Random Student Picker Wheel — Free Classroom Tool
Enter your class list and spin to call on a random student — a fair, visible way to pick volunteers or cold-call without repeating the same names.
How it works
Enter your class list. Type in your students’ names, or paste them in one at a time.
Spin to call on someone. The wheel picks a name at random, visibly, on screen.
Let it run through the class. With “Don’t repeat winners” on by default, every student gets picked once before anyone repeats.
Frequently asked questions
Will this repeat the same student before everyone’s had a turn?
No — with “Don’t repeat winners” on (the default here), each student who’s picked drops out of the wheel until you reset it, so everyone gets a fair turn.
How do I reset it once everyone’s been picked?
Refresh the page to bring back the full list, or just retype the names you removed.
Is this appropriate to display on a projector?
Yes — the wheel is large, high-contrast, and works well projected for the whole class to see.
Can I save my class roster?
This page doesn’t save your list between visits. For a saved roster you can reuse every class, use the full wheel builder.
Want more control — colors, sounds, weighted odds, sharing? Try the full wheel builder.
More free wheels
Using a Random Student Picker in Class
Teachers lean on the same hands. A random student picker removes that habit and makes cold calling feel fair, because the wheel chose, not you. Type your class list into the entries panel, press spin, and the pointer lands on whoever answers next.
Make sure everyone gets a turn. Tick “Don’t repeat winners” and each student leaves the wheel once picked. Spin until the wheel is empty and you know the whole class has taken part.
Keep it low pressure. Tell students in advance that a spin is not a punishment. Let them pass once or phone a friend for help.
Ideas Beyond Cold Calling
- Pick group leaders, presenters, or the order of oral reports.
- Choose who hands out materials or leads a warm-up.
- Assign review questions by spinning for the question number.
- Run a quiz game where the wheel picks the team that answers next.
Privacy for Student Names
Use first names or initials if you prefer, and remember you can add, rename, or remove entries at any time. For splitting a class into groups instead, see the Random Team Generator. For a general-purpose list, the Wheel of Names works the same way.