Let’s talk among teachers. We have not finished replying to 3 emails, when there are already 5 new messages in the inbox. And so it happens in all the technological platforms that we use every day in the university or school. And it also happens in the messaging applications on our mobile phones.

I suspect we now have more messages to respond to. The new normalities in the context of the pandemic.

And then we need more time or an assistant to lend us a hand; Or perhaps, both. But then it is time to discard those ideas.

So I looked for another solution. Before I stopped to analyze themessages I received from my students. A couple of findings:

1. Despite having institutional emails, videoconferencing tools contracted by the university or virtual or distance education platforms,students prefer to organize, inform, misinform and communicatethrough the messaging applications of their liking: WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, WeChat, Signal, etc. There everything is easier and more immediate with them; For us, I don’t know.
2. The second thing is that most of the messages we receive from students are to solve a handful of issues. It’s almost the same questions. I will dare to write them in the following list:

• They ask whattopics or activities were done in the previous class orwhat is coming for the next one.
• They ask for their grades and the reason for that qualification.
• They send their messagesexcusing themselves for not attending class.
• They ask what is going to be evaluated, what is thestudy materialor the details of the activity.
• They request atutoring or day of accompaniment.
• They ask for another chance to deliver activities.
• They request that we review their notes because, according to them, there is an error.
• They ask forvideo conference instructions, class time or location.
• They ask us to explain some procedure or aspect of the institution’s regulations or policies.
• And a couple of other things. (If I’m missing something, I appreciate you can share it in a comment at the end of this post)

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