Responding to parent emails

[2catsfighting]

what would you consider a reasonable time to reply? I'm not asking particularly about your school policy, but more of a personal work/ life balance sort of response.
I'm asking because I have experiences of 2 extremes, with some teachers responding the same day, which worries me on their behalf, and on the other half being ignored.
I really appreciate the prompt replies, but honestly am happy to wait a bit, but don't know how to resolve the ones that I don't get a response to.

[CharleyDavidson]

My school doesn't encourage parents to contact the teachers directly and there's no expectation that we reply in a certain time to any emails. They either email the main office and then it can be a bit hit and miss due to the amount of junk email coming in or the parents phone or pop in at the end of the day.

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

I prefer to be emailed than phoned. Last academic year, I was over allocation on my timetable. And I had clubs most lunchtimes. If parents only phoned me we could spend a long time not managing to get hold of each other. Email is preferable to that. I also prefer it as there is a record of what has been said.

[Pud2]

That's a good point about the written record DoctorDN. However, I've also found that sometimes people can get a false sense of confidence with an email and they have a massive rant! Then, when you actually speak to them face to face they're like pussy cats in comparison!

[IguanaTail]

Very true pud. I never respond in detail to a stroppy email. I invite them in for a meeting.

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

Oh I would too! It's just for first contact it's always easier to get hold of me by email.

[Sadik]

Phone only can be tricky for parents, too. I'm fortunate in that I'm self employed, but a friend whose dd is at the same school works full time and isn't allowed to take personal phone calls in work time, which I know was tricky for her when her dd had some problems in school.

I don't know what you're meant to do if you're a nurse or something similar where you can't take phone calls as the protocol is that you ring the office and then the HoY or your dcs form tutor phones back when they are able.

[WankerDeAsalWipe]

is emailing the teacher really a thing? Judging by the responses here there seem to be constant emails flying about- what are you all emailing about - am I missing something?

I always feel like I have no idea what is going on and limit my interaction to the parents night and reports. maybe this is why?

[FithColumnist]

I get a fair few emails from parents: some just routine admin stuff from parents of my form ("little Johnny has had gastroenteritis, please ensure he infects as many of the cohort as possible" sort of thing), but some to clarify results or bitch about reports etc.

As a rule, if I receive the email during the working day and it requires more than a simple acknowledgement, I'll send a holding email and say I'll get back to the parents within the next two school days (it's always less). On the other hand, if I receive an email after 5:30 or so, I don't deal with it until I'm in work the next morning. Weekend emails just don't happen I'm afraid.

[clam]

My (primary) school doesn't allow teachers' email addresses (or mobile numbers) to be circulated to parents. The office will forward anything we need and we can respond via the office too.

[2catsfighting]

WankerdeAsalwipe, I also have never had the need to email teachers about my children, apart from this year when there has been some tricky stuff going on, which has needed a greater degree of communication.

[WankerDeAsalWipe]

I guess it's not that I didn't/don't have the need, it's just that I have never had the emails etc in order to do it. I am sure if I did I'd probably be thinking of all sorts of stuff to ask that somehow never seems important enough to make an appointment about. Maybe that's an error on the schools fault if teachers are getting loads of emails :o

[MidniteScribbler]

I don't know what you're meant to do if you're a nurse or something similar where you can't take phone calls as the protocol is that you ring the office and then the HoY or your dcs form tutor phones back when they are able.

If a parent tells me that they work certain hours and can only talk on the phone at a certain time, then I will try an accommodate. Not every parent can be there for drop off/pick up and if they feel they really need a chat with me and can give me a reasonable timeframe for speaking to them, then I'm happy to call them and have a chat.

[Sadik]

"Judging by the responses here there seem to be constant emails flying about- what are you all emailing about - am I missing something?"

Twice in 2 years in my case - once as mentioned above because I tried to look something up on their website and it had very obviously been hacked. I think the other time was regarding an IEP (if that's what they're called these days) sent home.

Used to email much more often in primary because I ran the second hand uniform stall which got set out in school twice a term, and it always seemed to involve endless logistical discussions about the best time, getting the stuff out of storage, etc etc . . .

[Sadik]

I should say, dd's secondary school is lovely and tremendously helpful, it's just they don't do email, only phones. Which is fair enough - they have a staffed office, and that's their system.

[IguanaTail]

They will have email addresses. Just that they don't give them out to parents.

[Littlefish]

I'm a teacher and therefore, don't do drop offs of pick ups very often. I therefore e-mail dd's school if I want to pass on a message, check an arrangement for an afterschool club, or arrange to see a teacher. I think I've had to do this about 3 or 4 times over the last year.

Before anyone asks why dh doesn't do it when he drops her off - he drops her off at breakfast club and there isn't the facility to leave messages etc.

Email works really well for us with dd's school.

I find it much easier if parents e-mail me at my school so that I can ring them back at a mutually convenient time, rather than being caught on the hop and only being able to give half an answer.

[larrygrylls]

I have worked in the private sector (reasonably senior banker) and am now a teacher. I think that, in either environment, an intelligent employee prioritises e mails appropriately.

Some parents will only e mail in extremist, others because they feel that their child was under armed in a test by 2%. Clearly I would not rush to reply to the latter. In the private sector, I feel a lot of e nails are just a form of presenteeism and not worthy of out of hours reply. Organisations used to function before mobiles and e mails, in some ways far better.

[larrygrylls]

Sorry for the auto corrects, I am not actually illiterate!

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

I've had a variety of important pastoral emails about my form this year. I also will sometimes get queries about deadlines and results.

[Abraid2]

' I don't even look at my work email during the holidays. If you emailed someone at their work while they were on annual leave you would get an out if office replY'

Not from me, you wouldn't. I'd be scared of losing business and would at least send a holding reply.

[echt]

I'm a little surprised that teachers' email addresses are not available to parents in some schools. Surely there's an official one. e.g [email protected] that all can use.

It's how parents and students communicate with me. Despite my initial reservations about this level of access, I've never found it used frivolously.

I never give out my mobile number or use it for school business, so 'phone calls only in work hours, or email outside.

[MidniteScribbler]

We have an official email address that parents get. I've never seen it abused, but I make things pretty clear at the start of the year about things like email not being checked during school hours and how long it will take me to reply. I usually do check during planning time or breaks, but I don't want parents to expect that they can send me a message at 1pm about pickup at 3:30pm and expect that it will be dealt with. They need to call through the office for last minute things like that.

I'd like to work at a school called St Custards lol.

[EverydayAnya]

I'm really surprised parents are able to email parents actually! Seems normal practice in quite a few schools according to PP but it wouldn't even occur to us to have parents email us. It just creates expectation that we are at the beck and call of every little query a parent has. Our NUT is pretty strong and would actually probably fight this. I'm at an inner city London school btw.

If parents want to contact teachers they go through the main office and leave a message or they go through the head of year.

And as for emailing and expectation to respond in the holidays, just

[DoctorDonnaNoble]

If you're strict about only dealing with parents in 'working hours' I would struggle to meet with parents.
As a form tutor, I am glad that my form and their parents have a way of contacting me that can work to the convenience of everyone.

[Pud2]

I'm with you EverydayAnya. In primary school there are often parents (mostly the middle class ones) who expect us to be at their beck and call and direct email access to the teacher just adds fuel to the fire.