<p>Hello parents!</p>
<p>I recently posted in the parents forum about alternative ways to earn my high school degree and received great advice. After a meeting with my parents and counselor, the school agreed to allow me to fulfill the requirements during the summer at a local college about ½ hour away. Although I am not necessarily excited about spending my summer fulfilling the graduation requirements with the busy-work classes, I am excited that I will be able to earn my degree :)</p>
<p>Anyway, I was also hoping that some of you might be able to help me with a little email etiquette because I am currently struggling to write a very important email. I am unsure of little things like how to start the email and whether it sounds to standoffish. I want the email to sound urgent enough for the department head to listen to my thoughts and opinions, but not too pushy or rude either. </p>
<p>The current situation is very important to me because I had really been looking forward to taking the next class in the sequence from this teacher next quarter. Yesterday, he informed us that he may not be able to teach the next course in the sequence as originally planned, because a full-time faculty member needed another class to teach (the current teacher is only a part-time faculty member). He said that nothing is final yet, and if we could put in a good word for him to the department head, they might decide to have the full-timer teach a different class. I'm extremely disappointed by this recent development because the teacher I had this quarter was easily the best teacher I have had in my entire educational career. My situation is a little different than others in the class because I decided to retake the class at the end of last quarter. During the fall quarter, I earned a C+ in the class despite many hours (about 20 hours/week) struggling to learn the material. I failed almost all of the tests but was able to earn a few points from getting As on all the homework quizzes. Needless to say, at the end of the quarter I wanted to quit math forever. I was frustrated, disappointed, and ready to give up. I decided to email another teacher that was teaching the same class, during the upcoming quarter. He allowed me to join the class a few days late and it has been a wonderful experience for me. From the first day, I knew that this class would be an entirely different experience. He started explaining the concepts that I was vaguely familiar with, in a way that made sense. Id love to be able to learn more from him next quarter, but am afraid that he will get booted out of the position. </p>
<p>Ive written this email to the department head, but was hoping some of you may be able to add some input. I certainly do not want to upset the department head, but at the same time I also really want to take another class from this instructor. I added some possible solutions at the end, but am unsure as to whether I should include them. The current teacher was a little vague about putting in a good word and I am unsure about what I should include in the email. Last night it occurred to me that since they have not announced the change yet, most students would not know. Im not sure if I should include the information that I know (about him not being able to teach next quarter) or if I should just send a universal email about how much Ive enjoyed his class. At this point, I really just want to write a nice email but do not want the department head to think that I am undermining her decisions. (Also, Ive edited the email, just to maintain a little privacy).</p>
<p>Dear [Department Head],</p>
<p>My name is [my name] and I am currently a student at [community college name] as part of the Running Start program. I am writing you today because I recently heard that [current teacher] may not get to teach Math 140 next quarter. I was very disappointed to hear this because I have had such a wonderful time in [current teacher] Math 130 class this quarter. </p>
<p>The way that [current teacher] teaches such a tough subject is pretty amazing. Concepts that he introduces in class are easy to understand because we do not need to memorize abstract formulas or definitions. Instead he teaches the concepts in such a way, that they make sense and all students are able to derive them when needed. This allows all of us to know exactly why each equation is useful and when to use it. While the class is still challenging and hard, it is not frustrating because his explanations are so clear. His excitement for the subject is also a wonderful characteristic that he brings to the class. While I had begun the class frustrated and doubting my mathematical abilities, his positive encouragement has given me the confidence to pursue my goals of becoming an engineer. I feel very fortunate to have been able to take this class from [current teacher].</p>
<p>I know that in our class many of the students are also interested in continuing to study Calculus at [community college name] by taking Math 140 this Spring. However, one issue that has come up, is the space availability in the Spring class. It is already almost full, even though several of the students in our class are not allowed to register for Spring Quarter yet. Ideally, I think it would be wonderful if [community college name] could offer another section of Math 140 based on the high demand demonstrated during the registration period. Although I realize this may not be possible, due to the space and budget constraints of [community college name], I am sure that many of the students would be happy to have another opportunity to take the next class in the sequence this Spring. </p>
<p>Sincerely,
[My full name]</p>
<p>Thanks in advance parents :) I'm sorry about the long post!</p>