Teachers and tutors share their screens more than almost any other profession: a full teaching day is a sequence of classes, each one a live screen share to an audience of students. That audience includes minors, parents watching from the same room, and — in the case of grades — people the shared data was never meant for.

The leaks in teaching are rarely dramatic. They are quiet and avoidable: the grading spreadsheet behind the assignment, a personal chat window that pings during class, the private photo folder that flashes when switching files. The grading spreadsheet deserves special attention, because it is the one leak that is not just embarrassing — exposing one student's grades to other students is a data protection problem, and in many institutions a policy violation.

What actually leaks during online classes

1. Gradebooks and attendance sheets. Open in a background tab "just for reference", visible the moment you switch windows or share your full desktop.
2. Messaging apps. Parent groups, colleagues, family chats — each message a popup with a name preview on screen.
3. Personal files. Photos, household documents, a partner's CV. File explorer remembers where you were.
4. Browser sessions. Your logged-in personal email, shopping tabs, and the school's HR portal sharing one browser with your teaching materials.
5. Notification banners. Every app you forgot to mute, shown to thirty students at once.

The preparation that works

• Separate the teaching context. A dedicated browser profile for classes (school account only) and, ideally, a dedicated Windows user for teaching hours. This one habit removes half the risk.
• Mute by default. Focus Assist (Windows 11) or notification settings per app. Notifications are the leak you cannot take back.
• Structure your files. Keep teaching materials in one folder and open files from there, so file explorer never wanders into personal territory on camera.
• Gradebook discipline. Open gradebooks only when needed, in a window you can close in one action — or better, not shared at all.

The last item is where a tool earns its place, because gradebooks and messaging apps are exactly the windows you need open in the background while sharing something else.

Keeping specific windows private, not just closed

HideMyShare lets you mark windows as private once: the grading spreadsheet, the messenger, the personal email tab. Marked windows stay fully visible and usable on your own screen — you keep working normally — but they disappear from everything you share or record.

• The gradebook stays open all lesson for your own reference, and never appears in the share
• A parent's message that arrives mid-class is hidden within about a second, popup included
• It works system-wide: Zoom, Teams, Google Meet, the school's platform, screen recordings — no plugins, no per-class setup
• One toggle when you genuinely want to show a hidden window

Honest limits: Windows-only (10 2004+/11), and physical screens cannot be protected by software.

FAQ

Can I hide my gradebook while still having it open for myself?

Yes. A window marked as private in HideMyShare remains fully visible and interactive on your monitor — you can read and edit it normally — while it is removed from everything you share or record. Students see only what you intended to show.

Does this work with the school's video platform, not just Zoom?

It works at the system level, so it covers every sharing method: Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, school platforms built on browser sharing, and recordings. No per-app plugins are needed.

Is hiding windows on a shared class screen appropriate?

Protecting student data — like grades — is not just appropriate, it is often required by school policy and data protection rules. Keeping your personal life out of class is ordinary privacy hygiene. You show the class exactly the material you intend to show, and nothing else.

Try it

HideMyShare is used by teachers and tutors to keep gradebooks, messages and personal windows out of class shares. Free 7-day trial with all features, no account required; one-time license, no subscription.

→ Download HideMyShare