Master Microsoft Teams: A Beginner’s Guide for Ethiopians to Work, Learn & Connect Smarter

Microsoft Teams for Absolute Beginners

1. What is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a collaboration app that lets you chat, meet, call, and work together—all in one place. It’s part of Microsoft 365 and is used by companies, schools, and groups to stay connected.

With Microsoft Teams, you can: 

 ✅ Chat with people in real-time
✅ Have video or audio meetings
✅ Share files and work on them together
✅ Create teams for projects, departments, or classes
✅ Schedule tasks and set up calendars

2. How to Get Microsoft Teams

There are three ways to access Teams:

1. Desktop App – Download from teams.microsoft.com
2. Mobile App – Available for Android & iOS
3. Web Version – Use directly in your browser (no installation)

To use Microsoft Teams:

• You need a Microsoft account (like Outlook, Hotmail, or Office 365 email)

• Sign in with your email and password

3. Exploring the Teams Interface

After signing in, here’s what you’ll see on the left sidebar:

The main screen changes based on what you click from the sidebar.

4. Creating and Joining Teams

A “Team” is a group workspace for communication and file sharing. Think of it like a virtual office or classroom.

To Create a Team:

1. Click Teams on the sidebar

2. Click Join or create a team

3. Choose Create team

4. Select From scratch or From existing group

5. Name your team (e.g., “Marketing Team” or “Grade 8 Science”)

6. Choose Private (invite only) or Public (anyone can join)

7. Add members using their email addresses

To Join a Team:

• Get a code or invitation link from someone who already created it

• Click Join or create a team → Enter the code or click the link
  
  

5. Understanding Channels in Teams

Inside each team, you’ll find Channels.

What is a Channel?
A channel is like a topic-specific conversation room.

 ✅ General – Automatically created
✅ Add more channels for projects, events, or subjects

For example:

• Team: Grade 8 Science

• Channels: Homework, Experiments, Test Prep

Each channel includes:

• Posts (conversations)

• Files (shared documents)

• Tabs (custom tools like Forms, Notes, Planner)

6. Using Chat and Messaging

There are two ways to chat in Microsoft Teams:

1. Chat tab (Private or group chat)
   
   

• Click Chat

• Type a name to start chatting privately

• Add multiple people to start a group chat

2. Posts tab (Inside a Team Channel)
   
   

• Click on a team

• Select a channel → Go to Posts

• Type your message for everyone in the team to see

Messaging Tips:
✅ Use emojis 😃
✅ Tag someone with @name
✅ Use Format (A icon) to add bold text, bullet points, and more
✅ React with 👍❤️😂

7. Making Video and Audio Calls

To Start a Call from Chat:

• Open a chat

• Click the Video Camera or Phone icon at the top

To Schedule a Meeting:

• Click Calendar

• Select New Meeting

• Add title, participants, date, and time

• You can also set it as a recurring meeting

During a Call, You Can:
✅ Turn camera and mic on/off
✅ Share your screen
✅ Record the meeting
✅ Use chat box during the call
✅ Blur your background

Join a Meeting:

• Click the link in your calendar or email

• Click Join Now
  
  

8. Sharing and Collaborating on Files

You can upload, view, edit, and co-author files inside Teams.

To Share a File in a Chat or Channel:

• Click the paperclip icon or Attach

• Choose from: 

 ✅ Upload from device
✅ OneDrive
✅ Recently used files

Shared File Options:
✅ Open directly in Teams
✅ Edit with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
✅ Collaborate in real-time with others
✅ Leave comments and suggestions

Access Shared Files:

• Go to the Files tab in your Team or Chat

• Everything is organized automatically

9. Tips for Staying Organized in Teams

 ✅ Pin important chats or teams to the top
✅ Use @mentions to get attention quickly
✅ Bookmark important messages (click “…” → Save message)
✅ Mute notifications if a team gets too noisy
✅ Use the Search bar to find anything fast (chat, file, name)

Try Apps Like:

• Planner to assign tasks

• OneNote for digital notes

• Forms to create polls and quizzes

• Whiteboard for brainstorming

10. Teams Etiquette and Best Practices

Using Teams professionally or in class? Follow these good habits:

 ✅ Be respectful in chats and meetings
✅ Mute your mic when not speaking
✅ Use clear and short subject lines
✅ Respond to messages on time
✅ Organize files into folders
✅ Don’t spam channels with off-topic messages
✅ Use the Raise Hand button in meetings