Adding a teacher to Canvas takes three steps: invite them by email, set their role, and they accept the invitation

To add a teacher to a Canvas course, you go to the course settings, find the "People" or "Users" section, and send an invitation to their email address. Canvas then assigns them a role—usually "Teacher" or "Instructor"—which controls what they can see and edit. The person you invite receives an email and must accept before they appear in your course roster.

You need to be a course owner or have admin permissions to add teachers. If you are not sure whether you have these permissions, try opening the course and looking for a "Settings" link in the left menu. If you cannot see it, contact your Canvas administrator or the person who created the course.

Key Takeaways

  • Only course owners and administrators can add teachers; if you cannot see Settings in the left menu, you do not have permission.
  • You invite teachers by their email address, and Canvas sends them an invitation they must accept within a set time.
  • The "Teacher" role lets instructors edit assignments, grades, and course content; the "TA" role is more limited and is used for teaching assistants.
  • If an invitation expires or the teacher does not receive it, you can resend the invitation or add them again with a different email address.
  • Teachers added to a course can see all students, assignments, and grades unless you restrict their access in individual assignment settings.

Finding the People section in your course

Open the course where you want to add a teacher. On the left side of the screen, you will see a menu with links like "Home," "Announcements," and "Assignments." Scroll down in that menu until you see "People." Click it.

The People page shows everyone currently in the course—students, teachers, and teaching assistants. At the top right, you will see a button that says "+ People" or "+ Add People." Click that button to start the invitation process.

Sending the invitation and choosing a role

A dialog box will open asking for the email address of the person you want to add. Type their full email address exactly as it appears in your school or organization's system. If you are unsure of their email, ask them or check your institution's directory.

Below the email field, you will see a dropdown menu labeled "Role." Click it and choose the role for this person. Select "Teacher" or "Instructor" if they should have full course editing rights. Select "TA" (Teaching Assistant) if they should help grade and communicate but not change assignments or course structure. Select "Observer" only if they need to view the course without making changes.

After you enter the email and choose the role, click "Add" or "Send Invitation." Canvas will send an email to that address with a link to join the course. The invitation usually stays valid for 14 days, though your institution may have set a different time limit.

What happens after you send the invitation

The person you invited will receive an email from Canvas with the subject line something like "You have been invited to join a course." The email contains a link they click to accept the invitation. They may need to log in to Canvas first if they are not already logged in.

Once they click the link and accept, they are added to the course roster when ready. They will see the course in their Canvas dashboard and can start viewing content, creating assignments, and grading, depending on their role. You will see their name appear in the People list with their role next to it.

If the teacher does not receive the email within a few minutes, ask them to check their spam or junk folder. If it is not there, you can resend the invitation by going back to the People page, finding their name, and clicking the three-dot menu next to it, then selecting "Resend Invitation."

Changing a teacher's role after they join

If you need to change someone's role after they have already joined the course, go to the People page and find their name in the list. Click the three-dot menu (or gear icon) next to their name and select "Edit." A dialog will open showing their current role. Click the dropdown, choose the new role, and click "Save."

Changing a role takes effect when ready. If you change a Teacher to a TA, they will lose the ability to edit assignments and course settings, but they will keep access to grades and student work. If you change someone to Observer, they can view the course but cannot grade, post, or make any changes.

Troubleshooting when an invitation does not work

If you send an invitation and the teacher says they never received it, first ask them to check their spam folder and their Canvas notifications (the bell icon in the top right of Canvas). Sometimes the email lands in junk, or the notification appears in Canvas instead of email.

If they still cannot find it, try removing them from the course and adding them again. Go to the People page, click the three-dot menu next to their name, and select "Remove from Course." Then add them again using the "+ People" button. Use the exact same email address they use to log into Canvas.

If the person uses a different email for Canvas than the one you have on file, ask them which email they use to log in. Canvas matches invitations to the email address in their account, so using the wrong address will cause the invitation to fail or go to the wrong person.

Understanding what each teacher role can do

The Teacher role (sometimes called "Instructor") has full control. Teachers can create and edit assignments, change grades, add announcements, modify course settings, and add or remove other people from the course. Use this role for anyone who should have the same control you do.

The TA (Teaching Assistant) role is more limited. TAs can view grades, leave comments on assignments, and post in discussions, but they cannot create new assignments, change course settings, or add people. Use this role for graders or discussion facilitators who should not modify the course structure.

The Observer role is read-only. Observers can view the course, see announcements, and watch student progress, but they cannot grade, post, or make any changes. Use this role for parents, administrators, or others who need to monitor the course without participating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add a teacher who does not have a Canvas account yet?

Yes. When you send an invitation to their email address, Canvas will create an account for them automatically if one does not exist. They will receive the invitation email and set up their password when they accept. Make sure you use the email address they will use to log in to Canvas at your institution.

What if I accidentally added the wrong person?

Go to the People page, find their name, click the three-dot menu, and select "Remove from Course." They will be removed when ready and will no longer see the course. If you want to add the correct person, use the "+ People" button and send a new invitation to the right email address.

Can a teacher remove themselves from a course?

Teachers cannot remove themselves, but they can ask the course owner to do it. If a teacher needs to leave, they should contact you or your Canvas administrator. Only the course owner or an admin can remove people from the course.

How long does it take for a teacher to show up in the course after I add them?

Once they click the link in the invitation email and accept, they appear in the course when ready. If they have not accepted yet, they will not show up in the People list. You can check whether they have accepted by looking at the People page—accepted members show their role, while pending invitations show "Invitation Pending."

Can I add multiple teachers at once?

Canvas does not have a bulk-add feature in most versions, so you need to add each teacher one at a time using the "+ People" button. If you have many teachers to add, contact your Canvas administrator—they may be able to add them in bulk using the course roster or a CSV file.