do you think teachers need a dress code?

[LWolf]

28. I think we should be required to dress appropriately

for what we'll be doing. Classrooms aren't offices.

What we do is not restricted to sitting at a desk or lecturing at the front of the room.

I am on the field, in the grass, mud and snow. I am dealing with paint and other art materials. I am climbing up and down to put up and take down displays. I am crawling around on the floor and standing on tables to check cables and connections.

I prefer to wear clothes that can go in the washer and dryer, that don't require expensive dry cleaning. Since I'm always carrying pens, pencils, and dry erase markers around, there are inevitable marks on the clothing. I usually relegate ink-stained or paint stained or grass stained clothing to wearing at home for home and ranch chores. I don't mind replacing marked clothing for work, but I'm not made of money. So, what I choose for the classroom has to work in other settings as well, and it has to be cheap.

I am on my feet most of the day, and going up and down 2 flights of concrete stairs to get from the gym, office, cafeteria, library, lab, etc. from my room and back. I wear orthopedic walking shoes, which are more appropriate to the job than office shoes.

Since classrooms aren't offices, I'll point out that ours aren't air conditioned. Being upstairs, getting the afternoon sun through plate glass windows, spring and fall it can be sweltering in there. Fabrics that hide sweat are good. Fabrics that breathe are, too.

I expect my clothing to be clean, in good repair, to fit appropriately, to be easily washed, and to be safe and comfortable.

I also consider it necessary to model expected dress for students, so if it isn't okay in the student dress code, I don't wear it.

That means t-shirts are fine; so are tank tops if the straps are two fingers wide and no bra is showing. I don't wear tanks, but I wouldn't hesitate if I wanted to. I don't wear skirts, since I spend time on the floor and on the tables, but if I did, I'd make sure they were always longer than my fingertips at my side, which is what the student dress code calls for.