Why don’t teachers respond to student emails in a timely manner or not at all?

[Anonymous]

One MS DC has a form I need to sign online. In order to get to said form I must scan a QR code, which I did, but I get a message that I’m not authorized to open the page. I’m the only email on student contact forms. DC emailed the teacher right away and has heard crickets.

Other MS DC has class/homework through a math program, but must notify teacher through schoology that it is complete. Unfortunately he doesn’t seem able to do this without an attachment, which there is none. He’s tried leaving a comment with the assignment in Schoology, and still can’t get the submit/complete button (I forget the name) to enable. He emailed his teacher about and crickets there too.

I’m encouraging them to speak up before or during class but they say the teachers have no time to answer IRL. I am encouraging them to be more persistent this week. In any event, if these teachers want kids to self advocate and communicate with them, they need to step up on their response times.

[Anonymous]

Many teachers don’t even realize they have a Google address or that it doesn’t automatically forward to their real email address (they’re not really trained in this), so if the students are emailing the Google address, they may not even see it.

[Anonymous]

How do teachers have no time to answer? Don’t they have office hours?

[Anonymous]

Did you use the fcps.edu email address? The Google address gets bogged down with notifications and most teachers I know don't check it. (High school teacher)

[Anonymous]

What PP above said. Make sure you/your kid are using the correct email address. Teachers have 2 email addresses one is generic and tons of county wide emails go to it so teachers do not tend to use it. The other is school/classes only. My child made this mistake two years ago when first in MS. They “looked up”the email and didn’t realize there were two until they raised hand in class and asked about email response time. It turned out the teacher had given them correct email to use the first day of class but most kids thought it was whatever was listed online.
The other thing to keep in mind is that teachers have 48 hours to respond not counting weekends(it is written policy).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Many teachers don’t even realize they have a Google address or that it doesn’t automatically forward to their real email address (they’re not really trained in this), so if the students are emailing the Google address, they may not even see it.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you use the fcps.edu email address? The Google address gets bogged down with notifications and most teachers I know don't check it. (High school teacher)

Thanks for the tip.I will look at what address my kids used. I think it was fcps, but maybe not. It would be helpful if teachers at least gave students, if not students and parents, their preferred contact info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you use the fcps.edu email address? The Google address gets bogged down with notifications and most teachers I know don't check it. (High school teacher)

Again, +1000. I tell my kids almost every other week to ONLY use the fcps.edu address. It doesn’t matter. I still get student emails on the gmail account and 3 times out of 10 they get overlooked.

[Anonymous]

Just checked — kids say they can only email teachers’ FCPS accounts through their school email. I had DC double check anyway. They used the FCPS email addresses. So that doesn’t explain the issue for us.

-OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just checked — kids say they can only email teachers’ FCPS accounts through their school email. I had DC double check anyway. They used the FCPS email addresses. So that doesn’t explain the issue for us.

-OP

When did you email - how many business days has it been?

[Anonymous]

How do teachers have no time to answer? Don’t they have office hours?

No. That was only during virtual learning last year. They are working every minute they are in the school building, and scarcely have time to eat or use the restroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

How do teachers have no time to answer? Don’t they have office hours?

No. That was only during virtual learning last year. They are working every minute they are in the school building, and scarcely have time to eat or use the restroom.

Lots of planning periods are eaten up with mandatory meetings, so lunch becomes planning. You eat while you make copies, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just checked — kids say they can only email teachers’ FCPS accounts through their school email. I had DC double check anyway. They used the FCPS email addresses. So that doesn’t explain the issue for us.

-OP

When did you email - how many business days has it been?

DC1 emailed Tuesday, DC2 Wednesday. It is Sunday now, so I don’t expect anything this weekend.

[Anonymous]

If you haven't tried already, to submit the assignment in schoology, click on the "create" tab and just type in anything (for example, you can type the word "done"). That usually enables the submit button. It's one of my biggest pet peeves right now about the program. You cannot submit anything without putting something in that "create" tab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One MS DC has a form I need to sign online. In order to get to said form I must scan a QR code, which I did, but I get a message that I’m not authorized to open the page. I’m the only email on student contact forms. DC emailed the teacher right away and has heard crickets.

Other MS DC has class/homework through a math program, but must notify teacher through schoology that it is complete. Unfortunately he doesn’t seem able to do this without an attachment, which there is none. He’s tried leaving a comment with the assignment in Schoology, and still can’t get the submit/complete button (I forget the name) to enable. He emailed his teacher about and crickets there too.

I’m encouraging them to speak up before or during class but they say the teachers have no time to answer IRL. I am encouraging them to be more persistent this week. In any event, if these teachers want kids to self advocate and communicate with them, they need to step up on their response times.

When did he email the teacher(s)? If it was anytime after 2:45PM on Friday, it is perfectly reasonable that the teachers haven't responded.

I am a teacher who has not checked my email since Friday afternoon because I had a family commitment this weekend. I will check email again tomorrow morning. It is unusual for me to go this long without checking email, but it’s also unusual for me to put my family first, which is unhealthy. I am trying to do better this school year by putting my family first.