# Teacher Messaging
URL: https://whitepenguin.sonicar.tech/docs/communication/teacher-messaging/
> Learn how to message teachers or staff, share documents and images, and reply to their responses.
## Overview [#overview]
**Teacher Messaging** lets admins, parents, and teammates hold private, one-to-one conversations with teachers and staff directly inside WhitePenguin β keeping every school conversation in one place.
Everything happens in the **Communication** section, which has two tabs:
| Tab | What It Shows |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Messages** | All one-to-one conversations with teachers, staff, and parents, most recent first. |
| **Announcements** | Broadcast announcements sent to a group β separate from private messages. |
Each row in the **Messages** list shows:
* The person's **name** with a **role badge** β **Staff** for teachers and staff members, **Parent** for parents
* A preview of the last message, or **Attachment** if the last message was a file
* The **date or time** of the most recent activity
## How to Access [#how-to-access]
* **Admins**
1. Click **Communication** in the left sidebar.
2. The **Messages** tab opens by default, showing every conversation in the school.
3. Click **+ New Message** (top right) to message a teacher, or click any row to open an existing thread.
* **Teachers**
1. Click **Communication** in the left sidebar.
2. The **Messages** tab shows the conversations they are part of.
3. Teachers can always reply to messages they receive. Starting, editing, or deleting messages depends on their custom role.
* **Parents**
1. Sign in to the **Parent Dashboard**.
2. Open the **Communication** section.
3. Parents can start a new message and reply to anything they receive.
## Roles & Access [#roles--access]
**Access is based on custom roles.** Your **school admin** creates **custom roles** for all users and controls exactly which permissions each role has β **View**, **Edit**, **Create**, and **Delete** β for every section of the system, including Communication.
A teacher can always reply to a message they receive. Everything beyond replying follows the **custom role** assigned to them:
| Action | Who can do it |
| --------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Reply to a received message | Any teacher or staff member with access to Communication |
| Read conversations | Roles with **View** permission for Communication |
| Start a new conversation | Roles with **Create** permission for Communication |
| Edit a message | Roles with **Edit** permission for Communication |
| Delete a message | Roles with **Delete** permission for Communication |
**Admins** with full Communication access can message **any teacher** and **any parent** in the school.
**Where to manage roles:** Go to **Settings β Roles & Permissions**, then click **+ Create Role** to build a new custom role, or select an existing role to toggle its permissions. **Super Admin** permissions are fixed and cannot be edited.
## How to Create a New Message to a Teacher [#how-to-create-a-new-message-to-a-teacher]
Click **+ New Message** at the top right of the Communication page, then complete the **New Message** window:
1. **Send To**
* Open the **Select recipient type** dropdown.
* Choose **Teacher** to message a teacher or staff member.
2. **Teacher**
* A second dropdown appears once the recipient type is selected.
* Pick the teacher you want to message (for example, *Agodi Uchenna*).
* Admins can select **any teacher** in the school.
3. **Message**
* Type your message in the **Type your messageβ¦** box.
4. **Attach image or video (max 3)** β optional
* Click the attachment link to add files β up to **3** per message.
* Each file appears as a chip below the box. Click the **Γ** on a chip to remove it before sending.
5. Click **Send Message** to send it, or **Cancel** to discard.
Recipient types available in the **Send To** dropdown:
| Recipient type | Who you can select |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| **Teacher** | Any teacher or staff member |
| **Parent** | Any parent or guardian in the school |
## Replying to a Teacher [#replying-to-a-teacher]
1. Open the conversation from the **Messages** tab.
2. The thread header shows the teacher's **name** and their **Staff** badge.
3. Messages are grouped by day (**Today**, and so on). Messages you send appear on the right with a **β** once they are delivered.
4. Type your reply in the **Type a messageβ¦** box at the bottom of the thread.
5. Use the attachment icon to add a file, then click **Send**.
## Sharing Images, Videos & Documents [#sharing-images-videos--documents]
* You can attach up to **3 files per message**.
* Files can be attached from the **New Message** window or from inside an open conversation.
* Attachments appear in the thread as a preview card β for example, a PDF shows its first page β with your message text underneath as a caption.
* In the Messages list, a message that contains only a file is previewed as **Attachment**.
## Tips [#tips]
* Use the **search bar** at the top of the Messages tab to find a teacher's conversation instead of scrolling the list.
* The **Staff** badge makes it easy to tell teacher conversations apart from parent conversations at a glance.
* Share documents as attachments (PDFs, certificates, reports) rather than retyping the details in the message body.
* Look for the **β** to confirm your message was delivered.
* Keep one topic per conversation so the full history with that teacher stays easy to follow.
* Use **Announcements** when the same information needs to reach the whole team at once.
* If a teacher needs to start conversations, not just reply, give their role **Create** permission for Communication in **Settings β Roles & Permissions**.
## FAQs [#faqs]
Admins with full Communication access can message any teacher in the school. Parents and other users can message teachers when their access allows it, and any user whose **custom role** includes **Create** permission for Communication can start a conversation.
Teachers can always reply to messages they receive. To start new conversations, their **custom role** needs **Create** permission for Communication.
Only if their custom role includes **Edit** or **Delete** permission for Communication. Your school admin controls this per role.
Up to **3** images or videos per message. You can attach them from the **New Message** window or from inside an open conversation.
It confirms the message was delivered to the recipient.
Your custom role may not include **View** permission for Communication. Ask your school admin to update it in **Settings β Roles & Permissions**.
**Messages** are private one-to-one conversations. **Announcements** are sent to a group of recipients at once and live on their own tab.
The teacher may not be added to the system yet, or your role may not have access to message them. Check the **Teachers** section first, then ask your school admin to review your role permissions.