TEACHING EMAIL ETIQUETTE TRANSCRIPT
Strategy Transcript: Common Sense Media

Strategies: Teaching Email Etiquette

(Barb Jizba in Class)
Today I want you guys to send an email to your teacher

(Barb Jizba Interview)
The very first thing I ask them to do is send a message to our principal, letting them know that they understand that this is not a personal email, it is a business email that they are conducting school business on.

(Barb Jizba in Class)
I want you to think about – when you talk to your teacher do you talk to your teacher the same way that you talk to your friends in the neigborhood?

Student
No.

What would you say

Student
Hey….Mr. Fisher

Barb Jizba in Class
You would say Mr. Fisher. Okay.

One of the first things I do, I talk the kids through. You know, you have two different people that I want to message. I want you to send a message to one of your brothers or sisters, telling them you need help in getting this assignment in or you’re gonna be in trouble.

(Barb Jizba in Class)
What would you put if you were going to send a message to your sister letting them know that you didn’t get your math done last night. And you need to make sure and get it done tonight.

Student
You’d say Hi Mauro

(Barb Jizba in Class)
You’d say hi and give her name, and say don’t let me forget. Okay.

(Barb Jizba Interview)
And send a message to our principal. So how do those two emails look different?
(Barb Jizba in Class)
We’re gonna say Mr. Fisher and use his formal name, because this is a formal email.

(Barb Jizba Interview)
One of the first things you do when you teach writing is you think about audience.

(Barb Jizba in Class)
We need put a subject line that’s going to let him know exactly what you’re doing, because this is a business professional email

(Barb Jizba Interview)
If you get kids geared into emails like that – you have to think who your audience is—think about who might read it. You know, go back to those basic writing skills that we want kids to learn.

(Barb Jizba in Class)
Let’s check yours. Do you have your subject line (Student: Yes) that’s very precise about what you want him to know? You have his name (Student: Yes) in your “To” box? And you have your message. You may click send. Perfect!

(Barb Jizba Interview)
You wanna start from the beginning, teaching the kids how to think about their audience and what they’re writing. You want it to be right, so why not teach from the beginning how to do it right.