Is E-Mail a Teacher’s Friend or Foe?

By Aliza Libman

When I learned that a technical glitch at my school would mean I could no longer check my school e-mail at home, I cringed. How could I be responsive to the needs of my students? How would I get everything done without staying at school till 8 p.m.? The situation seemed nightmarish.

To my surprise, though, I soon discovered that the inability to e-mail around the clock actually forced me to become a better teacher.

Most of today’s students can’t remember life before e-mail. But for many teachers, even the young ones, school-related e-mail can be an addition to the instructor’s toolbox that’s often painful to master. While passionate teachers dream of having an impact on young lives, they may not be as enthusiastic about the prospect of round-the-clock availability, a notion that...