How to Organize Your Email Hacks
When I first started teaching, communicating with parents via email wasn’t a “thing” in my district. Of course, I got a few emails from my co-workers and administration, but my email life was pretty manageable. Then I switched to a district where emails get flown at me left and right. I knew I needed to find a way to streamline my digital communication outlets, specifically in my email.
Managing your email inbox doesn't have to be complicated or overwhelming. Learn how to organize your email and stay on top of all of the important messages.
This video originally aired LIVE on my Facebook Page; Naomi Meredith: The STEMTech Co.
Come and join in on the fun on Facebook, or watch the recording of this episode.
Here are the key takeaways from this episode:
How to Organize Your Email | Watch the recording down below:
Email Groups
This can be time consuming to set up, however, once it's complete, you'll be thanking your past self! Create groups of people that you typically send to the most; parent lists, specialist teams and grade level teams.
That way when you to send out a mass email, type in a couple of letters of the group name and it inserts everyone’s in the email box.
Address Emails All (Work Day) Long
Add your work email app onto your phone (not connect it to the mail app that's already there.) For example, my school district uses Outlook, so that specific app is loaded onto my phone.
Then, go into the settings and play around with the notifications. Set specific work office hours (also included within my email signature, see tips below) and only have email notifications go on during those hours.
Turn email notifications off during the nights and weekends! It will be hard at first not emailing people back at 8:00pm on a Friday. Along with that, don't answer emails after those work hours.
Most emails can wait. If it's an emergency, they can call. Setting up email boundaries for yourself is extremely important and necessary for work-life balance.
Also, don't wait until the end of the day to delete your emails. This takes a large portion of your time that can be used for other things. Yes, usually a couple require longer reponses. However, most can be addressed in the moment and can be done quickly on your phone.
Delete!
When my email notifications are on, I address emails immediately. I have emails connect to my Apple Watch (which you can read more ways to use your Apple Watch in your classroom HERE).
A large portion of the emails that come in I can delete right away. After I scan the email, I immediately delete.
How to Organize Your Email: Folders for Everything
I also set up A LOT of folders to organize emails as they come in. Some people set their folders up, emails come in, it will go straight to the folder for you and you don’t have to do anything about it. I don't usually use this method since I like reading the email first and organizing it second. Strive for only have 10-15 emails in the inbox at all times. (Most tips about this next.)
When naming folders, add in the school year range at the end. That way, at the end of the year, the emails are still organized but you can “hide” the folders from my sidebar. This makes the list a lot cleaner. I also don’t ever delete my trash can just in case I need to search for something within there.
Included here in my email signature template, there is also a list of go-to folders I use each school year to keep me organized.
Email Templates
Think about typical emails that are sent regularly; weekly newsletters, student updates, technology troubleshooting and tutoring sessions.
Create templates emails that can be inserted as “canned responses”. Some email providers have options to save templates. If not, save in your drafts, then copy & paste the pre-written message. Everything is saved and formatted how you like, and can be used right away. This saves so much time in the long run!
For technology troubleshooting emails, I have an on-going Google Slide that I'll add to throughout the year when common issues arise. It has step-by-step directions, typically with visuals, to help troubleshoot the issue.
When I receive emails about these common issues, I will download the particular slide that shows the steps (click here to learn how to download Google Slides), then attach that to the email. Again, a major time-saver and I'm not rewriting the steps every time.
Upgraded Email Signature
It can be tiring typing your name after every single email. This seems silly, but it actually all that time adds up.
I quickly figured out how to make an email signature, but it was really ugly. {And those of you who know me, I like to make most things pretty.} It's actually possible to have an image as the email signature with all the info you want as well! Also, adding in your picture helps families and those in the district put a face to the name.
Click here to grab the pre-made template that you can edit and create your signature quickly. Included as a bonus, you'll also receive checklists to help you clean your email list, and my go-to list of email folders.
Other Blog Posts You Might Enjoy:
- Email Signature Picture Tutorial for Teachers by Naomi Meredith
- Gmail Email Signature: Adding an Image by Naomi Meredith
- How to Change Outlook Email Signature by Naomi Meredith
- Email Signature Template & Email Checklists for you to download
What questions do you have about these email tasks? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!
