Dear Students, It's Very Important Your Learn to Properly Compose An Email

 

Composing an email is more important than ever. For today's generation, this is the equivalent skill of my generation learned when we were taught to compose handwritten letters. If you are reading this blog post, I am willing to bet good money that you have at least one story of receiving an email from a student where the entire email message was written in the subject line or the message was written in all caps or composed like a text message. 

When I work with students, I try to educate them on how email is a more formal way of communicating. It's used for communication with employers, teachers, etc. Students are already very adept at writing a text messages, but email is different. Text messages are informal communication for less formal things. 

Upping students' email skills is crucial in distance learning. These skills can improve the communication between teacher and student. It can positively affect their ability to learn and achieve now and in the future. A poorly composed email could be the difference in passing and failing a class. Below is a series of screenshots that you can share with students to show them the basics of composing a proper email. 

Step 1: Go to Gmail and click the Compose button in the top left corner. Other email apps and platforms follow a similar format.

Step 2: In the pop up that appears, this is where you will compose your email. In the first row, type out your teacher's name or email address. In the second row, type your Subject. This is only a short preview of your message. 

In the example below, the subject says "Questions about my grade". The subject should be a short sentence at most. In the third row (larger space), compose your message. Do your best to use proper grammar and spelling. Start with a greeting like "Hello" or "Good afternoon". End your message with a "Thank You" and add your name at the end. 

Below is a series of screenshots of how NOT to compose an email. 

Your message should NOT be composed in the Subject line. 

Compose your message here, but do NOT type it the way you would type a text message. Do your best to use proper grammar and spelling. This is important to remember when you are communicating with teachers, professors and employers.