Professional Appearance, part 1

Hello everyone,

There has been some discussion lately about professional appearance.

First a disclaimer: LAUSD has no formal dress code beyond forbidding the obvious (i.e., the obscene, the illegal, and the disruptive).

This means that you have rather wide latitude about what you wear.

Having said that, I should remind you that, fool though he was, Polonius was right when he told Laertes that "apparel oft proclaims the man." In other words, you appear to students to be the character whose costume you are wearing.

I can't recommend a specific dress standard for teachers, but I can recommend considering several case studies when you decide what to wear in your classrooms.

A female teacher had to fight wide-spread rumors that she was a retired porn star because she dressed in flamboyant, revealing clothes. I am not sure if she was ever aware of the rumors, but numbers of students over the course of several years swore to me that she was a former porn star. She had difficulty with classroom management because of it. Dress modestly.

I know several teachers that are frequently mistaken for students. They look and dress like students. Their students treat them like student tutors, not like teachers. Consciously avoid looking like the students.

Students often complain of teachers who dress in mismatched clothes. Students equate the lack of concern for basic fashion sense to be a lack of concern for students. (I've had students complain about my clothes, too. I dress best when my wife tells me what to wear. Even so, when students have commented on my unfashionable clothes, they have frequently added the caveat, "At least they match.") A teacher who regularly dresses like a clown will be treated like a clown, and teachers who rebel against the absurdity of professional fashion norms by dressing in protest (things like combining shorts and sandals with formal shirt, coat and tie) will encourage students to protest--not against the system, but against the teacher. (I have personally witnessed the class rooms of teachers who fit both of these examples. They were disasters.)

There are other practical concerns to consider.

I learned to wear a jacket and tie while teaching middle school because it helped immeasurably with my classroom management. I looked like an authority figure, so I had authority. This was not as important when I moved to the high school, so I stopped wearing ties except at parent night. (ALWAYS dress your best for the parents.) You may experiment with the level of formality your students need from you. As you age, it becomes less necessary to be formal. (Gray hair equals authority to students.)

Excessive formality is not good either. Quiet and professional is the best for classroom management. Dress the part; fill the expectation.

Comfortable shoes are very important. That means that, though the norm for professional women may be higher heels, teachers should probably wear more comfortable shoes. Also, avoid shoes that are too noisy.

Coaches and teachers in certain specialities should dress practically for what they teach. However, since part of teacher dress is to communicate competence and authority, coaches and shop teachers often use whistles or key chains to do the same thing. (It works, remarkably.)

If you ever have trouble with student behavior in your classes, you may consider that how you dress is a large factor in your ability to manage the classroom. Increase your professional formality (if your subject doesn't prohibit it), and you will likely see a corresponding change in your students' attitudes.

Proclaim yourself properly.

Jeff Combe