All SaskDLC teachers are expected to have a properly configured Microsoft Bookings page to facilitate calls and meetings with students and parents. The link to your Bookings page will appear in your teacher information block in your courses and in your email signature. It is important that the Bookings page be similar across classes and teachers so that the student experience is consistent.


Important
Microsoft Bookings uses your availability in your Microsoft Outlook calendar to determine when you are available for bookings. Please keep your calendar up to date to ensure that you are not booked at inopportune times. Create appointments with your status set to "Busy" for dates and times you are away or unavailable.


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Expectations


The following features should be included in all teacher booking pages:


  • the SaskDLC logo (link, save to your computer before starting);
  • the title of the page should be “Book a time with <TEACHER NAME>";
  • green colour theme;
  • a minimum of 2 different timed services for phone calls (typically 15 and 30 minutes);
  • a minimum of 2 different timed services for Microsoft Teams video conferences (typically 15 and 30 minutes);
  • a description of each service and instructions for the students;
  • confirmation emails must be sent to students when they book a service.


Other services that you feel will benefit your students can be added as needed.


When set up, your bookings page should be linked in your teacher block in all your classes and in your email signature.


Instructions


Set Up Your Bookings Page

  1. Go to https:/book.ms/ and sign in using your SaskDLC Microsoft 365 credentials. If you are already signed into another Microsoft 365 web app, you can also find Microsoft Bookings by clicking on the "waffle" icon in the top left corner of your window to open the app selector menu and choosing “Explore all your apps” then "Bookings".
  1. We will be creating a 'Shared booking page' because it has more configuration options than the personal booking page. Click "+ Create booking page" in the "Shared booking pages" section.
  2. In the window that pops up, give your calendar a name such as “Book a time with <TEACHER NAME>" (replace <TEACHER NAME> with your name; "Mr.","Mrs", or "Ms." is optional).
  3. Add the DLC logo by clicking on “Add a logo” and upload the SaskDLC logo image (link), then click "Add logo."
  4. Choose "Education" under "Business type" and click "Next."
  5. You can set your business hours here or leave it for the next step.
  6. For your own Microsoft Bookings page, it is not necessary to add other staff on the "Invite staff" window. Click "Next."
  1. You will set up services later, so click "Next" on the ‘Set up a service’ window.
  2. In the "Choose who can book appointments" window, set the permission to "Anyone."
  3. Click "Create" to finish the set up.

Set Your Business Hours

  1. Go into your Bookings page you created in the previous step.
  2. Click on "Business Information" on the left hand side of the window.
  3. Click the arrow beside "Business hours."
  4. Set the times to the outer limits of your work day for each day.
  5. Click "Save" at the top.



Changing the Bookings Page Settings


  1. Click on "Bookings Page" in the left navigation menu.
  2. Click the arrow beside "Default scheduling policy" to set some commonly edited parameters.
    1. “Time increments” refers to the blocks of time shown on the page students see. Set this to whatever works best for your typical calls (Recommended: 30 minutes).
    2. “Minimum lead time” refers to the soonest time that a booking can be made. Set this to your preference to prevent students from booking a call with next to no notice (Recommended: 3 hours).
    3. “Maximum lead time” is the farthest in advance that a booking can be made. Set this to prevent students from booking appointments too far in the future (Recommended: 30 days).
    4. Check "Notify the business…" and "Send a meeting invite…" under "Email notifications."
    5. Under "Staff Control", uncheck "Allow customers to choose a specific person for the booking."
    6. Under "Availability" options, set your "General Availability" to "Bookable when staff are free." It is also possible to set different hours for specific date ranges in this section.



  1. Click on arrow beside "Customize your page." 
  2. Choose green under "Color Theme."
  3. Check the "Display business logo on your booking page" check box.



  1. Ensure that your "Region and time zone settings" are set correctly.
  2. Click the "Save" button at the top.



Add Services

  1. Click on "Services" in the left navigation menu.
  2. Click on "Add new service" at the top of the middle column.
  3. In the "Basic details" section, enter the information for each service. This will should be mostly straight-forward and will vary from teacher to teacher, so here are a couple of things to know:
    1. For Microsoft Teams meeting services, make sure to switch on the toggle for "Add online meeting."
    2. You will need to define at least two phone call services and two Microsoft Teams conference services (Recommended: 15 and 30 minutes duration for each type).
    3. Buffer time refers to time before and/or after an appointment that you want scheduled between existing appointments. For example, you may want a few minutes after a call with one student to prepare for a call with another or write up notes on the previous call. If so, put in buffer time after an appointment.
  4. Under "Availability options," you can override the default business hours set previously. If you want, you can set your availability for certain services, for example, or show different time increments some services.
  5. In the "Assign staff" section:
    1. Select "Assign any of your selected staff for an appointment."
    2. Set the toggle for "Allow customers to see the names of the staff" to off.
    3. Under "Select Staff", click your name or profile image.
  6. Under "Custom fields," set the required information for the request.
    1. To include the question on the form, make sure that there is a blue check mark beside it.
    2. Information can be set as "Required" for the form to be sent as needed.
    3. For phone call bookings, make sure to require a phone number.
    4. Uncheck unneeded information, such as "Address."
    5. Custom fields can be added for information specific to your course or the type of call. Custom questions can be either text entry or you can provide options for a drop down menu. Some suggested questions include:
      • What is the topic of our discussion?
      • Which course do you want to discuss?
      • What phone number should I call?
      • Will your parents/guardians be joining us for the call?
    6. Questions added for previous services are also listed and can be enabled or disabled.
  7. In the "Notifications" section, you can configure which notifications you and the student will receive. When an appointment is made, both you and the student will get confirmation, but additional reminders can be set here.
  8. When finished, click "Save Changes."
  9. Services can be duplicated by clicking the "Copy Service" button next to the service name. Once you have set up one service, it may be easier to copy the service and make changes for subsequent services rather than starting each service from scratch. 
  10. Services can be turned on and off as needed. To enable or disable a service, simply switch the toggle beside ‘Show this service on the booking page’ to the left of the "Add service" window on or off.
  1. Click on "Bookings Page" in the left navigation menu.
  2. Copy the link to your bookings page.
  3. Update your default email signature by adding the link with the wording "Book a time with your teacher."
  4. Send an email to [email protected] that includes the link and the links to your course pages requesting that the bookings page link be updated.