So. Drunk.so cute.?
Cute boy has this whole week off (my county has to be in school the longest out of everyone, naturally) and he just brought me a bagel and coffee from my favorite place! What a nice guy.
One of the great benefits of working in a high school
Homecoming Week!
For teachers, a great way to participate in the fun of Homecoming is to dress up.
At my school, we have different themes for each day. The overall theme this year is Nintendo, so the days were as follows:
Monday: Wear your favorite sports team (Wii Sports Day)
Tuesday: Tetris Tuesday-wear mismatched clothing
Wednesday: Dress as your favorite Mario character
Thursday (and my favorite!) Pajama Day!
Friday: School Spirit Day
The students always appreciate when the teachers dress up, so I made my best effort.
Perfect low-key wedges and t-strap flats for the weekend, straight from the Marais USA fall collection (which you might like to know is now online). Ankle strap wedge, $115, Studded flat, $150, maraisusa.com.
Marais does it again. j’adore.
I love a good t-strap flat mary jane.
However,
Useful tips for dressing at work.
these three polyvores from fellow Boob Lady Haguenite are definitely helpful in terms of choosing styles, and work fairly well across the board of student ages:
One of the greatest challenges I encountered as a new teacher was developing a presence in the classroom.
My first year was very difficult-it was a struggle just to cover the things I needed to cover. Thinking about classroom management and earning the respect of the students was a whole other can of worms.
I remember the first day I had to present a lesson. I was at the front of the room, the projector was on, I had my web pages up, and I was staring at a sea of faces.
I am a perfectionist, so before the lesson, I had written down everything I wanted to cover-I even put certain phrases that I wanted to say to remind myself to stay on track.
I don’t know if the students noticed how nervous I was. But I got through the lesson, and they learned what they needed to learn.
During my whole first year, I wrote out every single lesson plan and I kept it up front with me. It helped a lot. It helped me with my pacing, it helped me stay on track, and it helped me focus.
It was only after my first year that I began to realize that I understood the material. The next step was to actually relate to the students and present to them more than just lessons, but present myself as an authority.
I did this by observing other teachers in their classrooms. I observed their style, their language, their way of dressing. Some teachers were far better than others.
I also video taped myself in the classroom. I watched the tape and noted things that I did well and thins that I needed to improve upon. It was annoying, but it really helped me see how I looked in the eyes of those watching me.
By the end of my second year, I had developed a confidence in the classroom. I realized that it was ok to make jokes-it was also ok to be a little goofy.
By my third year, I truly felt that I had earned the respect of the students.
Now I am in my fifth year. I no longer have to write out my lesson plans word for word. I have developed a system of note taking-a sort of condensed lesson plan notation that works for me.(I don’t teach classes every day. I probably do 2-3 classes a week)
The students know me as well. They know they can come up to me at the desk. They can ask me questions and they know I’ll help them.
I have realized that it took a lot of practice to get it right. I had to observe others, and see how I could adapt their styles to my own. I’ll never be the loud, sarcastic teacher. But I don’t have to be. I can be myself, and that works.
Rant: Female Teachers and How They “Should” Dress
I was in my teaching methods class tonight. I find that class really interesting most of the time. My professor brings high school teachers in from schools around the state and they give us advice about what to do when we become teachers. I usually find these teachers very inspiring.
However, tonight I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. There was a woman who was giving us tips about gaining respect from students. One thing she said was [note: this is probably slightly paraphrased]: “You have to pay attention to how you dress — especially the ladies. If you dress like you don’t respect yourself then your students will find it hard to respect you. I’m not saying you have to dress like a grandma to be a teacher, but remember the messages you’re sending. You don’t want to wear anything low-cut. There are teenage boys with hormones going crazy and you don’t want to give them any ideas.”
I was really upset by this statement for a few reasons:
1. I am sick and tired of people conflating “respecting yourself” with dressing a certain way. Wearing short skirts and/or “low-cut” tops doesn’t mean I don’t take myself seriously. Anyone who knows me probably understands that I prioritize myself and value myself a lot. I work hard, get good grades, run the college QSA… I am constantly trying to better myself. I also happen to wear feminine clothing, mostly involving skirts and bright colors. A lot of the stuff I wear probably qualifies as “low-cut” because my boobs are big and anything less than a turtleneck shows a little bit of boob-puffage. Also, I am only 21 years old and of a short stature, so I still shop in the cuter, “juniors” section of stores. I never wear suits, huge sweaters, or skirts that go down to my ankles. That’s just how I feel comfortable. I don’t think this means I deserve any less respect than anybody else.
2. The fact that she had to specify that these special rules are “for the ladies” implies that women are held at a higher standard of professionalism than men, and that just isn’t fair. Men can pretty much wear anything as teachers and still be treated as a professional and valued for their intellect. However, if women wear anything deemed to be too pretty or too showy, then they are shamed and devalued, no matter how intelligent they may be. Women shouldn’t have to try twice as hard to be treated with respect by their students or fellow faculty; respect should be automatic.
3. The idea that boys cannot be held accountable for their actions because of their hormones is utter shit. According to this particular teacher, if a boy treats a sexually-desirable female teacher with disrespect, it is not the boy’s fault but the teacher’s fault instead… and that is just stupid. Unless a female teacher is literally ASKING for her boy students to hit on her, then it isn’t her fault. I’m so over this “boys will be boys” attitude that permeates our society. Boys should get punished if they’re being inappropriate, plain and simple. I don’t care if their teacher walks into class wearing a bikini — they should NEVER feel like they have to right to objectify her.
As I was thinking about all of this, I realized that I am frightened to teach high school kids. I feel like I would be eaten alive. Not only am I young, small, feminine, and (probably?) sexually-desirable, but I will also be a brand new teacher. I feel like I will have no power in those classrooms, especially in a world where boys only value women for their looks and the administration will probably see me as a huge slut for not dressing in clothes made for women in their forties. I would feel fine in a middle school class, where the age gap between me and the students is larger. But what happens if I get placed in a high school for my student teaching? Or if I get a job at a high school and not a middle school?
I understand that this fear could easily be solved by over-dressing and wearing ugly clothes… but I feel uncomfortable doing that, and completely opposite from myself. I don’t want to change who I am to teach. I don’t feel like I should have to.
Sometimes I feel like I am too radical to be pursuing this career. :(
This is a wonderful post. I’m definitely too radical to be a public school teacher :P The idea that you’d have to dress a certain way to earn respect is utter bullshit. Any student would be lucky to have you as their teacher, Jennabun.
Thinking back to my time in high school, I can’t remember giving a shit WHAT my teachers wore. I didn’t care. I was too busy worrying about if that dude from my Chemistry class thought I was pretty and how much Trig homework I had that day.
And when I go into classrooms now for presentations and the like, I tend to dress younger anyway so I’ll be more relateable to the kids.
I’ve never had anyone tell me I should dress a certain way as a teacher. I did not major in education for undergrad, so maybe I missed out on the classes where ideas like these were promoted.
But, I think it’s total BS. You should dress how you want.
I am a young looking high school teacher. I’ve got 10 years on our oldest students, but people still think I’m in my early twenties.
Once, I was confused for a student-by other teachers. That really annoyed me, and it actually had nothing to do with how I was dressed. I was wearing a skirt and a nice top. A security person still yelled at me and asked for ID. I complied, but I felt really embarrassed, as other people were around and they all stared and wondered what the commotion was.
I do sympathize with the new teacher fear. It is scary going into a classroom for the first time and encountering a group of surly teens I hope the OP does not get discouraged by the crap promoted by one teacher. I would like to say it’s not that bad everywhere, but I only have my limited experience.
The only real piece of advice I would give is to not wear jeans every day, but I think that’s obvious.
I do think there’s something to the idea of dressing for respect in a situation like this, where you’ll have power over people who aren’t that much younger than you. But it has nothing to do with sex, gender, or a higher standard of professionalism for women. To all the above points, I completely agree - that is unfair.
But let me add this point - clothing is like a language. Just like you can align yourself with a particular group of people by talking like them - say, more formal when you’re with your grandmother or cursing more when you’re with your awesome, crass friends - how you dress can help get you what you want out of a particular situation.
My French teacher in high school was just off the bus from University. She was so, so small. Petite all around, with a soft voice and a hesitant manner. We DID eat her alive, the first year. We mocked her for her “ums” and exploited any and all weaknesses we could perceive.
You’d better believe the second year she came back with a new stern manner and added volume to her voice. It was like she grew six inches over the summer.
And I remember very distinctly the way she dressed - skirts and soft blouses, yes, but very conservatively. Everything was boxy and in muted tones.
Of course, she dressed that way because she was doing what society tells women to do - cover up, downplay your sexuality, dress to be taken seriously at work. It’s hard to tear down those patriarchal walls by yourself, and especially hard as a recent graduate being thrown to the wolves in a public high school.
But she also did it to look older. To differentiate herself from the ungroomed youth of the teenage years, even though she may have been barely out of her own teens. She dressed in boxy clothes to look bigger, knowing that her petite frame was not an asset in commanding authority. She did it to set herself apart as NOT a member of the group she was leading - as an outsider. Someone who was held to a different set of rules than her students.
That much I think is valuable. In ANY situation.
Absolutely, the sexist standards for the way women dress are ridiculous and not at all a measure of character.
But we all play into the image system when we choose what to put on in the morning. (My male high school science teachers really should’ve rethought wearing those polos unbuttoned to mid-chest, as we mocked them mercilessly behind their backs and called them “Chest Wig.”) There are ways to make it work in your favor, even while you fight against stereotypes that need to be broken.
Sadly, it sounds like the person who gave this talk never bothered to examine further than the first layer of prejudice to get down to the helpful stuff underneath.
Reblogging for the helpful commentary.
This is my five minute makeup routine. Put creme eyeshadow on lids, brush on mascara (2 coats), apply tinted moisturizer, and dust with blush. Finish with makeup setting spray.
Just for fun
Your desk can be fashionable too! This was VERY easy to do - just find your favorite wrapping paper, measure your desk, measure the paper, cut, and tape.
Jeans Friday
It’s an unofficial rule for me at work. We have no dress code for either teachers or students, so many teachers wear jeans to work every day.
However, as a younger faculty member, I like to maintain a professional look-except on Fridays.
This is probably more relevant to high school teachers. As everyone knows, football games are on Fridays, and Friday is generally a dedicated “school spirit day.”
So I wear a nice pair of dark jeans to go with my school top.
