Anonymous wrote:16:55: Yes, He is in 3rd grade.
16:57: Emails sent on 09/27, then another one 10/03. No response yet.

16:55 here. A third grader would definitely have issues with following directions exactly. Did your child have issues last year that his/her teacher spoke to you about? Any issues (ADD) here? If not, and your teacher hasn't already contacted you, then relax and know that you have a typical third grader. Remember, it's the first month, the kids are settling into a routine, and any glaring problems would have manifested themselves. The teacher would hav already called YOU.

However, you should have gotten SOME response. Just a "I've gotten your message, and everything is fine" would have been nice.

The good news is that interims will be coming out soon. If you get one, at least you'll know something needs to be addressed. If you didn't....that means that your kid is doing great. I trust you have your Parent Teacher conference scheduled.

Good Luck!

No, not a music teacher. I just wanted to follow the appropriate protocols. If this kind of emails Would not get a response, then why bother writing it in the first place

Is it a music teacher by any chance?
I had the same issue last year.

16:55: Yes, He is in 3rd grade.
16:57: Emails sent on 09/27, then another one 10/03. No response yet.

I am an MS teacher, and I ALWAYS respond to parents within 24 hours. That said, if it is an email such as yours (nothing urgent, that is), it is one of the last I respond to, as there are often other more pressing emails. Are you sure the email is correct? I know mine was incorrectly listed on our school's website for a time...

Another thought: how old are these teachers? I know some of the older teachers in my school are less likely to respond in a timely manner because they just don't check their e-mail as much as the younger generation.

I would politely send another email...sometimes it just gets lost in the shuffle. If you still don't hear anything back, I personally wouldn't pursue it (but of course you can-it is your choice), except to bring it up during the PT conference to make sure the address you have is correct. Trust me, if there is an issue with your kid, you will hear about it!

Anonymous wrote:What are you asking?

I wrote this and given your explanation, I do think this is a conversation best saved for a conference. The only answers I expect over email from the teacher are logistics-type answers. I do think the teacher should acknowledge receipt of your email, though. Have you heard NOTHING back?

Anonymous wrote:nothing. Just regular stuff like how the kids are doing. I know my kid is not eager to follow instructions and prefer to do what he likes. I wanted to make sure these are not big issues for the teacher and the class.

How old is your child? If your child is in elementary school....being not eager to follow instuctions is normal....and the teacher knows how to handle it.

Your teacher is teaching 25 or so kids in their class. If they had time to respond to every parent email asking "How my kid is doing today?" and regular stuff like that- they wouldn't have time to TEACH!

There is a process for contacting parents if there is a problem with a student:
1. Call the parent. 2. Interim reports 3. Parent-Teacher conferences.

If there is a problem that requires your immediate attention....your child's teacher will contact you! They have your email and phone number.

Also, there is such a thing as "interim" reports"--given half way through the 9 week grading period. It's to give you the "heads up" that your child needs to work on some issues. Then there's the parent/teacher conference. THAT's the time to talk about any concerns. The rest of the time, try to back off and let the teacher do her job.



I do agree that it wouldn't hurt for a teacher to get back to you within 24 hours....even simply to say "I've got your question and will get back to you on xxxx date/time with a response.

nothing. Just regular stuff like how the kids are doing. I know my kid is not eager to follow instructions and prefer to do what he likes. I wanted to make sure these are not big issues for the teacher and the class.

What are you asking?

Many schools have a return time policy on email - 24 hours, 48 hours, etc. You might try email one more time. If no response, leave a phone message for the teacher. If you don't hear back from that, I would call the school office and explain that you are trying to reach the teacher to no avail. It is not too much to ask for a teacher to return an email even if the response is that he/she needs more time to gather information for you.

DH is an elementary teacher. His adminitrators tell him to respond to parent queries within 24 hours (even if it is just a receipt acknowledgement). But I don't think there's a mandate on response time. In any event, keep in mind that during the day, most teachers are teaching and that if there is any "down" time before or after school, they are usually preparing or finalizing the day's lessons. I try not to email teachers much unless it's an immediate concern that needs a prompt response. You don't have to wait until the regularly scheduled conference if you have concerns - you could always set up a meeting sooner than that.

15:35,
You are right. parent-teacher conference are used for that purpose. But That is only once every semester. I am interested in anything that maybe worth knowing (mostly issues of concern) in a timely manner so that I as parent can take appropriate measures right away. Are writing to teachers wasting his/her time and should thus be discouraged?

Is it an emergency? If not, isn't that what parent-teacher conferences are for?

Just send it again, maybe with an "urgent" flag. Most of my kids' teachers respond right away. Some don't and apologize for taking so long. They get many emails from parents each day, and I know some use their accounts for personal stuff, unfortunately.

When you write emails to your kid's teacher querying your kids performance, etc at school, Is the teacher supposed to response to your email? Or you just cross your fingers and hoping he/she will write you back? I have had two teachers not responding to my several emails inquires. The first teacher seems to pick up whatever she likes and response a few lines back. I am confused. Aren't teachers required to communicate with parents regarding their school kids? Or they have no obligation to write you back. Does "no response" means the teacher has some reservations? What gives?