Email Etiquette
Communication is key to success. Email is the best way to reach out to me. When emailing, please follow the proper email etiquette below and expect to receive a response within 2 school business days. Please keep in mind that disrespectful emails will result in no response. I am excited about the partnership with students and family that will make this school year successful. Go Pups!
Write a clear subject line.
Your teacher may receive many emails each day, so it's important to be clear about who you are and why you're sending the message. Include your name, the name of the class, the class period if applicable, and - if you are emailing about a specific assignment - the title of that assignment.
Address your teacher formally.
It's important to establish a respectful tone in your email, so start with "Dear Mr./Ms./Mrs. [Last Name]" on its own line before creating the rest of the email.
Always include some form of body text.
When sending in an assignment, for example, it's tempting to attach the assignment and click Send without adding any body text; unfortunately, this is both unprofessional and ambiguous (and, at times, rude). To ensure that your teachers have the proper context for your email, always include a message in the email.
Be straightforward.
Teachers have a limited amount of time per day to answer your questions, so make your email quick and to-the-point
Begin by explaining why you're sending the email in one sentence.
Ask any questions that you need to ask.
Try to keep your message to five sentences or fewer, unless you have a very detailed question.
For example, your email's body might read: "I'm emailing to ask you about this Monday's homework. I'm not sure what the last sentence of question number 3 means - could you please explain it to me?" or "I'd like to talk to you about my grade in your Geometry class for this past progress report."
Understand how to ask for favors.
If you are asking for a letter of recommendation, please explain briefly the circumstances and ask in one sentence if it's something they'd be able to do. It's also important to end requests with "Thank you" or "I appreciate your consideration" rather than just say "Sincerely" at the end.
Use proper grammar and spelling.
Your message should be well-written, properly spelled and capitalized, and grammatically correct, even if your message is only a sentence long.
Label properly any attached assignments.
Before you upload an attachment of the assignment to the email (if applicable), make sure that the assignment's file name includes your name, the name of the class, the name of the assignment itself, and the period number if possible.
End the email.
There are many ways to end most emails, but you should always end emails to teachers with some variation of "Thank you," on its own line and then your name on a separate line.
Below are some appropriate and inappropriate email examples for your reference.
Example 1: Email about the assignment in class
TO: Your teacher' email
SUBJECT: Online quiz problem
Dear Mr. Le,
I hope you are having a good day. I was in your class on Friday 9/12. I am writing this email to tell you about a problem I am having and to ask you for your help. For some reasons, I wasn’t able to complete the online quiz on Delta Math about Transformations of Quadratic Equations. The quiz closed without warning, and it gave me a score of zero. Could you please reset the quiz for me when you get a chance? I would really appreciate it.
See you in class on Monday.
Best wishes,
[Your Full Name]
P3 - Algebra class.
Example 2: Email about turning late work assignments
TO: Your teacher' email
CC: Your parent's emails
SUBJECT: Late Work for Classwork + Homework 21
Hello Mr. Le,
I am emailing you to let you know that I had fallen ill last week, and I could not make it a point to turn in the Classwork + Homework 21 on time. I am now turning in the assignments which were due on September 15th for late grades. I sincerely apologize for submitting the assignments late and for any inconvenience it may cause. Thank you for taking your time to grade my work. I make sure I will be more on top of my work for the remainder of the school year. I understand that these assignments are past due and any late penalties will be reflected on the grade per the syllabus that I signed along with my parents. I would appreciate it if you could change my grades in the gradebook at your convenience.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
P2 - Geometry Class.
Example 3: Email about the due date incident of the assignments
TO: Your teacher' email
SUBJECT: Assignment Due Date
Dear Mr. Le,
Would you please change the due dates for the assignments in the Canvas? We do not have school today, tomorrow, and we are asynchronous Wednesday. Just informing you so that we are on the same page. Thanks so much and have a great day!
Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
P1 - Algebra Class.
Example 4: Don't write an inappropriate email
There are many inappropriate emails in the following link that you need to avoid when emailing your teachers.