It is a dark and stormy night...you are about to lose power, but you've been waiting on an email all day. You decide to refresh your inbox once more before you shut down the computer. At last! It has arrived! You open the email, eager for the information, and then you see it. You shield your eyes, but it's too late! You've been attacked by...the Multi-Colored Email.
We've all received such emails, whether they come from Grandma, our spam-forwarding neighbors, or even our bosses. You know what I'm talking about: the email with 27 different fonts, colors, backgrounds, and emoticons.
Unfortunately, teachers too often perpetuate this stereotype in the classroom. Not only are such forms of presentation unprofessional, but they can also be distracting to many students, specifically ones with dyslexia.
Of course I am speaking to secondary teachers here; elementary kids love colors, and making assignment sheets and report cards in different colors helps them get excited about learning. But when it comes to high school students, leave the colors and cutesy clip art in the word processor where you found them. High school kids appreciate being respected and treated like adults. Who wouldn't? But when teachers continue to send out emails and homework assignments that look like something Dora the Explorer would write, students lose respect for the teacher.
So treat your students to respectful fonts and colors; they will return the favor.
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