Informality of Email

[Lorri Carroll]

Lately, many of the emails I am receiving from students lack any formality. It is driving me crazy! I don't like being addressed as "Hey" in person... and I don't like being addressed as "Hey," in an email. My sister, who works on Wall Street, had to sit down with her college interns this summer and give them a lesson in how to use email appropriately in a business environment. Have any of you successfully addressed this issue at your school? how can we teach our students respect in an electronic world?

[Mark Crotty]

When a student e-mails me in what I judge an innappriate fashion, I simply respond that I'll answer their questions when they ask the right way--no different than I do with my young children at home. Word spreads rather quickly. It doesn't solve things, but it helps.

[arvind s grover]

Our Head of Upper School spoke with students at the beginning of the year. He explained that e-mails begin with a salutation and end with a closing. In between there is a formally written request (withouth IM language, of course). If students do not follow the template, teachers are supposed to forward the e-mail on to the Head of Upper School. It didn't take much for them to learn what the expectations are.

We also are not supposed to e-mail with students at night. It creates a weirdly intimate moment if you and a student are conversing privately at 11:00pm. So we simply ask students to e-mail before 6pm and with the guidelines above.

Hope that helps.

[Deborah Jennings]

We don't put restrictions on the timing of emails between faculty and students; some of us answer questions late at night, early in the morning, and/or over the weekend.

As the Academic Dean at a high school, I visit our middle school to meet with 8th graders to begin their high school course registration process. I tell them that they may email me with questions, but that they must:
1) use an appropriate email address, not one named sexychick or luvtopigout
2) include a subject line that tells me what they're writing about
3) write in 'standard' English & proofread their message
4) let me know that they have received my response

However, once I know a student, I don't require him/her to use 'standard' English in emails or in text messages. And I don't always do so either, depending on the subject of our discussion.

[Karen Murley Schifferdecker]

These are great "guidelines". Thanks for posting! I always tell my kids this, but I think having it in writing like this would be great.

[Justin McLean]

I usually respond to students with a reply and also include a sample of what an email to a teacher or any adult should look like.

[CherylAnne Amendola]

Hi,
I do NOT answer e-mails that address me in an informal way. I addressed this issue with 5 minutes in my class. I used examples of their own inappropriate e-mails (minus the names and e-mail addresses) and then together we composed an e-mail that is appropriate to send to a faculty member. We also spoke about e-mails and how they're a sign of respect (or disrespect).

[Karen Douse]

Our English department sends out guidelines to students and teachers every fall. Our guidelines include those things listed above plus ask for a readable font/color and correct capitalization and punctuation. Teachers are asked to return emails unanswered to students if they do not meet these guidelines, and to ask students to please correct before resending. I rarely get messages in IM speak any more. It is important that teachers model good email form if we expect it from the students.

[Andrew Holmgren]

I think that it is all about laying out clear expectations at the start of the school year... what an email should look like, when a student can communicate with a teacher using email and for what purpose, what is the expected response time for a student email. I allow emails up to a certain hour with the understanding that they may or may not receive an answer. That said, there are times (before a quiz/test) when I will establish defined times for kids to email - 7 to 8 o'clock - during this time, they can expect a prompt response from me.