Teacher Appearance

Children look to teachers for guidance, knowledge, life experiences, how they handle situations and a whole slew of other important points. They look to teachers because teachers are their role-models.

This point is an important one and it should not be dismissed because some kids are not interested in school or because teachers are seen as 'nerdy' or out-of-touch. Teens, no matter how they may seem to be disinterested, are learning from adults. This is either an active or inactive pursuit.

One of the many elements of a being an effective leader, and therefore an effective teacher, is to understand the influence of being a role-model. Dressing professionally sets a tone, which is one that is understood by interviewees and interviewers in every field. Whether one is sloppy or neat, unspoken information is clearly transmitted with potentially catastrophic results.

Once employed, especially for teachers, it is crucial teachers communicate that education is important and that the classroom is a special place. Doing so encourages students to perform. The alternative is to not communicate the importance of the classroom and its activities, which runs a risk of setting poor tone, dealing with behavior problems, and teens who may feel that low expectations are acceptable.

As a veteran teacher, I have seen teachers who dress for parent-teacher conferences. The attire for many teachers is often a quantum leap above the usual. Why? Are parents more important than students? If setting tone is important with parents, the same tone is important with students.

Speaking as a former classroom teacher, I know from personal experience there is a clear difference of wearing professional attire versus the alternative. Honestly, wearing professional attire makes setting tone easier, which positively affects all other aspects of learning. My experiences may be anecdotal, but I have yet to see any research that suggests wearing less professional attire contributes to better learning and ease of instruction.

Resources

AASA (n.d.) The Link Between Teacher Dress and Student Decorum. Online Resource Accessed on September 22nd, 2006 at: http://www.aasa.org/publications/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1843.

CBSNews (2005) Teacher Attire A Touchy Subject. Online Resource Accessed on September 22nd, 2006 at: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/07/06/national/main706875.shtml.

Dallas Morning News (2006) Local Districts on Teacher Dress: Have Some Class. Online Resource Accessed on September 22nd, 2006 at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/DN-teacherdress_15met.ART.North.Edition1.3f47a46.html.

Education World (2005) How I Handled… Teachers Who Wear Inappropriate Clothing To School. Online Resource Accessed on September 22nd, 2006 at: http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/how_i_handled/how_i_handled049.shtml.

KVUE News (2006) Districts on Teacher Dress: Have Some Class. Online Resource Accessed on September 22nd, 2006 at: http://www.kvue.com/news/state/stories/0915kvueteacherdress-eh.1042e007.html.