Wouldn’t everyone prefer to wear sweatshirts and flip-flops to work?

When you are a school teacher, such luxuries are completely out of the question. Our young students, their parents, our administrators, and the greater community all need to trust us to be mature, professional, capable, and competent.

Here are some of the factors that go into choosing your teacher attire:

Comfort

Professionalism

Individual Personality

More specifically, use the following guidelines when assembling your teaching wardrobe:

• Loose-fitting and well-tailored is best. – If you’re a curvaceous womanly woman, avoid clingy tops and rump-hugging bottoms in favor of less distracting clothing.
• Stay stylish, but not too much so. – You want to appear “with it” but you don’t need to blindly follow every passing fad to a fault. A teeny-bopper persona is not a wise one to cultivate when dealing with parents who hope you’re wise and responsible as you guide their young and impressionable children. Look for the classic in your closet or head to the mall for the old standards you still need. Men – dress pants and tucked-in button-downs are best.

• Some people say avoid sleeveless. – It’s a personal preference, perhaps, but I’ve heard it suggested that sleeveless is too casual for the classroom. Consider sleeves for a more put-together and adult look.
• If you’re young, be extra careful. – No ageism here, just realism. It’s likely that you are pre-judged as lacking teaching experience and hey, it’s probably true, right? If you are just starting out or look particularly young, take steps to make your appearance more mature. 6

These general tips should set you off on the right track as a teacher – putting your best foot forward and earning respect right off the bat.

By: Ms. Maricel A. Hualde | Teacher III | Cabcaben Elementary School