Re: Dress Codes, etc.

[Earl Sande <sandes@CODETEL.NET.DO>]

As a new teacher, I wore a sportsjacket and tie, simply because it
distanced me from students who were only slightly older than myself.

I found that our demeanor quite often provides clues to our students on
what to expect during the class and, as example, one day I could not get
those kids to settle down no matter what I did.  'But, Mr. Sande, you
haven't taken off your coat yet!" and only then did I realize that, to
start class seriously, I always set the coat over a chair (frankly, to keep
the yellow chalk dust off). And the day I wore that awful bright orange tie
was one that I'll never, ever, want to repeat.

Dress codes themselves, however, do not work.  In fact they might have the
opposite effect when the "sloppy" teacher dons a tailored suit.  Student
attitudes in his/her class transfer to the effective teacher who regularly
wears tailored clothing.

And, quite frankly, being told not to wear sandals here in the tropics has
been one of my bones of contention with the school.

A wise headmaster once told his new staff :  "Dress code?  Sure, I got one.
 Clothes are mandatory!"

Few teachers in his school, to this day, wear sloppy clothing.  None have
had to be told what, specifically, was required in their wardrobe.

Earl
Earl P Sande
Elementary School Librarian
Director of Library Services
Carol Morgan School
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic
e-mail :  sandes@codetel.net.do

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