Many students have never been formally taught how to properly format or write an email, which often leads to teachers receiving some questionable messages.
All teachers can agree: 2020 has been a challenging year in education. The global pandemic has introduced a host of new issues that teachers have never had to deal with before. Masks, social distancing, and constant handwashing and disinfecting have become the norm. The struggles of being a teacher during a global pandemic are not limited to those in the classroom. Distance learning, also known as e-learning or blended learning, has its own set of challenges.
Many distance learning environments feature a brief daily synchronous component, followed by an asynchronous or homework component. This means that students only have a few hours each day to communicate with their teacher. The convenience of raising a hand to ask a question or lining up at the teacher’s desk for feedback on an assignment is no longer available for many students in a distance learning environment.
So, how are students communicating with their teachers?
Apart from the synchronous component, which usually lasts only a couple of hours at most, students communicate with their teachers and peers through email or a class website.
Writing appropriate emails is incredibly important, especially for teens preparing to enter the workforce or seek summer employment. Students need to learn how to properly communicate with employers, teachers, and other professionals.
There are many reasons why proper and formal email communication is important:
- To submit a resume and cover letter to an employer
- To submit an assignment online to a teacher
- To ask a teacher a question about the grading of an assignment
- To contact a college or university about the status of an application
Oftentimes, students write questionable emails without realizing their mistakes.
Fortunately, educators have the power to teach these important skills to 21st-century learners. The importance of professional email and online communication is only going to grow as e-learning becomes more prevalent and more employers offer work-from-home opportunities.
Key areas of focus in an email etiquette lesson include:
- Creating a professional email address, e.g., d.smith@sample.com instead of fortniteking42@sample.com
- Writing clear yet concise subject lines
- Proper salutations at the beginning and end of emails
- Appropriate fonts and colors
- Other writing tips (tone, proofreading, attaching files, and professionalism)
If you’re looking for a way to teach all these skills and more, please check out our Email Etiquette resource. It is a fully digital activity—perfect for distance learning but also appropriate for the classroom.
Best wishes to all teachers in this upcoming school year!
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