and spin again on the name picker after each answer. The wheel shrinks until everyone has been called, then you can paste the list again for a new round.
Are my students’ names stored or uploaded?
No. The pick happens in your browser and the roster is not uploaded to our server to choose a name. There are no student accounts. If you create a share link, the names are inside that link, so only share it with your class.
Does it work on a smartboard, Chromebook or iPad?
Yes. The tools run in any modern browser, including Chrome on Chromebooks, Safari on iPad and the browser on most interactive whiteboards. Nothing needs to be installed.
How do I make random groups for a class?
Use the random team generator. Paste the names, choose how many groups you want, and it splits the class at random. Press it again to reshuffle if two groups end up unbalanced.
Is the name picker really random, or can students say it is rigged?
It is genuinely random. Each spin uses the browser’s cryptographic random generator and the stopping point is decided before the animation starts. Our fairness page explains how it works and lets you run a test of 100,000 spins.
Is it free for teachers and schools?
Yes. All the classroom tools are free to use, with no sign-up and no limit on spins.