It may not be fair to judge a book by its cover, but it happens everywhere you go, even in the classroom. But as educators, is the way we dress really that important? According to my view, it's quite important. How we dress can present an image we don't necessarily intend.
I’m sure you’ve heard this saying before: ‘Never Judge a
Book by its Cover’. This cliche is being overused and has lost its impact. What
this phrase is really trying to say is that “first impressions last”. How a
teacher dresses sets an image, a tone for others to react to this. In a
classroom, a teacher’s dress code can have an impact on the learner’s opinions
and can create either a negative or negative type of educational atmosphere.
So if teachers can learn to understand and practice proper
dressing attire for the classroom, they can expect to have a proper
relationship with the learners because the ability to serve as a role model and
an authoritative figure is largely determined by his outlook.
If, for example, a school principal can set a specific dress
code for all teachers in a school, then changing your wardrobe won’t be a
difficult task since most of the clothes you’ll wear to work will ‘almost’ be
the same. But some school principals and school districts have a much looser
policy when it comes to dress code and teachers are left to decide what is
appropriate.
In most of the work places these days a dress code has
become more casual. Teachers in some of the high schools and primary schools
can dress in a way that doesn’t even make them different from their learners.
You can’t see who is a teacher and who is a learner especially if learners are
not in school uniform.
I know that clothes that are worn by teachers may not
determine what or how the learners learn, but they can simply affect the level
of respect that learners develop for that particular teacher.
When I first started teaching I used to come to work with a
formal dress code. You know a nice suit and tie and formal shoes. Now since it
was us, the teachers who actually move from class to class changing periods and
not the learners, when I went home my feet would be so bruised like I walking
in hot coal. I then started noticing some of the teachers wearing sneakers on a
Monday and that’s when I figured out that the dress code is actually left for
teachers to decide for themselves what to wear.
I started to wear comfortable clothes and I was able to move
around comfortably so. The problem with this was that my performance when
teaching became poor and I realized that the more relaxed my attire was, the
more laid-back I became. This is the reason why t-shirts, sweatpants, and other
types of comfortable clothing are associated with weekends, holidays, and
‘days offs.
You know a teacher who is wearing t-shirts and sweatpants in
the classroom tends to have a more easy-going character. Well, this can have a
positive effect when it allows learners to feel at ease but it can also cause
some damage when it encourages relaxed less-disciplined behaviors.
A teacher wearing clothes that are either extremely casual
(e.g., sweaters, ripped jeans, or baggy shirts) or age-inappropriate (e.g.,
t-shirts with slogans or funny sayings, tight-fitting clothing, or short
skirts) might “connect” with the learners on a personal level, but
unfortunately, much of the sense of authority and control over the classroom can
be lost.
Some teachers come to school dressed in ridiculous outfits
like they are promoting curtains or table cloths.
A teacher can build a connection with his learners dressed
in a more “business-like” dress code. There was a teacher at my school who has
a formal dress code. The way he dresses is so unique that he wears a different
tie every day. His personalized ties range from quotes, science experiments,
fun quizzes, and so on and learners always look forward to seeing him and his
ties every day.
You know this introduces an element of fun and creates a way
for learners and teachers to interact on a personal level while maintaining a
certain tone of formality.
Female teachers can likewise bring their unique interests
and personality into their classroom attire. Skirts, dresses, blouses, and nice
trousers can be accessorized with jewelry and scarves that give a familiar feel.
For example, a teacher who loves science might have pins,
bracelets, watches, and earrings in the shape of her favorite scientific tool.
She creates a bond with the learners by letting them know a little bit about
herself.
One high-school English teacher amuses her learners by
showing up every beginning of a school term wearing a different holiday-themed
sweater. Again, this creates a connection and a sense of familiarity without
sacrificing standards of formality or modesty.
Not only does this kind of dressing affect how the learners
view their teacher but it also influences the teacher’s own daily appearance.
When you are done taking a bath, you are dressed and checking yourself out in
the mirror before leaving the house, a person builds an attitude based on his
own reflection and this self-image gets carried over into the workplace.
When a teacher gets into the classroom, well dressed and
confident, he will convey a message that he is organized and in control to his
learners.
Dressing and behaving in a way that emphasizes his position
as an authority figure and a role model, he builds a professional approach to
his career not only in the learners’ eyes, but in his own mind. This confidence
creates a successful teacher and, consequently, a successful classroom.
Ideally, books should not be judged by their covers. Whether
right or wrong though, in reality, impressions are often based on appearances.
Reactions and attitudes are developed according to how a person looks, and in a
setting like the classroom, the type of reaction learners have to their teacher
is crucial to their success. By simply considering the image they wish to
project, a teacher can dress in a way that is best-suited for an effective
learning environment.
Now it's your turn. Do you this that the way teachers dress
affects learning in the classroom? Let me know in the comments below.