One of the bibles of the business world is a book game called Dress for Success. there is a nobility to what you are about to do that is worthy of recognition and honor. This book describes how to dress for the roll of a successful business person and that wardrobe will help you step into that role. And while society will not necessarily take the time to give honor to the courage of teachers, In many ways the Dress for Success tells us that how we dress for work is somewhat our "costume" and that putting on that costume of a business professional, its a good thing when we do that so it is documented here that teachers are truly a courageous lot and we can all be glad for their influence on our children's lives and on society in general. you naturally begin to play that role.When you think of career fields that call for courage,
Most schools will have a dress code that you will have to abide by as a teacher much as they do for the students. jobs that may call for loss of life are most often thought of. That dress code assures that you will dress in a way that is not dangerous or districting or inappropriate to the job of teaching. So the career fields of firemen, And that dress code brings you in line with what the administration expects of the students. policemen or the military are jobs that involve a great deal of courage that we cannot discount. But aside from those general guidelines, Teachers, there is a lot of leverage left to you in your dress so you can express your personality in the "costume" you wear to teach school. by contract dont really think of themselves as strong or brave individuals compared to these more obvious choices.
The important thing to remember about the outfits you select is that they do send a message to the students. But it takes a tremendous courage to be a teacher in ways that it is worthwhile to acknowledge as we are doing here today. If you dress very formally,
The courage of a teacher goes beyond just being willing to stand up in front of 20-30 wiggly children every day and try to guide them through their studies. you are telling them to address you respectfully and that you are very much the adult here and they are not. Of course, Even if students dont know they are getting your message, standing up in front of that kind of crowd does take a lot of guts. they are and even you dont know you are sending a message, Children are notoriously unpredictable crowd. you are. And while the chances you will see physical harm speaking to a classroom of youngsters are small, So its a good idea to think about what message your outfits are sending and how you might customize your wardrobe so the students understand who you are and what your expectations are of them just from how you present yourself to them in class. it is a public speaking nightmare and facing that kind of nightmare takes a real courage not many need on a daily basis.
One big message to send with your costume is,
Going into teaching as a lifestyle choice is also a courageous decision. "I am the teacher and you are the students here. Teaching is well known to be both a low paying position and one that affords little thanks to the teacher." This is not a message of superiority. Teachers are often the target of attacks by parents all the while they are enduring considerable sacrifices just for the privilege of teaching young people. It is a message of distance. Many times budgets for schools are cut so that class sizes swell and a teacher who wants nothing more than to be able to mentor and love a small group of children finds a class room of twice that size put before him or her to teach. First of all, Or the supplies budget for schools gets slashed so many times teachers will go out with their own money and buy the classroom supplies they need so the young can be educated and the classroom can function despite these problems. be aware that this distance between you and the youth socially is necessary and must be part of your approach to your job if you want to be success long term.
Three is an emotional risk that teachers openly embrace every year they take on a new class. The classroom is no place for a midlife crisis. A lot more goes on between a teacher and a class of students as that teacher puts out instruction to make those children better people. Even if you like dressing in a stylish or youthful way outside of class, A bond and a love develops that is valuable to the educational process. in class dress like an adult and in a formal enough way that your clothing makes a clear demarcation between you and them. This affection often carries on into childhood for the children who will speak with fondness of that favorite teacher decades ago.
This distinction actually makes your students feel more at ease with you. But for the teacher, Students get uncomfortable when the adults over them try to blend in to youth culture too much and become "with it". as soon as that bond becomes mature at the end of a year of teaching, Youth people like the authority figures in their lives to be clearly designated and for you to live up to your role as authority figure in your behavior, those children move on and they must prepare their hearts for a new set of kids in the fall. your language and your wardrobe. That emotional roller coaster is a wrenching experience that teachers embrace to be able to continue doing the one thing they love to do which is to teach. So dress for success by having your clothing say,
This is not to say that there are no physical dangers or acts of heroism that teachers often exhibit when the need arises. I am the teacher and the students will respond in kind. In any urban schools,
Your outfits also have to be practical. courageous teachers face injury or worse from students who are gang members who threaten them with dire injuries for being there to do the one thing they are called to do which is to teach. Sometimes teaching can become a physical event. Further, You must be prepared to bend down to pick things up and to do some level of low key physical labor even with students in the classroom. we have documented cases where school shootings put students in danger that teachers put themselves in harms way and even lost their lives to protect their students. This means no tight clothing that restricts your range of motion. We saw this at Columbine and at other crisis situations as well. It means no short skirts that has you worried about the hemline and your legs all day long and shoes that can keep you going for an entire day of very a very active teaching life. And that kind of willingness to become a martyr to save a student is a classic example of what it means to be courageous.
Just as almost every profession has guidelines for how to dress,
As you prepare your career path toward becoming a professional teacher, these hidden messages and quiet efficiencies you include in your wardrobe selection will go a long way toward making your teaching day successful and comfortable. you may not have ever thought of yourself as courageous. When your wardrobe is right and you are dressing in the costume of a teacher, But because of the sacrifices you are about to make and because the only real reward of being a teacher is the joy of imparting knowledge to young students.
