As a 1st grade teacher, it's a lot more comfortable to be in jeans and a t-shirt dealing with 6 and 7 year olds versus slacks and dresses. Now I do wear appropriate jeans (no holes/stains) and usually a nice shirt. If I do wear t-shirts, they are teacher/school related.
As a student, I respect my teachers for their knowledge and expertise. Their outfit is irrelevant. Some of the teachers I respected most wore t-shirts and jeans, and some I respect least wear suits everyday. The clothing doesn't matter, it's how you teach, and I've found that dressier teachers often teach in more old-fashioned/worse ways. For example with math, a dressy teacher would have us memorize formulas and do drills sitting at our desks without teaching the logic behind the formula, whereas a jeans teacher would explain the evolution and logic behind the equations and formulas so that they'd really stick in our head and be more natural to use, and we'd work through examples as a class before practicing in groups or individually.
I disagree. I have been teaching for 29 years. I wear jeans daily and many times a t-shirt. My students do not respect me less or more than they did when I used to wear dresses/pants, etc. I think it is important for a young teacher to distance themselves from the students with their dress and I also think it depends on what grade you teach. Middle school students don't care. Teachers were being exploited by being asked to pay to wear jeans or earn jeans with extra work. I wear nicer clothes for special occasions but otherwise I think jeans are fine. Many professionals wear jeans/tshirts.
I work with autistic MS (self-contained) kiddos, I’m definitely dressed more like a student than a teacher in my sneakers, jeans & hoodie most days because I need all the pockets. Sometimes I wear a cute lab coat if I’m wearing a dress shirt or pants without pockets (so that I have pockets!). I need to have ready access to all my tricks/supplies to get my students to do their work or transition to their next class, plus I have to be ready to RUN after that eloping student as they make a mad dash for the 55mph main road. On the whole in my building, it’s the men that are totally dressed down with their sweatpants & tshirts.
It seems like the dress code really depends on each persons individual circumstances. For example, when I originally went to college I went straight from a BS into working on my master degree, where I was TA. In those days I very much did not look my age. And, while it may be fun to be carded when you are 21 or 22, having staff and students alike constantly acting like I am much younger than I am is annoying at best. Consequently, my mom treated me to a shopping trip to buy high quality, conservative, and mature outfits. It worked, while it did not magically change the way I look, I finally appeared my age - while wearing those outfits. So, yes, most of the TAs were able to get away with wearing regular student attire, due to my appearance, I needed that wardrobe adjustment to look the part. However, now, much older and in today's more casual attitude, when I sub in my favorite elementary school I opt for comfortable teacher wear - that on hot school days may mean wearing a baggy school appropriate T-shirt.....However, in my summer teaching job in a summer camp/school program it is basically bluejeans & Carhartt work shorts and baggy school appropriate T-shirts.
To be honest, I don’t care, what you wear is not your reflection as a teacher But I do agree there are some things that teachers shouldn’t be wearing at school if that makes sense
There are ways to dress up jeans with a pair of tall boots and a longer shirt. Or something along those lines. No holes in the jeans or wear marks though.
I have been retired 5 years now, but was not a fan of the casual Friday thing (except perhaps when wearing a school provided staff shirt) and certainly not for other days. We also had students groups that fund raised by getting teachers to donate cash who would then be "allowed" to wear jeans. I taught with some teachers who dressed up more on the first day of school than other days (which did not make sense to me) as well as one chemistry teacher who dressed up even more than usual when teaching a particularly difficult lesson.
People in prison belong to the state or Federal government. School children do not. The Federal public school lunch program doesn't cover prisoners. And people in prison eat slop, you wouldn't want children to eat it.
I had to laugh out loud at you pointing out that teachers in staff meetings are as bad--or worse--than kids in a classroom. Because it's totally true. It used to irritate me, too. The dress code issue was driven home years ago by a great class of AP students who were in my Geometry class. I always dressed in a sport coat and tie at that point. At the end of the year, they told me that came to my class after their English class where the teacher wore jeans and t-shirts and that they knew, when they walked in, that they were in a serious classroom. That was enough justification for me!
Agree with everything on dress. If you met with a financial advisor for the first time and he or she was dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants would you invest your money with them? Teachers want to be paid like professionals and yet dress like they work at subway. I wear a tie daily with slacks and a suit on Tuesdays and Thursdays…. Dress like the degree you hold!!!
I think this is one of our biggest issue in our school district…as long as we are covered, does it really matter if we wear blue jeans everyday?!? I mean, really, does it make us any less professional?!? Now, if you think dressing professionally makes us a professional, then I will agree with the professional dress when we are treated as professionals in all realms. (Note: I am a professional dresser. I just don’t think wearing blue jeans is a big issue).
I wear dress yoga pants (Duluth Trading Company NoGa last forever!), a nice knit top, and New Balance sneakers. Every day. I don't think jeans are comfortable.
I just wish there was more solidarity amounts teachers,but it does suck you get fired for speaking your mind. They treat school like a company than a education center. Like budgets, costs, bad “reviews” , abusive bosses ect
Professionalism is a disposition and a act rather than a Dress code. Because it’s the way you interact with one another that determines that. You don’t act the way around family the way you do around for workers. Info Unfortunately in the US it’s a lost Way of being because we blur the lines or so quick to invite people so close to us without them eating the right to occupy those spaces. I dot think it’s a biggest deal for tecaher sto dress causal, as long as you are appropriate. So jeans,slacks, polos , T shirts, sneakers …whatever🤷♀️ Plus if you live down here in FL…no woman is going to willingly subject herself to freezing AC in business clothes 😂😂 If they worked at a cub live fine cuz she has a cute area heater lol. But not in a school 😅 especially no elementary school teacher
As a 1st grade teacher, it's a lot more comfortable to be in jeans and a t-shirt dealing with 6 and 7 year olds versus slacks and dresses. Now I do wear appropriate jeans (no holes/stains) and usually a nice shirt. If I do wear t-shirts, they are teacher/school related.
As a student, I respect my teachers for their knowledge and expertise. Their outfit is irrelevant. Some of the teachers I respected most wore t-shirts and jeans, and some I respect least wear suits everyday.
The clothing doesn't matter, it's how you teach, and I've found that dressier teachers often teach in more old-fashioned/worse ways. For example with math, a dressy teacher would have us memorize formulas and do drills sitting at our desks without teaching the logic behind the formula, whereas a jeans teacher would explain the evolution and logic behind the equations and formulas so that they'd really stick in our head and be more natural to use, and we'd work through examples as a class before practicing in groups or individually.
I disagree. I have been teaching for 29 years. I wear jeans daily and many times a t-shirt. My students do not respect me less or more than they did when I used to wear dresses/pants, etc. I think it is important for a young teacher to distance themselves from the students with their dress and I also think it depends on what grade you teach. Middle school students don't care. Teachers were being exploited by being asked to pay to wear jeans or earn jeans with extra work. I wear nicer clothes for special occasions but otherwise I think jeans are fine. Many professionals wear jeans/tshirts.
I work with autistic MS (self-contained) kiddos, I’m definitely dressed more like a student than a teacher in my sneakers, jeans & hoodie most days because I need all the pockets. Sometimes I wear a cute lab coat if I’m wearing a dress shirt or pants without pockets (so that I have pockets!). I need to have ready access to all my tricks/supplies to get my students to do their work or transition to their next class, plus I have to be ready to RUN after that eloping student as they make a mad dash for the 55mph main road. On the whole in my building, it’s the men that are totally dressed down with their sweatpants & tshirts.
It seems like the dress code really depends on each persons individual circumstances. For example, when I originally went to college I went straight from a BS into working on my master degree, where I was TA. In those days I very much did not look my age. And, while it may be fun to be carded when you are 21 or 22, having staff and students alike constantly acting like I am much younger than I am is annoying at best. Consequently, my mom treated me to a shopping trip to buy high quality, conservative, and mature outfits. It worked, while it did not magically change the way I look, I finally appeared my age - while wearing those outfits. So, yes, most of the TAs were able to get away with wearing regular student attire, due to my appearance, I needed that wardrobe adjustment to look the part. However, now, much older and in today's more casual attitude, when I sub in my favorite elementary school I opt for comfortable teacher wear - that on hot school days may mean wearing a baggy school appropriate T-shirt.....However, in my summer teaching job in a summer camp/school program it is basically bluejeans & Carhartt work shorts and baggy school appropriate T-shirts.
To be honest, I don’t care, what you wear is not your reflection as a teacher But I do agree there are some things that teachers shouldn’t be wearing at school if that makes sense
There are ways to dress up jeans with a pair of tall boots and a longer shirt. Or something along those lines. No holes in the jeans or wear marks though.
Clothing has nothing to do with respect -- wear what you want -- I am 60 years old by the way.
I have been retired 5 years now, but was not a fan of the casual Friday thing (except perhaps when wearing a school provided staff shirt) and certainly not for other days. We also had students groups that fund raised by getting teachers to donate cash who would then be "allowed" to wear jeans. I taught with some teachers who dressed up more on the first day of school than other days (which did not make sense to me) as well as one chemistry teacher who dressed up even more than usual when teaching a particularly difficult lesson.
I don’t understand how people in prison and jail get free food but our students do not
100%
People in prison belong to the state or Federal government. School children do not. The Federal public school lunch program doesn't cover prisoners. And people in prison eat slop, you wouldn't want children to eat it.
Good point!!
@@davidwesson9277 children are already eating slop
I had to laugh out loud at you pointing out that teachers in staff meetings are as bad--or worse--than kids in a classroom. Because it's totally true. It used to irritate me, too. The dress code issue was driven home years ago by a great class of AP students who were in my Geometry class. I always dressed in a sport coat and tie at that point. At the end of the year, they told me that came to my class after their English class where the teacher wore jeans and t-shirts and that they knew, when they walked in, that they were in a serious classroom. That was enough justification for me!
Agree with everything on dress. If you met with a financial advisor for the first time and he or she was dressed in a t-shirt and sweatpants would you invest your money with them? Teachers want to be paid like professionals and yet dress like they work at subway. I wear a tie daily with slacks and a suit on Tuesdays and Thursdays…. Dress like the degree you hold!!!
I think this is one of our biggest issue in our school district…as long as we are covered, does it really matter if we wear blue jeans everyday?!? I mean, really, does it make us any less professional?!? Now, if you think dressing professionally makes us a professional, then I will agree with the professional dress when we are treated as professionals in all realms. (Note: I am a professional dresser. I just don’t think wearing blue jeans is a big issue).
Good teachers can teach effectively wearing anything. However I do think we should minimally wear clothing within the student dress code.
I wear dress yoga pants (Duluth Trading Company NoGa last forever!), a nice knit top, and New Balance sneakers. Every day. I don't think jeans are comfortable.
Dress yoga pants?
What do you think about business casual? My sons teacher dresses with shorts or pants. A button up shirt or tshirt and a bow tie.
I just wish there was more solidarity amounts teachers,but it does suck you get fired for speaking your mind. They treat school like a company than a education center.
Like budgets, costs, bad “reviews” , abusive bosses ect
Professionalism is a disposition and a act rather than a Dress code. Because it’s the way you interact with one another that determines that.
You don’t act the way around family the way you do around for workers.
Info
Unfortunately in the US it’s a lost Way of being because we blur the lines or so quick to invite people so close to us without them eating the right to occupy those spaces.
I dot think it’s a biggest deal for tecaher sto dress causal, as long as you are appropriate.
So jeans,slacks, polos , T shirts, sneakers …whatever🤷♀️
Plus if you live down here in FL…no woman is going to willingly subject herself to freezing AC in business clothes 😂😂
If they worked at a cub live fine cuz she has a cute area heater lol. But not in a school 😅 especially no elementary school teacher