Email Ettiquette

[dotmidi]

Hey guys, So I had to Email my teacher for my missing assignment and I realzied.. :TnT: :TnT: i'm not very good on etiquette . ..
usually i just email my teachers that i have a missing assignment they need to gradee which sounds very rude, i'm way too straight-forward about it

i was wondering, what do you think are some proper ways to start up an email? this can apply to teachers, professionals, or even just people on the net

[Guest]

As someone who writes these regularly, honestly I'd write it somewhat like this:


Dear X,

unfortunately due to xyz reason, I was unable to do zyx task in the allotted time frame.
I have now however finished the assignment and am hereby submitting it for grading.
I apologize for the additional hassle this has caused and wish you a good weekend/week/...

Sincerely


My Name

[Melooon]

As someone who writes these regularly, honestly I'd write it somewhat like this:

This is more or less the same for me - I used to always pay special attention to make sure their prefix was correct (Prof, Dr, Mr, Ms, Mrs etc) and then Id use their last name (Dear Dr Balloon etc) - usually you can get this info by checking how they have signed off past formal emails or on their staff listing online. Its a little awkward because we are not used to being formal like this in daily life, but I always felt it was better to over formalise rather than under formalise.

After all that they will reply with something like "Ok, sure" - but thats the power balance of student-teacher

[Leekleeks]

After all that they will reply with something like "Ok, sure" - but thats the power balance of student-teacher

Lol ain't that the truth

[loren]

i've worked as a teaching assistant before so i can provide a little context about what it's like receiving student emails. obviously i can't speak to every teacher's etiquette preferences but these are things i have discussed with other teachers and TAs.

i'm way too straight-forward about it

straight-forwardness is generally appreciated! the worst student emails are the really long ones where it's unclear what's being asked for. keeping it short and direct makes it quicker to read and understand.

As someone who writes these regularly, honestly I'd write it somewhat like this:

i think this is a great example. three sentences: an explanation, the request, and a short apology with well wishes. i think it's best to keep the "xyz reason" pretty short and vague. reasonable teachers will not require you to give you an elaborate story explaining why the assignment is late, and if they do for whatever reason, they can ask for it in their reply.

I used to always pay special attention to make sure their prefix was correct (Prof, Dr, Mr, Ms, Mrs etc) and then Id use their last name (Dear Dr Balloon etc) - usually you can get this info by checking how they have signed off past formal emails or on their staff listing online.

this is a really great point! at the start of every semester, i tell my students how i'd like to be referred to (just by first name), but i realize that not every teacher does this. i am nonbinary, so i find being referred to as ms. or mr. lastname a bit irritating. if they don't mention it, it's possible that they don't care that much what you call them. like Melon said, checking how they signed past emails and referring to them that way is the best way to get it right on the first try.

all that being said, don't worry about it too much! a nice email can help things go more smoothly, but it doesn't have to be perfect. especially in the case of teachers, it's their job to help you. as long as you aren't demanding that they drop everything they're doing and grade your assignment right now, i think it'll be okay.

[purelyconstructive]

all that being said, don't worry about it too much! a nice email can help things go more smoothly, but it doesn't have to be perfect. especially in the case of teachers, it's their job to help you. as long as you aren't demanding that they drop everything they're doing and grade your assignment right now, i think it'll be okay.

I think this probably holds for every type of email that one could write. A little consideration goes a long way towards keeping interactions pleasant.

[dotmidi]

and then Id use their last name (Dear Dr Balloon etc) -

I wish I had a teacher named Dr. Balloon... though he might be,, airheaded



lol sorry sorry

[dotmidi]

i've worked as a teaching assistant before so i can provide a little context about what it's like receiving student emails. obviously i can't speak to every teacher's etiquette preferences but these are things i have discussed with other teachers and TAs.

straight-forwardness is generally appreciated! the worst student emails are the really long ones where it's unclear what's being asked for. keeping it short and direct makes it quicker to read and understand.

  ooh thanks for ur input as a teaching assistant, this is definitely a new perspective to hear from

all that being said, don't worry about it too much! a nice email can help things go more smoothly, but it doesn't have to be perfect. especially in the case of teachers, it's their job to help you. as long as you aren't demanding that they drop everything they're doing and grade your assignment right now, i think it'll be okay.

thanks for the well meaning paragraphs, this makes email ettiquette sound far more easy to my smooth brain
i think the format the other user sent is pretty well meaning and easy to remember since it's just a simple yet formal email
i'll continue to have my emails a bit to-the-point but with some more formality sprinkled in

Cheers everyone! Thanks for this discussion, feel free to express views on email eittquete if you want, i'll be reading

[dotmidi]

As someone who writes these regularly, honestly I'd write it somewhat like this:


Dear X,

unfortunately due to xyz reason, I was unable to do zyx task in the allotted time frame.
I have now however finished the assignment and am hereby submitting it for grading.
I apologize for the additional hassle this has caused and wish you a good weekend/week/...

Sincerely


My Name

Thanks for the help I will keep this in mind next time I must send an email to my beloved teachers