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Stem the Tide and Stanch the Flood
Email Management for Educators (and everyone else).
We’re heading back to school soon, and from that perspective, I’m thinking a lot about the various systems and processes that I use to stay on top of things during the school year. In particular, I try to give a little consideration to those things that I do that differ from many of my colleagues. One area where I think my own way of working can frequently look quite different is my email management.
More Emails, More Problems
Email is a river of information. For better or worse, it’s one of the main channels by which information is conveyed in modern schools. And if you don’t stay on top of it, it piles up fast. The issue for me is not so much the pile up itself (though I do not like a cluttered inbox from an aesthetic perspective), but rather the loss of utility that comes from the pileup. With that in mind, my email management system is designed to keep my inbox mostly empty, while also making sure that whatever incoming information or useful actions that can happen via email can happen.
Inbox Zero, Kind Of.
Much of my email system is based on this famous presentation from Merlin Mann regarding the “Inbox Zero” system. I don’t use Inbox Zero rigorously in my own…
