Sitting in my education class, I was listening to my professor babble on and on about how to be a successful teacher. All so important and intriguing, but my attention was caught when my professor brought up dress code. Sure, looking professional is important, but I was curious to hear their definition of “professional” and just how that will make us successful as teachers.
Turns out to be a successful teacher, you must wear closed-toe shoes, dresses/skirts that go past your knees, shirts with sleeves, and of course no tattoos. While I agree that looking professional is essential in students taking their teachers seriously, I did not agree with all of these limitations.
The main reason I decided I just had to become a high school teacher was because of some of my own teachers. But these teachers were not just fun teachers who let their students goof off. They weren’t just good at teaching the curriculum. They were teachers who made you learn something about yourself. They saw the best in you and helped you see that too. They raised your confidence when you felt like you couldn’t do something--whatever that something was. They were more than teachers. They were mentors and role models.
I believe that the way a person is dressed shows individuality; it builds confidence; it makes you feel good about yourself. Putting limitations on a way someone dresses can also limit their confidence, making people feel bad about themselves. In our society, women are constantly told what to wear. Whether it’s your boyfriend telling you to wear something conservative, or a frat boy telling you to “wear something tight.” Neither are fair. Strict dress codes make women feel the same way as those two comments do. What’s the reasoning behind a dress that falls below my knees? Are women’s knees now too sexual? Women are constantly sexualized everywhere around the world--some more extreme than others.
In my opinion, being a successful teacher will mean that I did all of the things I mentioned about my past high school teachers earlier. I hope I can help students see the best in themselves, improve their confidence levels, and help them to find themselves in their high school years.To do this, I refuse to limit them in any way, including their clothing. I refuse to let any of my future students be seen for what their wearing, and not be seen for what’s inside their minds. And I refuse to be deemed “successful” for what I’m wearing as a teacher and not what I’m teaching.
