Students reach Pear Deck through joinpd.com, and it’s one of the most searched classroom tools on this site. But every JoinPD code starts with a teacher, so this guide is for that side of the classroom.
I’ll walk you through how to use Pear Deck: adding interactive questions to your slides, starting a session, sharing the join code, choosing a pacing mode, and what you get on the free plan compared with Premium. If you’re a student, my JoinPD guide shows you how to join.
What is Pear Deck?
Pear Deck is an add-on for Google Slides and PowerPoint Online that turns a presentation into an interactive lesson. Students follow along on their own devices and answer questions you’ve added to the slides, and you see their responses live. Pear Deck sits within the GoGuardian family of education tools.
What you need
- A Google account (for Google Slides) or a Microsoft account (for PowerPoint Online)
- A presentation, or one of Pear Deck’s free templates
- A device for each student, or students sharing devices
Pear Deck recommends sticking to one platform, either Google or Microsoft, because accounts on each are separate and can’t be merged.
Step 1: Sign in and open the add-on
- Go to peardeck.com and sign in with your Google or Microsoft account.
- Allow the file permissions it asks for.
- Open your presentation in Google Slides or PowerPoint Online, then open the Pear Deck sidebar from the add-ons menu.
Step 2: Add interactive questions
From the sidebar, add an interactive response to any slide. Common types include:
- Text: students type an answer
- Number: for maths answers
- Multiple choice: with your own options
- Website: shows a web page inside the slide
- Draggable and Drawing: students move a marker or sketch on the slide (Premium)
The sidebar also has a template library of ready-made slides, such as exit tickets and check-ins, that you can drop straight into your deck.
My tip: you don’t need a question on every slide. Two to four well-placed questions in a lesson usually keep students engaged without slowing you down.
Step 3: Start the session
- In Google Slides, click Start Lesson in the Pear Deck sidebar.
- In PowerPoint Online, click Present with Pear Deck.
Then choose a pacing mode:
- Instructor-paced: you control the slides from the Projector View, and everyone sees the same slide as you.
- Student-paced: students move through the slides at their own speed, which is good for homework or stations.
Step 4: Share the join code
Students can join in two ways:
- Join code: they go to joinpd.com and type the code shown on your screen.
- Join link: share the link from “Give Students a Link”. No code needed.
Pear Deck says join codes expire after a week, but join links don’t. For a session you want students to return to later, share the link.
You can also choose whether students join anonymously (they appear as nicknames) or with their school email, which you’ll need if you want to see answers by name.
Step 5: Use responses during the lesson
While students answer, you can:
- show answers on screen anonymously to discuss them as a class
- lock students’ screens to bring attention back to you
- use timers for quick responses
With Premium, the Teacher Dashboard lets you see every student’s answers by name, highlight great responses and send private feedback.
Step 6: After the lesson
Pear Deck can create Takeaways: a copy of the slides with each student’s own answers, so they have notes to review. With Premium, you can also review responses later and give feedback.
Free vs Premium
According to Pear Deck’s pricing page:
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $149 per teacher per year (with educator discount) |
| Instructor- and student-paced lessons | Yes | Yes |
| Anonymous answers, locks, timers | Yes | Yes |
| Teacher Dashboard (answers by name) | No | Yes |
| Draggable and Drawing responses | No | Yes |
| Teacher feedback, audio on slides | No | Yes |
Schools and districts can buy plans with extra content and reports through a quote.
Common problems
- Students see “Invalid code”: the code may have expired. Share the join link instead.
- Students can’t log in: check whether you set the session to require school email, and that students are using the right account.
- Sidebar won’t open: reload the presentation, or reinstall the add-on from the Google Workspace Marketplace.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pear Deck free? Yes, there’s a free plan for teachers. Premium adds the Teacher Dashboard, drawing and draggable questions, and feedback tools.
How do students join Pear Deck? At joinpd.com with your code, or through the join link you share.
Does Pear Deck work with PowerPoint? Yes, with PowerPoint Online through the Pear Deck add-in.
How long does a Pear Deck code last? About a week. Join links don’t expire.
Related guides on WebTechHelp
- GoGuardian explained (Pear Deck’s parent company)
- JoinPD: how to join a Pear Deck session (student guide)
- How to play Gimkit
- Securly Pass: how the digital hall pass works
Sources
- Pear Deck: FAQs about Pear Deck: getting started
- GoGuardian docs: Create a new Pear Deck lesson
- Pear Deck: Pricing
