1. E-MAIL PROFESSIONAL USE Emails Have Responsibilities Do Not Just Shoot Me an Email

2. Emails Have Responsibilities  Teachers have a responsibility to communicate with parents, and other professionals when necessary.  Email is a common communication tool that can be easily misused unintentionally.  It is important to remember to keep email messages about students professional in tone and content, especially since the message itself is considered a legal document and can be used in a court of law.

3. Resist the temptation to use the school email for personal use. Personal Use

4. E-Mails as Legal Public Documents  When teachers use email to communicate with individuals it needs to remain professional because it is a legal document.  It is possible emails may be needed by a court, especially in cases concerning Special Education law.  Lawsuits in 2007 and 2009 (Koopman) established email as a corporate document that is admissible as evidence. Email use by public school districts is also recognized as legal public documents in some cases (Julka).

5. The need to know basis for email:  Avoid sending a message to a group unless every member of that group actually needs the information you are presenting. Also, when replying to a large group email only use the "Reply to All" button if everyone on the group list needs to know your reply,  Avoid String E-Mails  If a string is inappropriate request removal from the string  Always start a new e-mail and only reply to the individual party who needs to know.

6. No surprises please:  Use the Subject line to let people know what your email is about. Using a good subject line also helps people organize and find your email later.

7. Blind Carbon Copy  One of the major dangers by misusing the "BCC" or blind carbon copy line in a e-mail is that if you send an email out to six people, and blind carbon copy someone, then if someone on the "To" line hits the "reply to all" button, there is a chance with some districts that the "reply to all" will go to the "BCC" person.

8. DON’T SHOUT AT ME:  Using all capital letters in an email is understood to be the same as shouting.

9. There are no secrets:  Please keep in mind that you are a representative of an organization when you answer email at work. Every email you send using your work account could be classified as a “public record.” If you don’t want your slightly off-color happy birthday email to your cousin in Alaska to be published in the local newspaper don’t send it using your work email account.  Also, be careful about emails to other education staff about students or their parents, since these can be used during legal action. It is easy to send a quick, informal response to a colleague, but anytime these emails contain reference to a student the family has a legal right to request copies.

10. Never email when angry or emotional:  Once you send an email message you can’t take it back. Before you send a fiery response to that parent who just insulted your mother, take a breath, relax and think it through. Here's a rule of thumb: Never email anything to someone that you wouldn’t be willing to tell them in person.

11. Implied Tone  Think carefully about the implied tone of the message, especially if emailing about concerns or disciplinary action. It is easy for a reader to misinterpret the tone, often taking it as harsher than intended. Consider how it will be received or have a colleague read the message before sending.