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How to Write an Email to Your Teacher
Email is an extremely efficient way to communicate with your teacher, especially if you have to send a quick and simple message or ask a question. Under ideal circumstances, you should be able to connect with your teacher almost immediately and, if needed, receive a timely reply. On the surface, an email to a teacher may seem similar to a text message you might send to a friend, but they’re not quite the same. So here’s a list of ideas to keep in mind before you begin.
Make sure the email is really necessary. As you can imagine, your teacher is dealing with numerous students and probably receives hundreds of emails during the course of a week. Thus, you shouldn’t burden your teacher with an unnecessary email about a paper’s due date or a question about a common procedure. Most general information about the course will be included on the course syllabus, or your teacher may have an online discussion board called “Ask the Professor” set up, so you can see the answers to frequently asked questions. Be sure to check both of those possibilities before you send an email. After all, you want your teacher to know that you are somewhat independent and resourceful.
Use the appropriate email address. When sending an email to a teacher, make sure you use the school’s email address rather than your personal email address. Yes, you may prefer to use your personal email address, and you may find a second address to be a hassle, but by using your school’s address, you are showing your teacher that you can follow directions. After all, your teacher may be reluctant to even open an email that comes from “bigbadandboisterous@hotmail.com.” Your school email address, however, likely includes some variation of your name along with the school’s name and educational suffix (edu), so your teacher will likely open your email quickly and with confidence. Note, too, that if you don’t know your teacher’s email address, you should be able to find it on your course syllabus or on the college’s website.
Make sure your subject line is simple and straightforward. You may be tempted to put your question or comment in the subject line, but try to resist that temptation…
