We really need to come to some agreements about how to use email and all the other communication technology. For many this is an effective way to communicate. It is available at all hours and the response can be at any time of the day. But for some the idea is to be instantaneous.
We punch the send key and then wait for the reply. If the reply is not within our patience range, we fire off another and then sit and wait. That is not exactly the way it works for those of us with jobs -- and teaching is a very important job.
With students sitting in front of you, you are not going to respond quickly. Some of us work on our email at the end of the day or right at the start of the next. Some may use a M-W-F system to keep up with the flood. And it is important to remember that there are lots of it.
In so many cases, the question asked in the first email was answered when the son/daughter came home. In other cases, after 24 hours the entire situation looked differently. So the teacher wades through 30-40 emails that were answered before she/he sent the reply.
In the next few weeks, I want to talk about communication - emails, parent portal, conferences, telephone messages and all that. We want to communicate and we want to be responsive. But we also need your help, suggestions and patience.
Check back for more.
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