Parents, how do your teachers dress for school?

[Jeafl]

I am starting a new job on Tuesday as a paraprofessional in the special ed department. This means I will be in classrooms all day working with the kids.

Our superintendant only allows us to wear jeans on school spirit day, which is one day a month. However, many other schools I know allow teachers to wear jeans everyday. I walked into a friend's child's middle school last spring and thought that the teacher was one of the students! She was wearing jeans, two layered tank tops and flip flops. It didn't help that she was very young (and young looking).

I guess what I am wondering is, should teachers dress differently from the students, or does it really matter as long as the kids are learning? I have very mixed feelings about it, and am interested in hearing other people's opinions.

 

[zagafi]

While I am as casual as they come (and a teacher) I think tanktops are a bit much. We have "spirit" day every Friday and that's our "jeans" day. I usually wear khakis and a nice shirt because I'm not a dress up kind of girl, period. Plus, I'm active and end up on the floor at times (I do tech support now) and need to be practical.

I do not think teachers need to wear suits, dresses, or heels, but think there's also such a thing as TOO casual.

 

[kimmikayb]

Our teachers are required to dress professionally. They aren't allowed jeans or shorts.

One of my best friends is a high school teacher and I just went shopping with her. Lots of blues/blacks/beiges.

I, for one, don't have a problem with our teachers dressing casual/nice. But I suppose you'd always have a few who don't know where the line is.

 

[RitaE]

I think that teachers that are frequently on the floor, sitting with kids, running around a playground etc should have the liberty to choose clothing which will hold up to that kind of abuse and allow them to perform their job. Tank tops and flip flops, no I don't think so. There is no reason for tank tops and flip flop that I can imagine.

Now a High School Algebra teacher should look more Professional.

 

[SC Minnie]

Ours dress business casual. Some wear khakis and polos while others wear skirts or men will wear a dress shirt and tie. The only time I have seen jeans is on spirit day.

 

[3Leafs]

Our teachers are very laid back. I do disagree with it though. I think they should at least have to follow the same dress code as they expect our kids to dress. Our kids are NOT allowed to wear tank tops and open toed shoes but I see so many teachers wearing them. I feel they should be able to dress casual but at least follow the same rules as the kids are forced to follow.

 

[Magic Mom]

Ours are pretty casual, but I only see jeans very occasionally, so I think there must be some sort of only on "spirit day" rule about jeans. For the most part I see Khakis and capris with casual tops. I do think there should be a difference between students and teachers dress-wise.

 

[JessicaR]

Teachers dress professionally around here. I think they get occasional dress down days though.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Flip flops? Even before we went to uniforms, the KIDS were not even allowed to wear flip flops-for teachers it would be unheard of. Now we are in uniforms, teachers dress businees casual-no jeans unless spirit wear day. No shorts for the teachers, kids can wear uniform shorts. We are in the deep south, so skirts/dresses are worn without hosiery. I don't know if they can wear open toed shoes, never noticed. I think they should have a dress code for some of the parents coming in to pick up their children, you wouldn't believe what I saw last year coming in to get a kid!

I do see the gym teacher in shorts, which is an acceptable exception.

 

[binny]

It depends on the school here and the principal.

Some are very casual and wear polo shirts and jeans, some require business casual.

We went to DS' new school open house last night. I heard one of the teachers say to a parent "We are the school with the highest percentage of teachers with dreadlocks in the district!"


They were all dressed professionally but it is a charter school and I think they just have a more laid back attitude.

I dont mind casual at all. I think if teachers are dressed too "stiffly" that younger kids can be intimidated. If i were in charge nice jeans and polos would be fine.
Especially working in special ed classes. You need to able to move around in there.

 

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

For the most part, our teachers wear khakis, casual pants, longer skirts. Our kids have jean days once a month and the teachers are allowed that as well.

We did get a new teacher in for K that was in way too tight clothing and some midriff showing

I think if everything is covered than you are OK!

 

[Camicar]

Well, let me reiterate what I told my dd's middle school principal in re her 7th grade English teacher.

"If teachers want to be treated like and paid as professionals, then they need to BE professional in all ways, including their dress. Unless you want to be treated like a professional hoochie, showing up to work in a tank top cut down to there and a denim skirt cut up to there, is NOT professional."

IOW: Dress like you want to be treated. If you want to be treated like a kid or a hoochie, then dress accordingly. If you want to be treated like a professional doing their job, then dress accordingly.

 

[MushyMushy]

My kids' teachers always dressed rather nicely, so I was surprised to find that they had no dress code (until this year). This year they're enacting a new dress code, so I'm anxious to see what it says.

I think there should be a professional standard, but definitely not suits and/or dresses. There's no air conditioning in a lot of schools and teachers are (or should be) on their feet all day long. Business casual would be entirely appropriate.

 

[golfgal]

Ours dress business casual. Some wear khakis and polos while others wear skirts or men will wear a dress shirt and tie. The only time I have seen jeans is on spirit day.

That is what they wear here. I think they might have jean day on Fridays though? Most men wear khaki's and a button up shirt, some wear ties, women wear khakis and a nice top although some wear skirts.

Most businesses are business casual around here so it is pretty much the same attire.

 

[Jeafl]

This is all pretty interesting. I plan on dressing in khakis and dress pants with flats, mostly because I will be on my feet most of the day. It wouldn't make sense for me to get TOO dressed up because I will be accompanying the kids to art, gym and music class.

 

[mjkacmom]

In your case, I think nice casual would be okay. I did my student teaching in a self contained special education classroom, and there was a lot of floorwork, not to mention being physically assaulted by some children. Also, the teacher and the aide had to clean up some messy accidents (nothing like a poopy accident of a 10 year old). I don't know what specific population you will be working with, though.

 

[Pixiedust34]

My dh is a teacher and I guess you'd call his attire "school uniform" style. He wears light colored pants (mostly tans--chalk shows up on dark hues) and a polo shirt with the school's name and logo on it. He basically wears this every day, varying the color of the polo shirts as through the years he's bought many of them and the school varies the color selection of the shirts they sell each year. He does wear crocs to work as he is on his feet all day and they are comfortable.

The principal approved the school polo shirts for teachers to wear to promote school spirit. Before this polo shirts were approved, he wore a shirt and tie every day.

 

[Disney Doll]

My neighbor is a teacher for about 17years.
She wears business casual. Khakis and a nice polo or sweater, a skirt and top that are more toward the casual side, a casual jumper.

Nothing too tight or too revealing from any angle.

 

[LaraK]

People will form lasting opinions about you in 1 to 6 seconds...many times before you have a chance to speak. Decide what you would like that opinion to be.

Sloppily dressed people in all professional fields are a pet peeve of mine. If you do not dress professionally, I will think very poorly of you, no matter how nice you are. My DD's teacher really never got past the flip flops and peddle pushers she wore on the first day of school last year. She lost most of my respect in the first few seconds. She was very nice, but first impressions stick.

 

[powellrj]

This is really a hot button for me. My kids went to uniforms last year and I have always been very vocal about how much I hate them.

I really think that the fact the teachers still wear jeans and sweats is the main reason I resent the uniforms so much. Seriously, why do my kids have to wear plain polos and khaki pants with shirts tucked in and belts and we have teachers wearing sweat pants with Juicy across the rear. These aren't special ed teachers or elementary teachers, these are middle school and high school teachers.

I went the other day and the kids were all in uniforms and the teacher was wearing jeans and a sweat shirt. Come on, they wonder why several families have left the district over the uniforms policy? Our bus drivers kids go to a different school because he said it was cheaper to pay tuition to a non dress code school than to buy his kids uniforms.