Email Students in Google Classroom

When checking an assignment I can see which students are “Assigned” (formerly designated “Not Done.” I sometimes want to send them a friendly reminder to get on it. Here are the steps.

Steps to Email Students

Click on the “Instructions” Tab
Control L – Highlight the URL
Control C – Copy
Click back on “Student Work”
Click the checkbox next to “Assigned”
Click the email icon next to the Return button
Create a subject line for the mail
Write a friendly reminder to students
Control V paste the link to the assignment into the body
Send the email

Directions

Instructions Tab

It is important anytime you email anyone with an action item that you include a live link to whatever you want them to do. Even if they could easily find it or look it up, you will significantly increase participation when you include a live link in your emails. To obtain the link to the assignment you will need to click on the Instructions tab.

You can NOT copy the link to the Student Work page since for obvious reasons students do not have access to the Student Work page. However, students do have access to the assignment instructions. So you will want the link to the instructions page.

Control L, Control C

If you like keyboard shortcuts, use Control L to highlight the URL and Control C to copy it.

Email Icon

Back on the “Student Work” tab, next to the Return button is an email icon. Click the checkbox next to “Assigned” or selectively checkbox next to individual students on the left hand side in the roster. Click the icon.

Subject Line

Weirdly, when sending mail from an assignment the subject line does not pre-populate and the link to the assignment does not generate (send feedback requesting that.) You will need to create your own subject line. Happily, the students you selected are placed into the BCC for you.

Private Comments

Note that if you use Private Comments instead of the email icon, the students also get an email notification of your comment. While I prefer to paste a friendly reminder into the Private Comments instead of communicating through email, it can be tedious to paste the same comment if you have multiple students who have not completed an assignment. This is when the icon can be helpful. Just remember to link to the assignment instructions!