Email Etiquette

1. Email Etiquette Tips and Tricks for Formal Email Writing

2. Goals • Identify and explain the components of a formal email • Apply this knowledge in order to write your own formal emails to teachers

3. The Email Address • Use school email or other professional email account • Avoid email addresses that do not include at least part of your name • DO: • rsawyer@bgsu.edu • Rachel.sawyer21@gmail.com • DON’T: • supaflychick123@hotmail.com • macdaddy92@yahoo.com

4. Think about what you’re doing! • Choose an appropriate greeting for the topic • Inform or ask politely and professionally • Proofread what you’ve written BEFORE sending • Sign with your full name and class period

5. The Subject Line • Never leave the subject line blank! • Use a key word or phrase • Subject should be to the point • Often helpful to include your name and class period in the subject line • Examples: • Jacob Eaton, 1st Period Technology Journal • Denise Brown, 6th Period Cellphone Narrative

6. The Greeting • Greeting should be professional, polite, and formal • Always give a greeting! • DO: • Dear Ms. Sawyer, • Hello Ms. Sawyer, DON’T: • Hey teacher • Yo Ms. S.

7. The Actual Email • Like most other things you write, an email has an introduction, body, and conclusion (gasp!) • Introduction: • Introduce yourself and/or the topic • Body: • State why you are writing and ask questions where necessary • Conclusion: • Close the topic by saying thanks and acknowledging recipient’s time

8. The Closing • Signal the close: • Thank you, • Sincerely, • Best, • Sign with your full name and class period

9. Tips • Use normal font, nothing crazy or colorful • Do not write in all CAPS or in bold • Avoid fancy details, like underlines and italics, or worse, underlines and italics! • Avoid abbreviations (LOL, OMG) and emoticons (   ) • Capitalize and punctuate appropriately. You are not texting!

10. Tricks • In your intro, give some context for the question (tell why you are writing) • Be specific and detailed about the issue/question • Ask an actual question rather than being vague • Use a formal tone • Do not send unexpected attachments and mention in the body that you have included an attachment

11. Examples (Bad) • Hey here’s my assignment. • Can you print my stuff for me tomorrow? Thanks. • I don’t get what I’m supposed to do with my cellphone narrative. LOL

12. Example (Good) Hello Ms. S., I’m working on my technology journal, but I’m not sure of what to do with the artifacts portion of the assignment. I would appreciate your help with this. Do you have time to meet with me after class on Monday to look over what I have and let me know if I am doing it correctly? Thank you in advance for your time. Sincerely, Your Name Class Period

13. Example (Good) Hello Ms. Sawyer, As we discussed at the end of class today, I will not be able to print a copy of my Cellphone Narrative for Friday. I have attached the document containing my Cellphone Narrative. Thank you for offering to print my assignment for me. Best, Your Name Class Period

14. Exit Ticket • Send me a formal email using the proper format discussed today. • In your email, tell me what you learned today about sending formal, professional emails to teachers. • Include a proper subject in the subject line • Use a formal greeting and closing • Include an introduction, body, and conclusion