Should teachers have to respond?

Concerned students would like a response

by Sara Mascitelli Staff Writer

Sometimes we need to email or Remind text a teacher after school to ask a question about the assigned homework or to ask a lastminute question about a test the following day.

We expect a response from our teacher at some point. Maybe not right away, but it’s a common courtesy to answer an email, especially from a concerned student with a genuine question.

We all know teachers have lives of their own, but once in a while, it would be nice for them to get back to us to answer our question. The reason we are emailing is to show we care about the work we are doing and want a little extra help. Teachers are the ones who gave us the work to do at home, so how could they not answer our emails after assigning homework to do after school? It’s the same argument because either way, one of us is doing something school-related after hours, so shouldn’t we all be doing something to help each other out?

A lot of teachers in our school don’t answer emails after school is over. That doesn’t mean they are bad teachers in any way. It just means that they have lives of their own, which is totally normal and completely fine, but it would be even better if they just checked their emails one time after work is over to make sure none of their hard-working students had any questions.

If the teacher was super busy and literally had no time to answer their emails, then fine, but how do some not return an email for days? We need to respect their privacy, but after all, it’s their job to teach us and be there for us.

Let’s say a student got sick and could not come into school for a few days. It’s the student’s responsibility to email the teacher to know what work they need to make up for that week and what needs to be done while they are home. The teacher should answer those emails and be working with the student to help them with whatever they had missed.

This could mean communicating with the student after school hours in order for the student to understand what they need to do. If that student has a question, they should be able to contact the teach- er without worrying that the email was sent in at 2:16 p.m.

The only reason they email the teacher is because they care about what they missed and know that they have to do it. You think the student wants to be doing that from home while they are sick? No, but they are because they have to. In this case, the teacher should be making an accommodation for the student through emails and other ways of communication.

Teachers should always have some sort of communication out side of the classroom for sending out reminder texts or just sending out a heads up for an assignment that’s going to be due. If they don’t want to spend their off hours writ ing that message, they can write it during the school day and sched ule it to be sent later on.

Students can attend extra help sessions held after school hours, so they should also be allowed to email their teacher after school. What if they need help from teachers who only holds early morning sessions or are not there on days when they are supposed to be? What if the student attends the extra help session, but the room is packed with dozens of students?

We are here for four years to better ourselves and do the best we can in each class. It shouldn’t be frowned upon to email a teacher when you have a question about an upcoming test because it happens to be dark outside.

Think about it. It only takes a few seconds out of a teacher’s busy life after school hours to send back a quick response. And it’s just an email; it’s not like we are going to show up to their house begging for a response. We all know that would be weird, right?

Teachers should be able to prioritize their schedules and answer a few emails after school has ended. It’s a common courtesy, and it’s the right thing to do. They don’t have to answer all of the time, but in some cases like when a student is sick or if it’s the night before a big test, students need a question answered or a little help.

Teachers usually get into their field because they like their subject area and they want to help people. With that comes a full classroom of kids who need their help every day. They should be willing to answer us if we have a question or concern after the school day ends.

Students must respect personal time

by Ava Kamlet Staff Writer

Without a doubt, we all hope for an immediate response when we send a text or an email, but in reality, this isn’t always possible.

In this day and age, we have become so glued to our phones that we expect everyone to answer in a snap. This classification includes

Students, parents, coworkers, and others expect teachers to answer their messages all day and night. What about their personal lives? Although it varies, a typical school teacher leaves school around 3:00 p.m. This is when their work day ends; therefore, the expectations of immediate responses are unrealistic.

Some may feel that since teachers end earlier than a typical 9 to 5 job, they have the whole rest of the day to answer emails. All jobs have work hours, so whether they are different or not because they start earlier, those are still the hours for which they are paid for their time. In fact, one of the motivators for becoming a teacher is to have time at home to be with your family, care for your children, or run your errands. The majority of teachers are not leaving school, going home, and doing nothing for the rest of the night.

Teachers should not be required nor expected to answer emails and messages after work hours. This is simply because their job is done for the day. It’s their time to go do what they need to do for the rest of their day, for themselves, or their family. Teachers are normal human beings. They have a life outside of school and that should be respected. Teachers are allowed to take their personal time and separate it from their work.

This is similar to if schools and teachers began telling students that they need to be able to answer their teachers or complete assignments immediately from home. Students would be agitated that their home time is being interrupted with more school.

Students spend five long days a week in school, so why should they be expected to answer their teachers or complete an immediate assignment in the middle of the evening? Of course, they wouldn’t. Students have sports, clubs, jobs, and other after school activities and responsibilities to complete at home. That is why students should have ample time to complete their work at home and communicate with their teachers throughout their school week during the day. The same ideology goes for teachers. Teachers, too, have an after school life of their own.

A major issue with the expectations that students hold for their teachers is the impractical times students will send messages. Students are busy, and many have late and long work schedules. Teachers get messages at all hours of the night and find themselves waking up to messages from students that were sent between midnight and early hours of morning. Teachers may even receive follow-up messages when they don’t answer the student promptly. This teacher’s morning is then spent catching up on their messages, and the student is spending their all-nighter disappointed in their teacher’s delayed response.

Students will go so far as to even blame teachers for late assignments or low test scores. They will place the blame on the teacher because they didn’t answer their email and answer their questions. The teacher’s job is to teach and help students during school. The majority of teachers also have “office hours“ or “extra help” times for students to advocate for themselves and receive help with their struggling topics or assignments.

Teachers have specific times and hours when students can communicate with them during their work day and during extra help hours. It is only fair that teachers (as well as students) receive personal time at home after working an entire day in the classroom.

It is vital for personal well-being to have a separate work life from your personal life. For this reason, schools must prioritize teachers’ well-being by aiding in the creation of boundaries.

The issue at hand is the lack of respect for teachers’ personal time. With the technology and methods of communication today, teachers are “always on.” There is a blur between their home life and school life that must be made clear.

Although it is helpful for students when teachers answer, it is in everyone’s best interest to create boundaries between teacher-student communications.