Do you put your school(s) email app on your phone?

[sprout]

I do, but I acknowledge I have poor work-life boundaries.  For me, I think it would be more stressful to sit there wondering if any of my students are having issues.  I like knowing that I'll get a notification if someone needs to reach out to me.  I can take a quick glance and determine if it's an emergency or something that can wait until the next day - and that bar gets higher depending on how late it is and/or how complex an answer is required.

[Caracal]

I always answer student emails within probably a day, at most, two, except the few really stupid ones. That's fast enough for a part time job. They aways have the option of listening harder  in class.

Yes, that's totally reasonable, really for anyone. If I have time, I answer simple emails quickly during the day usually. Lots of responses don't require any thought and it is easier to just take care of them. There are also legitimately time sensitive emails. It will usually save me a lot of trouble if I see the email where a student lets me know the assignment submission isn't working on the CMS.

However, for less time sensitive things, I don't really tend to feel like answering a bunch of emails after I get done teaching my fourth class of the day at 5, so unless there's something urgent I usually just deal with those the next day.

[histchick]

I have my e-mail app on my phone, but without notifications.  I don't have notifications for most apps, now that I think of it.  If I want to check my e-mail on the weekend or at night, then I do.  If I don't want to check it, I don't.  It's no big deal. 

My husband is an administrator at the same campus, so we're pretty accustomed to the "let me get back to this person while I'm thinking of it" scenario. 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Yep. I have the email app on my phone. It's easy to look and see who needs what, but it can also be a pain in the butt when I'm trying to concentrate. I just cannot look away from the blinking blue light! I suppose I could place my phone upside-down when I'm working...

[marshwiggle]

Yep. I have the email app on my phone. It's easy to look and see who needs what, but it can also be a pain in the butt when I'm trying to concentrate. I just cannot look away from the blinking blue light! I suppose I could place my phone upside-down when I'm working...

If only there were some way to disconnect the power. Maybe engineers will figure that out someday.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Yep. I have the email app on my phone. It's easy to look and see who needs what, but it can also be a pain in the butt when I'm trying to concentrate. I just cannot look away from the blinking blue light! I suppose I could place my phone upside-down when I'm working...

If only there were some way to disconnect the power. Maybe engineers will figure that out someday.

Touche.

I said I could turn it upside down when I'm working, but I guess I have poor impulse control. Go figure.

[marshwiggle]

Yep. I have the email app on my phone. It's easy to look and see who needs what, but it can also be a pain in the butt when I'm trying to concentrate. I just cannot look away from the blinking blue light! I suppose I could place my phone upside-down when I'm working...

If only there were some way to disconnect the power. Maybe engineers will figure that out someday.

Touche.

I said I could turn it upside down when I'm working, but I guess I have poor impulse control. Go figure.

About 20 years ago or so I turned on email notifications on my computer at work. After a couple of weeks I turned them off because it was too distracting. So I learned that lesson long ago. Pre-covid, I would check emails at work 2 or 3 times a day; there's stuff that actually has to get done which won't if I obsess about treating every student communication as an emergency. Working from home, I keep email open, but I close it at the end of the work day, and don't open it on weekends.

I don't have a cell phone, and my dumb phone is turned off most of the time; it's for emergencies/my convenience when I'm out. Instant communication is much a curse to be avoided as a blessing to be used in particular circumstances.

[Biologist_]

I have the app on my phone and I find it convenient to be able to look at incoming email, but I turned off notifications as soon as I installed the app. I have turned off the notifications for almost everything else too: essentially, my phone only notifies me when I get a phone call or text message and nothing else is allowed to interrupt me. I am perfectly capable of distracting myself so I don't need my phone to initiate the distractions.

I set my computer the same way - no notifications for incoming emails. I look at my email often enough when I'm sitting at my computer that there is no advantage to having it make a noise when an email arrives. I just wish Outlook would allow me to set the default calendar notification to never. It will allow me to pick any amount of time I like, but I can't set it to omit the notification by default. If I want to skip the notification, I have to change it manually for each event.

[AvidReader]

No. I check my school email at regular, carefully indicated intervals. However, I was not given an email address until my official start date, so now the department secretary only emails my personal email address, since that's what pops up first in her address book. None of the important information I need is available in my school email unless I forward it to myself. I am perpetually plagued by small reminders of departmental issues during my scheduled research times, particularly because my department has not learned bcc. Also, I have piles of student data in my personal email, and more comes every day.

I have asked the secretary three times to send emails to my university account, which is actually actually (supposedly) required. We are not supposed to conduct university business from private accounts. I wish the system would override it.

AR.

[pigou]

You can set up a filter for her emails that automatic forwards it to your work account and archives it on your personal account. That way, you should not even receive a notification. Not an ideal solution, but much easier than getting her to change her behavior.

[AvidReader]

Thank you, pigou! I will look into it.
AR.

[Biologist_]

No. I check my school email at regular, carefully indicated intervals. However, I was not given an email address until my official start date, so now the department secretary only emails my personal email address, since that's what pops up first in her address book. None of the important information I need is available in my school email unless I forward it to myself. I am perpetually plagued by small reminders of departmental issues during my scheduled research times, particularly because my department has not learned bcc. Also, I have piles of student data in my personal email, and more comes every day.

I have asked the secretary three times to send emails to my university account, which is actually actually (supposedly) required. We are not supposed to conduct university business from private accounts. I wish the system would override it.

AR.

If you were on campus in person, I would suggest walking in to the secretary's office and asking her if she can delete your email address from her contacts. Then stand there until she does it. It would be awkward, but you could try to commiserate about how easy it is to click the wrong choice and how it can be hard to remember small tasks like that so that you wouldn't seem too rude.

When you ask her for the fourth time, ask her to delete your other address so that she won't have to remember which one to use. That makes it a one-time task.

[jerseyjay]

I teach at two schools. One is a full-time position and the other one or two classes part-time. Both are now using Outlook 365. I have my full-time school's account installed on my phone, but I have notifications for everything (gmail, work mail, text messages) except actual telephone calls turned off. That way I can read or think without distractions. If somebody wants to get a hold of me quickly, they can call me.

For my part-time job, I only check using my computer. Before Covid I only checked my full-time email from 9-5 and the part-time email before going to work or in the evening. Now that I am at home more, and teaching mainly evening classes for my full-time school, I tend to check email more. But I do not usually reply except during working hours, and very rarely over the weekend.

[Vkw10]

No. I check my school email at regular, carefully indicated intervals. However, I was not given an email address until my official start date, so now the department secretary only emails my personal email address, since that's what pops up first in her address book. None of the important information I need is available in my school email unless I forward it to myself. I am perpetually plagued by small reminders of departmental issues during my scheduled research times, particularly because my department has not learned bcc. Also, I have piles of student data in my personal email, and more comes every day.

I have asked the secretary three times to send emails to my university account, which is actually actually (supposedly) required. We are not supposed to conduct university business from private accounts. I wish the system would override it.

AR.

If you were on campus in person, I would suggest walking in to the secretary's office and asking her if she can delete your email address from her contacts. Then stand there until she does it. It would be awkward, but you could try to commiserate about how easy it is to click the wrong choice and how it can be hard to remember small tasks like that so that you wouldn't seem too rude.

When you ask her for the fourth time, ask her to delete your other address so that she won't have to remember which one to use. That makes it a one-time task.

The problem may be the email program's autocomplete feature. If you happen to be a Microsoft school, ask her to use https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/manage-suggested-recipients-in-the-to-cc-and-bcc-boxes-with-auto-complete-dbe46e31-c098-4881-8cf7-66b037bce23e to update her autocomplete options.

[AvidReader]

The problem may be the email program's autocomplete feature. If you happen to be a Microsoft school, ask her to use https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/manage-suggested-recipients-in-the-to-cc-and-bcc-boxes-with-auto-complete-dbe46e31-c098-4881-8cf7-66b037bce23e to update her autocomplete options.

Interesting. We are a Google email school, but I'll see if there is an equivalent. Thank you!

AR.