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What Teachers Should Never (Ever!) Wear
Kayla Baxter, Anna Hennings, and Alice Handley | Monster
We hate to admit it, because we personally feel that clothes shouldn’t matter. In a perfect world, a person would be judged at their workplace based solely on the caliber of their work. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works.
How you choose to dress each morning reflects how you feel about your job – that you take your position seriously, that you are ready to work and that you pay attention to detail and know what you expect to encounter that day. You wouldn’t go to a construction site in your favorite four-inch stilettos, right? Of course not, you’d go in a hard hat, because it’s appropriate for the situation. Appearances matter!
We’ve all been there, though. The days you wake up feeling sick, but still have to make it into the office, so you throw on any old thing that’s (kind of ) clean.
Regardless of the excuses, there are some things that professionals should just never wear. Ever.
We’ll show you what these things are, why they’re a terrible wardrobe choice and if you’re guilty of having one in your closet – or (gasp!) in your daily rotation – we’ll give you a much better alternative.
And for your men out there who are teachers: this article is geared towards women since we know you probably don’t care as much about fashion as females do!
lisaburgess
4 months ago
2 comments
"One wonders if the author of this actually works in a school! During the past 8 years I have been required to buy and wear to school: sports jerseys, wigs, hats, mismatched shoes, college t-shirts, animal prints, flip-flops, shorts, Hawaiian attire, pajamas, etc. all during "spirit week" or on special school days. I follow the dress code the students have to follow and don't have a problem(no Daisy Dukes, no beer/swear words, etc.). Working in a school- K-12 has its own dress code and this slide show doesn't reflect the reality of what works in a classroom. I do NOT work in an office, and if I wore a business suit and pumps every single day , I would look out of place at my school--unapproachable to parents and over-dressed. It is difficult to do many of my required job duties wearing what this slideshow suggests--or says to avoid. Ridiculous!"
Desiday
4 months ago
2 comments
Hangover? Really teachers come to school with hangovers?
teacherkerry
4 months ago
10 comments
I can't tell if this article is supposed to be funny or not...because it's not. I kind of find to be rude.
Don't tell me what I should and should not wear...each district and each school within the district have differing atmospheres. We wear our football or baseball jerseys the day before a big game, we wear UGGS, Crocs, and tasteful flip-flops because we are on our feet ALL DAY. I am not my mother - don't make me dress like her. Ann Taylor? Coldwater Creek? Sorry, I don't make enough money to have two different wardrobes. Did you know footless leggings can look classy? Oh wait, that's right...you don't want us to look stylish when we go to work. I thought bare legs tended to look trashy? Now it's okay to not cover the gams?
Want your students to be able to identify with you? Wear cool things, not stuff their parents and grandparents wear. Afraid they won't respect you? Think again. I am glad I teach in a district that doesn't judge me for whether or not I decide to wear make-up one day.
cl_klavon
4 months ago
10 comments
These of course are excellent guidelines if you are strictly in an office environment. Dress up when in an office. Even in a classroom situation you should dress up, albeit be a little more casual. For instance, you can wear a nice shirt, new jeans without any frays or fades and some nice shoes from Sas (but if working in a classroom of young kids with lots of arts and crafts, prepare to have a change of clothes if you really don't want to get those dirty).
Facial and body tatoos are not appropriate for the office...so a piece of advice, if you are going to get a tatoo, at least get something that you know will not be inadvertantly revealed to students and staff. Facial tattoos say you are not serious about your job.
nks60640
4 months ago
2 comments
NO KIDDING! I would have never known any of this if they hadn't written this article. I guess I have some closet cleaning to do.
JaneC
5 months ago
2 comments
These are mostly on target. There are always exceptions and the message you send by your appearance is both personal and public. Whether we like it or not, people (read bosses & parents...) judge us by our appearance. As a mid- life career changer from corporate America with teenage children , there are things that are apporpriate in school settings and others that are not.
Some comments: Uggs and boots during cold, snowy New England winters are a must. Wearing them tastefully is fine. If you have long hair (I don't) what is the problem with pulling it back with a scrunchy? Long hair can get in the way leaning over small desks and doing art projects. And no hats and sun glasses? What about recess and dismissal?????
jasonkraeger
5 months ago
4 comments
Most of these are a given. Anyone that knows anything about fashion would admit that most of these things, if a teacher does them, she/he is probably a bit tacky. If you can't be professional in the way that you dress, then education should not be your career. There is no reason for a teacher to dress unprofessionally nor to look like a clown by doing any of the above things.
jones_sensei
5 months ago
50 comments
There are quite a few of these that simply don't work for certain settings or teaching situations. These guidelines are well and good for office settings but they are simply not all realistic when it comes to teaching. No one that I know would think twice about wearing a scrunchy, as it is all but expected with longer hair and the style of local women to wear more and more elaborate hair decorations. A teacher who wears smaller, discrete fabric elastics is being far more professional than the ones with feathers and paste gems. As for tattoos, these can be cultural, religious, or social but they are no longer the taboo item that they were. Even in the office a tattoo can be shown if discrete and not distracting.
I have never worn makeup. Never have, never will. It is simply not a part of my life. I have also never had any difficulty getting or maintaining a position as a teacher. I have also not had difficulty with moving up in the ranks. I take care of the rest of my appearance in a professional manner and simply don't see makeup as having a role in that.
Several people have asked about facial piercings and I wish to respond.
I had a teacher who had recently returned from India with a lovely nose ring, discrete and small. I have worked with teachers and professors (I teach at the college and university levels) with varied facial piercings. The one with the most piercings has recently become a tenured professor.
I do not hide my own facial piercing during interviews and have had offers from high schools regardless of my piercing. I think times are changing and it is simply one of those things that is moving in.
That being said, my piercing (nose) is demure. I had a larger one in my nose when I interviewed but switched it for a smaller (recessed stud) one for teaching. It was 6 months before my colleagues actually realized that I had a piercing. I have never had it effect my teaching or my students, beyond their initial interest in the fact that I have one.
If it has no effect on your teaching or the educational experience of your students, and so long as it follows the guidelines of the school district, it doesn't matter what you wear. Some people even make a point of the hats, colored vests, clunky shoes, etc as a teaching tool. My English teacher in 7th grade wore pink converse hightops (or were they yellow?) What I remember is that my first impression was that she was going to be a fun teacher and I was far more motivated in her class. Some times it is a good thing to be different.
squamous75
5 months ago
2 comments
I believe in the adage, "dress for the job you want." If you want to get noticed and advance in your school district, dress as well or better than your boss. Personally, I like to dress like a professional when I go to school. Even though I teach science and do all sorts of messy labs (i.e., dissection!), I'm still in a nice suit every single day. Students can't take you seriously as an educator and truly respect you if you're dressed like them.
ChaosN2Stars
5 months ago
2 comments
Hm...I think some of these are pretty judgmental. Particular school culture and regional acceptability should definitely be taken into consideration. Not wearing a Packer's jersey on first home game at my school, 20 miles from Lambeau field might be considered high treason! Of course, we should maintain reasonable standards of professional dress, but for some, a little bit of "wiggle room" in these standards is allowed!
Samantha
5 months ago
30 comments
Teachers in my school love Crocs, Uggs, flip-flops, and sneakers. I am adding sneakers to the list because I feel they should only be warn on field trips or by physical education teachers.
Raven767
5 months ago
12 comments
I have 100 ties..... literally. I wear a different tie every day, M-Th ---- "no-tie Friday" --- and it takes me about 30 weeks (remember holidays) to wear them all. The kids notice and so do the other teachers. It seems that only older guys do this but I think evey male teacher after 5th grade should wear ties.
Account Removed
5 months ago
I know it sounds trite but common sense is not so common.
Marijane
5 months ago
4 comments
Your article reinforeced common sense (if people really have common sense)
bettytalib
5 months ago
2 comments
This entire article is EXCELLENT. I think this is an informative and non-threatening way to help teachers realize what NOT to wear and why. I am presentty a retired high school teacher of 36 years and have visited some schools since and have seen some of the Don'ts on young teachers. Thanks for this article.
Betty