How to Navigate the Teacher Dashboard

The Teacher Dashboard is the first screen you see after logging in. It gives you a live overview of your class activity and quick access to every tool in Book Taco. This article walks through each section so you know exactly where to find what you need.

Step 1: The header bar

• The header runs across the top of every page. On the left is the Book Taco logo — clicking it always returns you to the Dashboard.
• In the center you'll see your name, your current plan, and — if your school has a Super User — their email address linked to your account.

Step 2: The left sidebar

• The sidebar is your main navigation and stays visible on all pages. The current page is highlighted in the menu. Some items show a counter badge when something needs your attention — pending grades, new submissions, or unlocked badges.
• The full list of sidebar items, in order:
  • Dashboard · Customize Program · Students · Student Groups · Contests · Contest Prize Ideas · Manage Books · Top 100 Books · Shelf Control · Manage Grades · Writing Prompts · Graphic Organizer · Classroom Badges · Log Group Reading · Games and Coins · Reports · Printables · News · Membership · My Subscription · My Account · Log Out

Expired plan: If your subscription expires, most sidebar items are locked and cannot be clicked. Only Membership, My Subscription, and My Account remain accessible so you can renew.

Step 3: The quick-access widgets

• Below the setup card — which disappears once you add your first student — you'll find four visual widgets. Each one is clickable and changes appearance based on your current state:
  • Students — takes you to your class roster.
  • Books — takes you to Manage Books.
  • Contests— its ribbon and label change depending on the state of your latest contest:
    • No contest yet: Create! ribbon with a green pulse — clicking opens the Contests page.
    • Active contest: Active ribbon — clicking opens the live monitor for that contest.
    • Closed contest awaiting winners: Closed ribbon with a yellow pulse and a Set Winners button.
  • Book Nacho — links to the Book Nacho platform (interactive articles for students). If Book Nacho is not yet activated, the widget appears in grayscale with an Activate ribbon and a confirmation prompt before redirecting.

First time here? If you haven't added any students yet, the Dashboard shows a Setup Your Classroom card at 0% with a single task: Add Students. The card disappears automatically once your first student is added.

Step 4: The class statistics cards

• Below the widgets is a row of statistics cards showing real-time totals for your entire class. The numbers load after the page opens — you may see a spinner briefly while they fetch.
• The cards cover:
  • Reading Logged — total reading time logged by the class
  • Quizzes Passed — number of quizzes passed
  • Word Count — total words read
  • Page Count — total pages read
  • Books Read — number of books finished
  • Activity Points — total points earned across all activities
  • Writing Prompts — writing prompt activities completed
  • Graphic Organizers — graphic organizer activities completed
  • Spelling Activities — spelling activities completed
  • Vocabulary Activities — vocabulary activities completed
  • Classroom Badges — badges earned by the class
  • Students — total students (links to the Students page)
  • Reading Book Goal — the book reading goal set for the class
  • Student Badges — total individual badges earned
  • Complete Album Pages — album pages completed
  • Game Coins — current coin balance across the class
  • Pookie Minutes — total time students spent with Pookie
  • Vocabulary Words — number of vocabulary words viewed
• Hover over the help icon on any card to see a tooltip describing exactly what that number counts.

Pro Tip: The Students and Student Badges cards are clickable links — they take you directly to the relevant page. Use them as shortcuts instead of going through the sidebar.

Q: The statistics cards are showing spinners and not loading. What should I do? A: The cards fetch live data when the page loads. If the spinners don't resolve, try refreshing the page. If the problem persists, check your internet connection or contact support.