How to email a teacher

Professional Email Tips and Guidelines

Thinking of emailing your teacher because you are confused? Consider these email tips before you press send!

Why should I care if my emails are professional?

Do you speak to everyone the same way? Do you talk to your teachers the same way that you speak to your friends? In life, you communicate to different people in different ways, and the same is true with electronic communication. Academic and professional work settings call for formal emails that are specific, concise, and productive. Personal emails, such as dinner plans with Grandma, do not require formal guidelines.

When people do not follow these norms and guidelines, others end up frustrated, time is wasted, and miscommunications can occur. It is important that your emails speak to the appropriate, intended audience and reflect the image you want to portray to the world.

A professional email is:

Purposeful

A professional email is used to obtain a particular goal, such as asking for a meeting, looking for clarification on an assignment, wanting a copy of the notes, etc

Specific

A professional email is clear and detailed. Anticipate any questions you may receive, and include those specifics in your email .

To the point

A professional email is brief, to the point, and avoids unnecessary information. Not too much, not too little, but just right.

A professional email always contains:

Subject Lines

Email subject lines should convey the main point of your email. Subject lines should be specific, such as "Need Help with Worksheet 3" or "Copy of 3/15 Notes".

Greetings and Sign-Offs

It is important to always include a greeting and sign-off on professional emails. It is polite, like shaking hands when you first meet someone. Some greetings examples:

  • Dear Professor Dumbledore,

  • Good Morning Ms. Smith,

  • If you do not know the person you are addressing, say "To whom it may concern"

Some closing examples:

  • I look forward to hearing from you,

  • Thanks for your help,

  • Sincerely,

Correct Punctuation and Grammar

When you email your teacher, you are emailing someone in a professional setting. A quality and efficient professional email has correct punctuation and grammar.

Sentence Stems

Use these sentence stems to build your professional email.

I'm confused about ______ and I was hoping you could help me by_______.

I am trying to complete ________ assignment, but I am stuck. I already tried ___________________ (e.g asking a friend, looking at my notes, etc) but I still don't understand how to ________________ (e.g. multiply fractions, write a PEAL, locate Denver on a map, etc). Can we schedule a time to talk?

I am trying to finish ______________________, but I am stuck on _________________. I tried ________________, but still need help. Can we schedule a time to talk?

Questions to ask yourself before you hit "send"

What Do I Already Know? What Have I Already Tried?

Before asking your teacher a question, include in your email what you already know and what you already tried. For example, I know that question 5 has to do with Order of Operations, but I'm struggling to multiply the fractions.

Is my email purposeful, specific, and brief?

Emails to your teacher should be used to achieve a goal, such as asking for a meeting, asking for a copy of notes, or asking a clarifying question. It should not be too long, but have enough detail so your teacher understands your specific concern or question. Avoid broad statements such as "I need help" or "I'm confused".

EXAMPLES

PROFESSIONAL EMAIL

PERSONAL EMAIL

PROFESSIONAL EMAIL

PERSONAL EMAIL

Source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and SRMS Staff

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