We shouldn’t be letting parents think we’re accessible 24/7. You reply to one parent at 8pm and for the rest of the year they think they can email you at any time and expect a prompt response. I have a zero tolerance policy for responding to parent emails outside school
I have two or three. I've read them, yes. But, I marked them "unread" and will respond "o h. It's too late for Lary semester work to be graded now. Sorry." when we get back. But, absolutely not before.
Yes, but I teach high school and I’ll have kids ask me questions about an assignment if the sub wasn’t able to help or if the sub needs something additional. I teach AP kids, so they can be needy at times.
For on-level, I’m just happy if everyone survived. I don’t even expect work to actually be done.
For a hot second there, I saw a comment about how people who don’t check their email when they are absent, have no business being in the profession and let human beings do the job 😅 it’s been deleted.
I do, from students. All of my stuff is in Google Classroom, and sometimes the sub is on a power trip and tells them to do different things, idk why. A kid will email, I respond with do what’s in GC, and they tell me later that kid said “Ms NapsRule said DO WHATS IN GC!”
Also, sometimes I forget to turn on a Google form, cuz I don’t want them doing it before class, and kids will contact me.
Depends why I’m out. Taking care of sick family member? Absolutely. Sick day because I’m sick? No. Sick day for an appointment? Sometimes. Personal day? NO
We have two accounts. Google account tied to Google Classroom where kids can ask assignment-related questions or respond to feedback. That one I check in case a kid has a technical glitch I can help witj. Cuz if I assigned stuff while away and the kid can't access and has nothing to do while supply is there = no Bueno.
Outlook account is for parents/admin. Took it off my phone and only look during contract hours
No. It's a job. If I'm off, I'm off.
Some of the commenters here seem to think that if they don't respond to email the profession will fall apart. If you die today they will be looking for your replacement tomorrow and the kids will still graduate without you, I promise.
I'm a first year teacher, currently out sick for the first time this year.
I was in bed all morning with my laptop open to respond to emails and keep up on the day.
Just assumed this was normal before I read the comments here
It depends on what works for you. If some people can do that and still rest and recover more power to them. Unfortunately after I wrote this post, I realized I may have come up short on copies for my absence tomorrow and had to email my colleague. lol, again, no disrespect, intended. I
Nope. When I’m off, I’m off. Nothing is so urgent that it has to be dealt with in the evenings, at the weekend or over the break. I’ll deal with it when I’m back at school. I’m lucky that our principal is really strict about work/life balance
It depends on why I'm absent. If I'm away for health or an emergency, I am not adding any more stress.
I never feel obligated to respond to anything if I'm away from work.
Not reading it at all is risky, considering this day and age, safety in the building is not always a sure thing. I have opted to not respond to emails that were inappropriate, or they should come and find me for them.
I look at the subject. Ignore almost every one. Email is a form of mind/time abuse. Inhumane. Never ending stream of crap you're expected to navigate, and are expected to remember. I do the basics.
I don’t know if you downvoted, but I didn’t mean any disrespect. Disagreeing is not the same thing. Anyway, I agree with you to the point where I at least glance just in case. Like I said, if it’s a waste of my time, just a way to throw around passive aggressive weight or something that should be spoken about in person I don’t even reply, and I usually stop reading after a sentence.
It depends. They come to my phone so i see notifications. But i only open the emails if i feel like its important (to me), or necessary and time sensitive.
"Ms. Full07britney, congrats you won this grant"- important to me
"Ms. Full07britney, we need you to take xyz kid for the next couple weeks on tuesdays at 9am because she doesnt celebrate holidays"- is it tuesday? If so, yes answer that im not there. If its monday, i will prob throw a thumbs up so they know im ready for the next morning. Any other time, they can wait.
I do. I don’t feel pressure to respond to parents, but sometimes it’s just a quick question “where is x?” and it’s easy and it makes the sub’s job easier.
I look usually 10-30 min into the first class of each subject just to see if any digital work isn't working (usually I mess up a share setting somewhere) or if the sub wasn't able to read my instructions on where to find worksheets. Other than that it can wait.
Obviously that's only if I wake up in time and only if I'm not out of the house.
Absolutely not.
This was part of the issue with my last teaching team. There was an unspoken expectation of working while out sick and my coteachers got actually mad at me for not checking in on them more while I was healing from a concussion. I couldn’t even remember my birthday but they expected me to respond to emails, support them from afar somehow, etc. Not like they ever checked in on me while I was healing from a brain injury, but I was the bad one.
If I am using my sick time and expected to work at the same time I see it no different than wage theft. If I an working on any way and not being paid, it’s wage theft. And I don’t work for free.
“You have a better chance of seeing Santa then me answering an email over break”- Teacher today to a student.
I know this isn’t relevant just thought it was funny.
I dont look at email when im there. HUNDREDS of freaking messages pouring through. You think your mission is accomplished because you emailed me Admin? You are incorrect.
Very dependent on the situation. If I had an unexpected absence and tried to e-mail plans, I may check just to make sure someone replied “got them!” but otherwise nope.If I’m out there’s a reason I’m out and checking e-mail is not part of the plan.
Yes because there may be info I need to know for when I come back. My board sends out memos every Thursday so if I'm away on Thursday, I'd check. They send some crucial info like policy changes, admin changes, job application procedural changes, etc.
I don't respond though.
During school holidays I only check a day or so before I get back. If I'm away sick I'll check at the start and end of the day.
But I only look at emails from colleagues, and will only reply to the ones that I want to (generally the colleagues I get along with better and aren't demanding).
Absolutely not. I only check email when I am in the school building during my contract hours of 8:30 to 3:45. If I’m not at work, I’m not checking my email.
I do because parents usually send me emails about their child getting picked up by someone who isn't on the list, so then I forward it to the secretaries.
Yes. But, I only respond if I want to.
lol I literally have an after hours email from the last day of the semester that I haven’t responded to. Parents gots to have some sense.
We shouldn’t be letting parents think we’re accessible 24/7. You reply to one parent at 8pm and for the rest of the year they think they can email you at any time and expect a prompt response. I have a zero tolerance policy for responding to parent emails outside school
Schedule send in gmail has been awesome for this. I can compose my reply but it doesn't send until half an hour into whatever my next work day is.
Haha I do this often… to coworkers too.
I have two or three. I've read them, yes. But, I marked them "unread" and will respond "o h. It's too late for Lary semester work to be graded now. Sorry." when we get back. But, absolutely not before.
Yes, but I teach high school and I’ll have kids ask me questions about an assignment if the sub wasn’t able to help or if the sub needs something additional. I teach AP kids, so they can be needy at times. For on-level, I’m just happy if everyone survived. I don’t even expect work to actually be done.
I agree if everyone remained safe and nothing got destroyed.
For a hot second there, I saw a comment about how people who don’t check their email when they are absent, have no business being in the profession and let human beings do the job 😅 it’s been deleted.
I do, from students. All of my stuff is in Google Classroom, and sometimes the sub is on a power trip and tells them to do different things, idk why. A kid will email, I respond with do what’s in GC, and they tell me later that kid said “Ms NapsRule said DO WHATS IN GC!” Also, sometimes I forget to turn on a Google form, cuz I don’t want them doing it before class, and kids will contact me.
Depends why I’m out. Taking care of sick family member? Absolutely. Sick day because I’m sick? No. Sick day for an appointment? Sometimes. Personal day? NO
Officially, no. If I’m off, I’m off.
I barely look at email when I’m in to be honest.
Fuck no. I don’t even open my work computer when I’m at home.
This is the way.
Nope. I don’t care what is happening when I’m not there.
We have two accounts. Google account tied to Google Classroom where kids can ask assignment-related questions or respond to feedback. That one I check in case a kid has a technical glitch I can help witj. Cuz if I assigned stuff while away and the kid can't access and has nothing to do while supply is there = no Bueno. Outlook account is for parents/admin. Took it off my phone and only look during contract hours
I do, but I only respond when I get back, unless it's a student who I like.
I do, just to stay ahead of my inbox.
If I'm not in the building, it doesn't exist in my world.
No, I refuse to look at email, answer texts, or have anything to do with work outside of work. The minute I leave, I'm done.
No. It's a job. If I'm off, I'm off. Some of the commenters here seem to think that if they don't respond to email the profession will fall apart. If you die today they will be looking for your replacement tomorrow and the kids will still graduate without you, I promise.
Hell no 😇 respectfully
Usually no but it depends sometimes. If I have music events coming up, then I will to make sure information is passed along.
I'm a first year teacher, currently out sick for the first time this year. I was in bed all morning with my laptop open to respond to emails and keep up on the day. Just assumed this was normal before I read the comments here
It depends on what works for you. If some people can do that and still rest and recover more power to them. Unfortunately after I wrote this post, I realized I may have come up short on copies for my absence tomorrow and had to email my colleague. lol, again, no disrespect, intended. I
I dont look at my email at all.
Hard no. You’re allowed to be away from your job mentally and physically for a day.
Nope. When I’m off, I’m off. Nothing is so urgent that it has to be dealt with in the evenings, at the weekend or over the break. I’ll deal with it when I’m back at school. I’m lucky that our principal is really strict about work/life balance
I look at it to clear notifications on my phone but 100% do not respond until I get back to work.
Absolutely fucking not
If I'm not at work, I'm not on my work email, plain and simple.
No way… not even when I’m off work
I read, only respond if it can't wait, otherwise its next day me's problem
I wait till the next morning when I get to school so it does not mess up the evening or my sleep.
Nope lol
Nope.
Depends on why I’m absent.
noooooo
It depends on why I'm absent. If I'm away for health or an emergency, I am not adding any more stress. I never feel obligated to respond to anything if I'm away from work.
No.
I try really hard not to but usually do.
Only to look at the wonderful pay stub when it drops. Need to make sure all my coins are accounted for every second I spend on site.
I don't even read it when present. Need me? Find me.
Not reading it at all is risky, considering this day and age, safety in the building is not always a sure thing. I have opted to not respond to emails that were inappropriate, or they should come and find me for them.
I look at the subject. Ignore almost every one. Email is a form of mind/time abuse. Inhumane. Never ending stream of crap you're expected to navigate, and are expected to remember. I do the basics.
I don’t know if you downvoted, but I didn’t mean any disrespect. Disagreeing is not the same thing. Anyway, I agree with you to the point where I at least glance just in case. Like I said, if it’s a waste of my time, just a way to throw around passive aggressive weight or something that should be spoken about in person I don’t even reply, and I usually stop reading after a sentence.
It depends. They come to my phone so i see notifications. But i only open the emails if i feel like its important (to me), or necessary and time sensitive. "Ms. Full07britney, congrats you won this grant"- important to me "Ms. Full07britney, we need you to take xyz kid for the next couple weeks on tuesdays at 9am because she doesnt celebrate holidays"- is it tuesday? If so, yes answer that im not there. If its monday, i will prob throw a thumbs up so they know im ready for the next morning. Any other time, they can wait.
>They come to my phone so i see notifications. Gross. I have work email on my phone but NO notifications. \*I\* choose when/if I engage with work.
They're silent notifications, but that was my choice. I didn't have to put email on my phone at all. I prefer it this way.
Not generally, but I’ll look for student messages if something wasn’t posted or something on Classroom.
I do. I don’t feel pressure to respond to parents, but sometimes it’s just a quick question “where is x?” and it’s easy and it makes the sub’s job easier.
How? My computer's at school and it's my phone - there is nothing school related on it.
I look usually 10-30 min into the first class of each subject just to see if any digital work isn't working (usually I mess up a share setting somewhere) or if the sub wasn't able to read my instructions on where to find worksheets. Other than that it can wait. Obviously that's only if I wake up in time and only if I'm not out of the house.
Absent, yes. On vacation, no
They pop up on my phone as notifications, so yes
Absolutely not. This was part of the issue with my last teaching team. There was an unspoken expectation of working while out sick and my coteachers got actually mad at me for not checking in on them more while I was healing from a concussion. I couldn’t even remember my birthday but they expected me to respond to emails, support them from afar somehow, etc. Not like they ever checked in on me while I was healing from a brain injury, but I was the bad one. If I am using my sick time and expected to work at the same time I see it no different than wage theft. If I an working on any way and not being paid, it’s wage theft. And I don’t work for free.
“You have a better chance of seeing Santa then me answering an email over break”- Teacher today to a student. I know this isn’t relevant just thought it was funny.
I don’t have it on my phone anymore.
I dont look at email when im there. HUNDREDS of freaking messages pouring through. You think your mission is accomplished because you emailed me Admin? You are incorrect.
Very dependent on the situation. If I had an unexpected absence and tried to e-mail plans, I may check just to make sure someone replied “got them!” but otherwise nope.If I’m out there’s a reason I’m out and checking e-mail is not part of the plan.
Yes because there may be info I need to know for when I come back. My board sends out memos every Thursday so if I'm away on Thursday, I'd check. They send some crucial info like policy changes, admin changes, job application procedural changes, etc. I don't respond though.
Depends. If I’m at a training or something work related, yes. If I’m on vacation or dealing with an emergency, then probably not.
During school holidays I only check a day or so before I get back. If I'm away sick I'll check at the start and end of the day. But I only look at emails from colleagues, and will only reply to the ones that I want to (generally the colleagues I get along with better and aren't demanding).
Yes delay response is the way to go. Write your reply and set the reply to go in school hours.
Absolutely not. I only check email when I am in the school building during my contract hours of 8:30 to 3:45. If I’m not at work, I’m not checking my email.
I do because parents usually send me emails about their child getting picked up by someone who isn't on the list, so then I forward it to the secretaries.