Before concluding that a teacher has ignored your email, it is important to inquire whether the teacher is busy or not. If they are not busy then that might be disrespectful.
You can ask your friends to contact the teacher on your behalf. Also, it is important to reread your email and check whether it is understandable and presents the need for a reply from the professor.
Reason why your Teacher Ignored emails
If you write a good email to your professor, it will most definitely be taken seriously. However, sometimes it may not. There are several instances that may make teachers ignore your emails. These include:
1. When they are busy
Teachers are very busy people. They handle different classes with each class having many students to deal with.
They have to teach these different classes, handle assignments and supervise examinations too. When they are caught up in these activities they can ignore emails due to the lack of time to reply to your email.
2. When the Email is not Important
When your email doesn’t convey an important message to your teacher then he or she is likely to ignore it. Teachers have a lot of work to do and may lack time for issues that are of no importance to them.
For example, if your email is not meant for academic purposes then it is likely to be ignored by your teacher. Also if the message in your email is not clear then it is viewed as not important by the teacher.
3. If you are Suspended
If you are suspended from school or attending a particular class, then your email is likely to get ignored by the teacher. This may continue until the end of your suspension.
Your email is ignored because in the suspension period you are banned from getting any services from the school. Therefore, it is a waste of time writing emails to your teacher when suspended because they will not be replied to.
4. If the Teacher is not at Work
Teachers will likely ignore your emails if they are not at work. Teachers are humans too and have a life outside school. They want to spend their free time relaxing or interacting with family just like other workers.
In this case, a teacher is likely to ignore your email if it is not sent during school/working hours. Also, if you send emails during holidays or weekends then they are likely to be ignored until school resumes.
5. When the Teacher is Dealing with many Emails
When the teacher is dealing with a lot of emails, most or all are likely to be seen and ignored. Most teachers teach classes with hundreds of students.
If all students in your class contact the teacher through emails, then the teacher will not be able to respond to everyone.
Therefore, they will view them and ignore replying to them. Teachers also teach different classes and institutions.
When different students send emails to the teacher he or she may choose to collectively ignore them.
6. If the Teacher doesn’t Prefer Communication Through Emails
If your teacher has made it clear that he does not prefer communication via email, then it is a waste of time sending emails because they will definitely get ignored.
Most teachers restrict communication through emails because it is mostly hectic when your email inbox is filled with hundreds of emails from students.
Also, once students know the email address of teachers some just send useless emails to the teacher. Always make sure to use the right channel of communication preferred by your lecturer to avoid getting your emails ignored.
7. When the Email is not Official Communication
Some teachers choose to reply to emails that convey official information only. When you send a casual email then your teacher is likely to ignore it.
When writing an email to your teacher no matter how important it is not official then it might get ignored. Always write your email in official format using an official language to decrease the chances of getting ignored.
8. When they Forget the Email
You might think that your email has been ignored when in reality the teacher forgot to reply.
Teachers may read your email and prefer to respond to you later but end up forgetting them completely.
Their busy schedule may contribute to your email getting forgotten.
9. If the Email doesn’t Require Instant Reply
If your email is not urgent it may get ignored completely or temporarily.
The teacher can star it for future reply. Most emails that are not replied within a day or two after being sent may end up completely getting ignored.
10 When your Email is a Waste of Time
An example of this is when students write emails to their teachers asking for instructions of their assignment when the instructions are already provided on the teacher. The teacher ignores such emails because replying to them is a waste of time.
Another example when emails are ignored by teachers is when students want to get clarifications on assignments question and the teacher view that as a disadvantage to other students or a way of leading the student to the answer.
What to do When the Teacher Ignores your Email
1. Send Another Email
This is only effective if the teacher forgot about your email. Sending another email over an email that your teacher has ignored may irritate him or her.
Always make sure that you are very polite when resending the emails to the teacher. This is especially key when you are writing an email about a late assignment or asking for grades.
2. Approaching them
If you send an email to your teacher and it gets ignored, you can approach the teacher and ask whether they are busy or if they are just ignoring the email.
This can be a good idea when the issue is important.
3. Contact the Principal
If it is a requirement that you communicate to your teacher through email and you are sure that your email needed attention from the teacher, you can contact the principal or a more senior teacher for intervention.
If the senior teacher does not reply to your email then you need to re-look your email writing skills.
4. Check your Email
If your email is too long, shorten it. Make it more clear and readable it is not.
Make sure that your personal information is available on the email for the lecturer to easily identify you. Also, make sure that it is reasonable and straight to the point.
Other Alternatives to Reach your Professor Instead of Email
Face to Face
This is the most effective way to communicate to the professor because you will get the answer immediately. If they busy he or she will ask you to return later but if they are not, they will listen to your needs.
Use Phone calls
Calling the Professor’s office phone can be a way of reaching them if they are not responding to your emails. Office phone calls are not easily declined and you might get a quick response from your professor.
Send the Representative
To avoid disturbance from students most professors prefer that a representative be sent with all the messages from the students. Unless the message is confidential which is unlikely in conversations with professors you can send the representative who will the deliver the professor’s reply to you.
Social Media Messages
Though not popular, some professors prefer that you contact them via social media. They are mostly active on WhatsApp, Facebook, and Hangouts where you communicate to them officially and get answers within no time.
Send a Fellow Professor
A professor who works in the same department as the professor you want to communicate to may deliver your message to them.
Disadvantages of Email in Class Communication
Accessible to others
Emails are sent over networks and other people may access them. Emails can also be hacked or even end up in a wrong receiver email address.
Easy Misunderstandings
Emails don’t include verbal communication and therefore it is easy for messages to be misinterpreted by students and instructors. This often happens when the sender doesn’t counter check the message before sending it.
Emails that are Ignored end up being Forgotten
Class emails that are ignored end up being forgotten because more emails are getting sent therefore, pushing the forgotten email further. The more you ignore messages in your inbox the more emails becomes unmanageable.
Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.