What Not to Wear

Well, I put this off until I couldn't any longer. Here I am--blogging at one o'clock in the morning. Sheesh! I had a heck of a time trying to think of something to write about, and then my sister suggested going off on a fashion tangent. So, here I go.... :)

Teachers are known for a lot of things, whether they apply to all teachers or not--professionalism, well- (or at least decently) educated, low pay, and working overtime. Another thing they're sometimes known for--bad fashion. Too many times I've seen teachers wearing flip-flops, long floral, shapeless dresses ("old maid" dresses), and sometimes, yes, even MOM JEANS! Why can't teachers respect themselves, their profession, their students, and their superiors enough to dress like they care what they look like? It's not like it takes any more time to wear something that fits well and is from this century than it does to put on a Hawaiian shirt with "dress pants" from the Granny Department in a store.

I like watching the show What Not to Wear on TLC, and yes, sometimes Clinton and Stacy (the hosts of the show) say that expensive clothing is better. In reality, though, you can get some nice things for a great price! Have you ever heard of Target, people? Maybe teachers should be given an allowance for clothing like news anchors get. I think that part of the problem could possibly be that many teachers don't like spending money on themselves. The same goes for mothers. But I say, why not spend some money on yourself? It doesn't make sense to spend it on others but totally forget yourself and let your own fashion fall by the wayside.

Looking decent in the classroom not only helps you feel good about yourself, but the administration and even the students notice when teachers make an effort to look professionally decent. Just because we're working with children doesn't mean we have to look like we just rolled out of bed. If we look frumpy, unkempt, and out of style, that shows that we lack self-respect and gives the impression that we don't care, which could be a reflection of how we teach. We should care about the impression we give to others.

And so, I request that all of my colleagues take my petition to heart. No mom jeans, no flip-flops, no tapered pants, no Hawaiian shirts, no 80s suits---none of that awful stuff! I don't even know why they still sell that! It's AWFUL!!!!! Please wear nice clothing that is from this time period. If you need advice, watch What Not to Wear or see what people are wearing in ads, but whatever you do, don't dress like you don't care!