Monday, February 21, 2011
The Professor Has Left the Building. Thank You, and Goodnight.
Inside Higher Ed: "It captures how we all feel about telemarketers calling us at home. Now if only I could figure out a way to get this message across to my students. No, they haven’t called me at home (probably because I haven’t made my number public) but they email me – constantly. They email me at midnight, 3 am, 6 am, while I’m on vacation, and while we’re on semester break.
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11 comments:
I feel like the author here is blowing this out of proportion a bit. Yes, I am aware that students send emails very late at night... I myself have done this on occasion before. But, in doing so I am fully aware that there is a very slim chance that it would get answered right away. In fact, when I send it that late it's usually just so the email is there when my professor does get a chance to check it, and so I don't forget to do so later.
This is not to say that students shouldn't try to be more resourceful and try to find other ways to find out the information. Especially if it is something that could be found on the syllabus or other document. But just because it is sent doesn't mean the student expects an immediate response. Email is by nature a means of communication of convenience, not like a telephone call that requires an immediate response.
I agree with Tiffany, that this author is getting a little overblown here. First of all it would be one thing if at the beginning of the year this teacher would lay down rules like some of our teachers like 'you must email me 48 hours in advance if you want an extension' or 'I wont check my email after 6pm'. Because anything else he could honestly just ignore it. It also bothers me that he takes it so personally that students EXPECT a response at 3AM. Those students obviously did not prepare or have really weird delusions about when their teacher sleeps. Also if a student were to send an email to complain that you were not answering their emails all it takes is for the teacher to calmly explain to their higher ups that they dont answer emails that late. Also that this professor has the audacity to to say 'not get to “go home” from our jobs? Do we not have families and other obligations? Do we not need sleep?' though that is true the same can be said for the students. Like I said before they can always ignore these emails.
I am not saying that teachers shouldnt be able to escape or that students go overboard. I just disagree with the way that this professor decided to vent about it, when all she has to do is NOT ANSWER THE EMAIL.
I'm the same way Tiffany. If I send out a shot-in-the-dark email in the middle of the night, I'm not expecting a response until at least 12-15 hours later (for a professor who hasn't explicitly set a response lag time). I think both sides need to make a change to fill this communication gap. On the student side, it's simple: start projects earlier so that you get the questions with enough time for a professor to respond (and yes, I'm incredibly hypocritical in this regard at times). It would be incredibly useful, though, for professors to explicitly set out email response times, much like setting office hours. If I can expect that an email sent after-class on Monday will be answered by the end of classes on Tuesday (or even Wednesday, if the professor sets a 2-day lag), then I can better strategize my time to allow for these delays in response.
Sorry, adding to the earlier comments about the slightly bombastic tone of the writer: if your evenings and weekends are sacred (as they should be, I'm not arguing that), then Sonia's right: DON'T READ THE EMAIL. But this author paints the situation as needy students demanding huge amounts of attention from the professors at these odd hours. The student/professor relationship should be a partnership, and the only way that will work is with a social contract - a common understanding of response lags and question/request protocol.
I am fifty-fifty on this. I think the simple solution is laying out the rules at the start of class,which is the teacher's responsibility. If I had this problem, I would tell my students at what point I stop checking my email each day/week, rules about how late they can ask for an extension, and tell them that if they ask something they can find in the syllabus or which I clearly laid out in class, I have the right not to respond. I know it's annoying to have a clogged inbox, but sometimes students just don't think before sending. That's a problem on the student end. At the same time, a teacher can't assume that because some students just email as their first action that all students do. I only email instructors when I have looked everywhere else, I have something I want them to see (like an article), or I have a specific question about an assignment that no one else can answer.
I also agree that most students don't expect a 4am reply from a professor.
I defiantly understand where this professor is coming from. I've been on both sides of the story and I understand how frustrating it is to get e-mails at 3 am in the morning. I once had a teacher that e-mailed us an assignment sheet and said we needed it printed out for class early in the morning. He sent this e-mail around 2 am. I was quite frustrated and angry. I'd never e-mailed a teacher or professor that early in the morning ever and I certainly didn't have time to print out the at sheet before class. I myself have never e-mailed a professor that late at night but I know people that have and I think we all just need to calm down and take a big breath stop sending e-mails at unreasonable hours.
Sounds like this professor had a rough semester and probably did an analysis on his emails pertaining to classes. I think in a large lecture setting like this man teaches in, the amount of late night emails must be astounding. In fact the pure amount of whiny emails must be astronomical and so I see where "email etiquette guidelines" would come in handy.
I think that this teacher is correct. I think that it is unprofessional to email your teachers at 3 in the morning desperately asking questions. That being said I have emailed teachers at around 12 and got an email back almost immediately. So I think it is a double-edged sword because teachers both want to be available and ready to answer questions but also they want to have some breathing room and to have a life. Also I think that students feel entitled to an answer at three in the morning, but think about it this way you would never email your boss at that time of night. Or you would never call your teacher that late, because it would be inappropriate. If you have waited till the last minute to do or ask something you should be prepared to suffer the consequences.
I agree with the author in that two business days is an acceptable amount of time to wait for a reply. Though this author seems to take offense, even they he/she claims not to, at receiving emails out of those times. Some emails received during those times, that ask for an immediate answer may very well not be asking for a response within TEN minutes. Perhaps just the top of the next business day.
It's a two way street though. The prevalence of smartphones, laptops, and digital communication have moved up EVERYONE's timeline. CMU tells us to check the class schedule online at 8:59am before the first day of classes because they reserve the right to change things up until then. I've had professors email me assignments, or critical parts of assignments, under 12hrs until they are due. Surely this too is a breach of the idea that work is work, and home is home.
i'd agree that the author is exaggerating. Of course professors get a lot of emails and of course some of them are unnecessary, however just because you receive an email at 3 AM does not mean the student expects you to respond by class the next morning. I've sent many an email around midnight and don't check for it until late the next night simply because I would have forgotten if I hadn't sent it while I was working. And yes, if I have a pressing issue I will email a professor with a question and if it's at 5 PM, it's not unnatural to expect an answer before nine or so. It shouldn't be a requirement, but what's wrong with answering emails or questions when you're not at school? If you only answered emails during your office hours or when you were on campus, that would limit you to a couple hours where you were available to check your inbox, leaving you with insufficient time to filter through all of your emails (many of which will be from people other than your students).
While I understand the teacher's frustration with emails sent at 3 AM, I do not think it is as black and white as every student DEMANDS and EXPECTS a response to that 3 AM email.
I have not sent an email to a teacher at 3 AM about an assignment, but if I did I would not expect a response before class. Would I hope so? Sure, I sent the email after all, but that doesn't mean that I realistically expect it.
I also fail to see why this teacher questions teachers not getting to "go home". We all have families and obligations outside of school. Though our responsibilities may be different, we all have responsibilities. Teachers are not the only ones that want to get home and be done with work. While I think that students should have more understanding for teachers and their schedules, I don't think that only teachers are the victims. Just as teachers have to plan lessons and grade work, students have to study and write papers for class. It's a give and take relationship, and no relationship is without it's problems. There are frustrating students as well as frustrating teachers. Frustration in moderation makes things more interesting, doesn't it?
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