Reminders & Notifications
Aprenta sends email reminders before scheduled observations so both observers and teachers can prepare. Reminders are configured per schedule and are optional -- you can set a reminder for the observer, the observee, both, or neither.
Setting a Reminder
When creating or editing a scheduled observation, you will see a bell icon below both the Observer and Observee fields. Click the bell icon to open the reminder options:
None -- No reminder will be sent. This is the default.
15 minutes before -- A quick heads-up shortly before the observation.
1 hour before -- Time for the observer to review the form or for the teacher to wrap up preparation.
1 day before -- Advance notice so both parties can plan ahead.
Custom -- Choose a specific date and time for the reminder using the date-time picker. The custom time must be at least 5 minutes in the future and before the scheduled observation time.
Preset options that have already passed (relative to the current time) are automatically disabled, so you will not accidentally set a reminder in the past.
How Reminders Are Delivered
Reminders are sent via email. Aprenta checks for pending reminders every minute. When the reminder time arrives, an email is sent to the observer or observee (depending on which reminder was configured).
Each reminder is sent exactly once. After a reminder has been delivered, the bell icon turns green and displays the date and time the reminder was sent. Once a reminder has been sent, it cannot be changed or re-sent using the preset options.
Reminder Requirements
A reminder will only be sent if all of the following are true:
A scheduled date has been set for the observation
The scheduled date has not yet passed
The reminder has not already been sent for this schedule
An observer or observee has been assigned (depending on which reminder)
If you have not set a scheduled date yet, clicking the bell icon shows the message: "Set a scheduled date first."
Send Reminder Now
In the Agenda view, you can send a reminder immediately without waiting for a scheduled time. Below each observer and observee entry, the reminder bell includes a Send Reminder Now button at the bottom of the reminder dropdown. This is useful when you need to notify someone right away about an upcoming observation.
The "Send Reminder Now" option is only available when:
A reminder has not already been sent
An observer or observee is assigned to the schedule
After sending, the bell icon turns green and shows the delivery timestamp.
What the Email Contains
Reminder emails are generated from notification templates configured on each observation form. The email content includes details about the scheduled observation, drawn from these template variables:
Variable | What It Shows |
Observer name | The assigned observer's name |
Observee name | The teacher's name |
Organization name | The school name |
Form name | The observation form to be used |
Scheduled date | The date of the scheduled observation |
Scheduled time | The time of the scheduled observation |
The email is localized to the recipient's time zone, so dates and times display correctly for each person.
Reminders When Rescheduling
If you change the scheduled date of an observation in the Agenda view, any existing reminders are automatically adjusted to maintain the same offset. For example, if a reminder was set for 1 hour before and you move the observation from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the reminder shifts from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
If the adjusted reminder time would fall in the past, the reminder is automatically cleared to prevent sending a late notification.
Customizing Notification Templates
Each observation form has its own observer and observee notification templates. Form Managers and administrators can customize the email subject and body for each form. This lets you tailor the message content to different observation types -- for example, a formal evaluation might include different preparation guidance than an informal observation.