Email Etiquette
These guidelines can help parents use e-mail in ways that will be most beneficial to the students.
Never use e-mail for matters of controversy or distress. When you have a serious matter, it is always best to meet with the teacher directly.
Do not send multiple e-mails on the same topic. Generally, teachers will try to get back to you as quickly as they can. Remember, they have many students and are concerned about all of them.
Never say anything by e-mail that you would not want to be published.
The rules for civility in e-mails are the same as face-to-face meetings. Convey a positive tone in your e-mail which can set the stage for a cordial working relationship with teachers and other school personnel.
(Source: eSchoolNews, October 2000)
When e-mailing a teacher, consider:
Purpose of Communication
What is the goal in communicating with the teacher? If the goal is to share information or provide the teacher time to reflect on an issue/question you would like to discuss, an e-mail is probably appropriate. However, if the goal is to have a meaningful two-way discussion, an e-mail is not appropriate. The pitfall of e-mail is how each reader perceived the tone of the e-mail which can lead to misunderstanding. We encourage face-to-face or telephone conference calls whenever possible.
Please Keep in Mind
Teachers are interested in communicating with parents. Teachers want parents as a partner to maximize students’ learning. Teachers want to know if a student is having trouble at home or at school. Communication, although important, needs to come from an understanding of developing a partnership between the school and parents. Responding to e-mails takes time and thought. E-mails leave a lot of room for misunderstanding. But, if we all work together in a healthy partnership, then the student will benefit most of all.
Issues to Consider before E-mailing a Teacher
Timing: Remember during a teacher’s day she/he is juggling multiple students and making sure all students are learning. If you do not receive a reply on the same day to your e-mail, it does not mean you are being ignored. If you do not hear back from a teacher after 48 hours of your e-mail, please contact an administrator.
School Realities
The administration team expects teachers to give their total attention to their classroom and most of the time this does not allow teachers to check e-mails during the day. Many teachers check e-mail in the morning or after school and try to respond to the parents’ e-mails within 24 hours. Teacher illness, training sessions, workshops, meetings, and conferences can also cause a delay in response time. The teachers devote their planning periods to meetings, parent conferences, designing lesson plans, grading papers, updating gradebooks, preparing for assessment, and furthering their other learning through team planning/learning.