E-mail Etiquette for Teens: Free e-mail scripts!

It was the end of a very long day. Sassy students, technology fails, and (joy!) a staff meeting after school. I was working at home, writing a lesson plan for the next day. Needing a file from a co-worker, I checked my e-mail. And there it was. Waiting for me.

“Hey – I need a grade report. Thnx.”

No student name. No recognition of me as a human. Not even a request – just a demand. I wanted to scream, “Am I supposed to be psychic? Who is this even from? And is it that hard to type thanks?”

I have received many bad e-mails from students over the years. Ones with no names, like the one above. Angry emails where students blamed me for all their problems. E-mails that I could not understand because they were full of texting codes and had not been edited in any way. Small novels with one question buried somewhere in the e-mail.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”The earlier teens learn how to e-mail appropriately, the better!” quote=”The earlier teens learn how to e-mail appropriately, the better!”]

That night I lost it and finally created a lesson on e-mail etiquette. It had nothing to do with my curriculum, but everything to do with my sanity. And considering I taught 12th graders, the earlier they learned how to e-mail appropriately, the better. Seriously, it was the best 30 minutes I ever spent off-topic in class.

E-mail Etiquette for Teens

The Problem

So, what is the connection between e-mail etiquette and student achievement? Teachers are the best resource for struggling students. Yet too few students reach out – many of them are mystified by e-mail and heaven forbid they actually speak to their teacher! Or they send an inappropriate e-mail (hey – not that kind of inappropriate!) and the teacher gives a negative response.

E-mail is the most common form of communication in the workplace. As a teacher, I used e-mail all day long for the vast majority of my communication with administrators, colleagues, parents, and students.

But most teens don’t use e-mail and aren’t familiar with basic e-mail etiquette. Teens just need to be taught the basics – what to e-mail, how to format e-mails, and how to phrase questions and complaints.

[click_to_tweet tweet=”Teens NEED to be taught e-mail basics.” quote=”Teens NEED to be taught e-mail basics.”]

To make everyone’s lives easier, I’ve created some copy and paste templates you can download. You’ll find e-mails for the most common situations – all you have to do is cut, paste, and change a few words to personalize it. Be sure to grab the e-mail templates below. (Hint: Click the button!)

Parents – If your teen is in high school, the e-mail should come from your child. Not you. Only, and only if, the situation gets worse or the teacher does not respond, should you e-mail. If your teen is in college, he or she should be the ONLY person e-mailing.

Teachers – I have a lesson for sale in my TPT store. It includes a longer version of the presentation, a complete lesson plan, and practice e-mails.

Check out the video below to find out how and what to e-mail for the most positive response from teachers and professors!

After teaching this lesson and writing practice e-mails with my students, their e-mails completely turned around. I hope it’s as effective for you at home or at school! Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

If you haven’t signed up for the e-mail templates, do it before you go!

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