What (Not) to Wear

Have you been to the gym lately? No, I wasn't implying anything... I just mean, What are people wearing to the gym these days? Anything from biking shorts to yoga pants, tank tops to cut-off Tees.  I've seen tops and bottoms with holes in them, slogans from odd to vulgar.  And while we're on the subject, I was once running on the treadmill next to a guy who smelled so foul I had to get off and do weights instead.

Have you been sleeping lately? No, I'm not implying you look tired, I just... Well, of course you've been sleeping.  Perhaps not well, but still. What do you wear to bed? Keep it PG.  Maybe some fluffy pjs, or an old favorite shirt, or sweat pants that shrunk in the wash.

What are you wearing right now? No, that's not a pick-up line.  Wherever you are, reading New Teachers Newsletter, whether it be the Pentagon or the Boston Globe, in your favorite leather or velvet wing back chair, I'm sure you are in the quiet majority.  Those of you who are at university or in your first years of teaching, perhaps you're in a cotton shirt and jeans, or leggings and an over-sized sweater.

Now, what do those three experiences have in common? All three qualify as TYDWTWAAT:

Things You Don't Wear To Work As A Teacher.

I don't believe that clothes make the man, but I also believe that first impressions count.  I do not believe you need to wear new, expensive clothing to make a good impression, but I do believe your clothes need to be neat, clean, and modern.  

This is a truth at once unnerving and unavoidable: your students will notice what you wear way more than you will realize.  I once had a high school class announce that they knew if I was in the building by the orange coat I owned, which I would shed and hang on my chair.  I didn't even know they had seen it, but I guess I wore it often enough.

While you aren't dressing to impress your students, you should certainly care how they view you.  If you wear yoga pants and hoodies, do you think your students will view you as a professional or view you as a peer?  If your shirt is always untucked and your pants have holes in the cuffs, will you command respect or derision? And I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but everyone looks at your butt when you write on the board. Do you really want it revealing your unmentionables?

Today, a very sad portion of society views any item of clothing as an acceptable option for public display.  This is not a viewpoint you will have. You will look like you take pride in your appearance and you care about how you are viewed by the families you serve.

Take a cue from your principal.  How does she dress? If you are called into her office on a whim, will you shrink a little bit in your outfit, or stand tall? Why wouldn't you dress the same as you did for your interview? Show her that how you presented yourself that day was true, inside and out.

I once worked with a teacher who drove this point home for me. She dressed exactly as she taught: haphazardly.  Her clothes never matched, her shoes were fraying at the toe, and her shirts were always too tight.  And surprise, surprise, her instructions were unclear, her lessons were random, and her expectations were low. 

So maybe your school has casual Friday.  Guess what? Your first year calendar will show business-class Monday-Friday.  But Mr. VeteranTeacher wears jeans, you say.  When you are a veteran teacher, you can too.

You may have heard the expression, Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.  Here at New Teachers Newsletter let's say, Dress for the job you have, if you want to keep it.  Maybe your clothes won't be the reason you're hired, but let it be one more reason to keep you.