Approaching Emails with Empathy

While drafting emails to students, parents, and administrators, it really made me consider how it would feel to be on the receiving end of what I was writing. I feel like this is especially valuable to do when drafting emails since tone can be harder to convey. It’s important to choose your words thoughtfully because they have the potential to carry more weight in written form. I also thought very carefully about what the message was that I was trying to convey and how I could communicate it succinctly and respectfully. Rarely is it appropriate in a work setting to send a long email. If you have that much to say it should be a conversation over the phone or in person, so I also kept in mind that emails often serve as an invitation to a bigger conversation.

The one audience that I found a little more challenging and had to reflect on a bit more was student parents. There are a lot of things to consider when emailing a parent. Unlike the student or administrator, both of whom you interact with at school, you don’t have much context to go on when emailing a parent. You might have met them once or twice at Back-to-School Night or Parent-Teacher conferences, but it’s not likely you have much of a rapport with them so it’s tricky when emailing a parent about student behavior or performance. I also do not have the perspective of what it is like to be a parent so that also presents a challenge. What I tried to prioritize was validating the parent’s concern, addressing it appropriately, offering some options moving forward that involve the parent, including the student in the solution process, and thanking the parent for their involvement.

The advice I would give teachers to keep in mind while communicating through email with students and parents is to always remember that there is more to the situation than is apparent to you. Don’t make assumptions and if you don’t know, ask questions in a sensitive and respectful way. When emailing administrators, the advice I would give is keep it simple. They are busy and get lots of emails. If you have a lot to say, ask for a meeting.

Communication happens so quickly now, you push a button and it’s sent. The downside of this is that we don’t always take the time to really consider what we are saying and how we are saying it. The practicing of writing emails to relevant stakeholders was a good exercise in empathy. Communicating effectively in writing necessitates considering how you might be received and that requires putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.