This guide will help you organize and streamline your Outlook inbox so you can stay on top of student communications and tasks. It covers organizing, flagging, pinning to-dos, and setting clear expectations for student emails.
Organizing Your Inbox
Use Folders
Create folders for different courses, committees, or projects.
Right-click your Inbox → New Folder → Name it (e.g., “ENGL 101 – Student Emails”).
Drag or move emails into folders manually, or set up rules (see below).
Use Categories (Color Tags)
Assign color-coded categories to emails for quick visual sorting.
Right-click an email → Categorize → Choose a color or Manage Categories to rename.
Example: “Student Questions” = Green; “Department” = Blue.
Use Rules
Automate email sorting:
Go to Settings (gear icon) → View all Outlook settings → Mail > Rules.
Click Add new rule, name it, choose conditions (e.g., “From contains "...”), and select an action (move to folder, categorize, flag).
Saves time by pre-sorting emails as they arrive.
Flagging & Pinning Emails
Flagging Emails (To-Do Items)
Flags turn emails into tasks.
Hover over an email → Click the flag icon to flag it.
Flags can have due dates (Today, Tomorrow, Next Week).
Your flagged items appear in the To Do list and Microsoft To Do app automatically.
Pinning Emails (Keep at the Top)
Pin important emails so they stay at the top of your inbox:
Hover over an email → Click the pin icon (looks like a pushpin).
Use this for critical items like a dean’s announcement or a key student email.
Marking Complete
Once you’ve acted on a flagged email, click the flag again to mark as complete.
This keeps your to-do list current.
Setting Student Email Expectations
Clear subject lines and formatting make student emails easier to find and organize.
Suggest a Standard Subject Line Format
Ask students to include course code, their name, and topic in the subject line. Examples:
ENGL101 – John Smith – Question About Assignment 2
BIO110 – Maria Lopez – Absence Notification
Add Instructions to Your Syllabus or LMS
Example wording:
“When emailing me, please include your course number, your full name, and the topic in the subject line. Example:
HIST201 – Alex Johnson – Exam 1 Question.”
Create a Rule to Sort Based on Subject
In Outlook, set a rule that moves all emails containing “ENGL101” in the subject to a dedicated folder.
This keeps student messages separated from other work email automatically.
Using Search & Filters
Use the search bar to quickly find student emails by keyword or subject line.
Use built-in filters (Unread, Flagged, Attachments) at the top of your inbox to narrow down what you see.
Quick Tips
| Tip | How to Do It |
|---|---|
| Quick Steps | Use Outlook’s Quick Steps to apply multiple actions with one click (Home tab → Quick Steps). Example: Flag + Move to folder simultaneously. |
| Focused Inbox | Turn on Focused Inbox (View > Show Focused Inbox) to separate high-priority from “Other” mail. |
| @Mentions | Type “@StudentName” in the body of your reply to highlight for the recipient. |
Sample Workflow
Students use a standard subject line format.
Rule sorts emails into “Student Questions” folder automatically.
Flag urgent items as to-dos with deadlines.
Pin critical messages to the top of your inbox.
Mark as complete or move to archive once handled.
This process keeps your inbox clean and your student communications timely.