Hi @jhayes14,
Have you reviewed some of the student guides available in the community? You've laid out a few different areas you're having trouble with, but this is a global community of Canvas users so we can't see your specific course and how it's set up. There are many ways instructors can do things, so it's hard to tell you exactly where you need to go in a specific course. I definitely recommend reaching out to your teacher, but since you indicated you're having trouble there you may want to reach out to your local helpdesk. It looks like you may attend Del Mar College, and if that is the case, there is contact information for their helpdesk at the bottom of their Canvas page.
I hope this helps a bit!
-Chris
